MOB

[SNAPS]

How Many out there have actually recovered a person from the water.

It is a worrying prospect especially if they are tired or unconcious
anybody got any comments on this from experience?

JACKTAR

 

[Mirelle]

WOB

I have. But in relatively kind conditions - warm sunny day, slight swell and about an F3 - more than 25 years ago. I can still remember the sense of shock when I saw her go in. We were both young and fairly fit. I was able just to lean over and pull a smaller woman back aboard. I probably could not do that now. One lesson is that you may be more likely to go OB in good conditions than in bad.

 

[chippie]

I was crewing on a 30 foot racing yacht in fair conditions when a crewmember dived under the boom during a tack and didnt stop when he got to the other side.
The skipper gave us a text book example of turning around and picking him up with only losing one place and on with the race.
I hate to think of the outcome had conditions been difficult. We might have lost two places or more.
Seriously though, just trying to recover a dummy during training was a nightmare in difficult conditions.

 

[Guest]

I have done it more times than I care to say, but the one thing that always surprises me is that people going over the side with manual gas lifejackets and dont inflate them. When I've pulled them out and asked them why they didn't use the jacket, the normal response is I didnt want to use the gas canister because I'd have to replace it (can you believe it) When would one "expect" to use it?

 

[Guest]

Good post. I have. Frightening. My son was eight at the time. We picked up some friends at Looe. Ten of us on board, moored at Plymouth, all crew a bit too keen to help with fenders. Silently, from the stern, he slipped into the water. A sheepish look from one of the younger crew. His mum tugged at my jacket. "Oh, ooh what do you say - Man Overboard!" she said. After she held our gaze, we looked behind, to see small chap disappearing sternwards, already well over 100 yds away with wind and tide. We got behind him, I'd stripped down to pants ready to go and get him. he got badcj on board, al of us wiser and very very relieved.

MOB practise invariably seems laughable in comparison - the first minute or more is always wasted in establishing that it really isn't a joke, and that';s when everyone is looking. Unlike the films or the solenty fender-catching fun, people don't make the slightest noise as they fall in. You can't practise enough for the real thing. I always send them thru it for at leat an hour in unfamilar waters or at the start of a season, and never lift a finger. Having experienced a "mild" mob, I wouldn't blame anyone for losing someone a crewmember overboard.

 

[tyger]

Half a Mob

In my case the helmsman went over the side (don't ask!). He had the presence of mind to hang on to the rail and the tiller extension which had come off in his hand.

Once I had way off the boat I tried to pull him up over the lee rail in between keeping the boat away from an unfriendly breakwater. A problem with recovering the MOB over the lee rail is that the victim is trying to climb what mountaineers would call an overhang. Our combined efforts couldn't lift him up. In the end the solution was to put a line over the side with a bowlin at the end so he could step up.

I would guess that he was half in and half out of the water for at least five minutes.

Sice then I have always kept a rope lander handy in a cockpit locker.

 

[Boatman]

Two, on the same occasion last summer, aunty put 5 year old off the back for a swim (the tide was running at 5 knots) from down below I hear oh sh1t as father dives in after him they are long gone before I can move more family off the starboard locker to get to ropes.

So start the engine (thank god it started) pull up 40m of chain and start the chase, 5 year old was no problem at all pull in via sugar scoop, father was exhausted, v.cold and couldn't move managed to haul into a sitting position on the scoop where we put a jacket on him and tried reviving hime took quite a while. After about 10mins (felt like a couple of lifetimes) managed to get him into the cockpit. He was delirious and had to put in a space blanket to maintain body heat etc etc, all ended well

Leasons learnt, always tell anybody on board to ask the skipper before they do anything (I mean anything), I should have thrown the danbouy but was too busy trying to get at the ropes, Always have a space blanket & sleeping bag on board (This accident happened in Spain in August) and while I was in pursute I should have got someone to get the ropes I still needed them at the end.

Hope it helps

 

[ChrisJ]

Two occasions - both while at anchor.

1. Crew aged 18 months was crawling around the deck, being "watched" by elder sister. The deck was fully enclosed with netting, apart from a small gap at the front for anchoring. Over he went...
Dad was ashore in the dinghy. Mum was down below.
Tide running. Mum comes up from below, grabs a rope, jumps in at the stern, just as youngster appears. Elder sister luckily has enough presence to lower the swimming ladder, and all is well.

2. A year later, crew is now 30 months. Standing at the stern, "Oooh look at those fishes".
The fish swim under the boat, the crew leans further, only to discover at that age that the head is heavier than the body. This time we do have the dinghy available.

The crew is now aged 12, and hasn't fallen in since.

Cheers, Chris

 

[SNAPS]

Re: WOB

a couple of years ago I was sailing with a friend who said he had over 30 years experience of sailing. Needless to say, he fell in. We were in harbour at the time. I had the devil of a job rescuing him and it made me very aware of the importance of staying in the boat. It's a frightening prospect if you are out at sea with a bit of a blow. MOB situations are something to be avoided at all costs.

JACKTAR

 

[Falcon71]

Re: MOB and Life jackets that don\'t go off

My 9 year old daughter, fully lifejacketted, decided to jump out of the way of some fart gas sprayed by her brother and his friend. Unfortunately she was in the rib, so only place to go was over! Luckily big brother about-turned, just grabbed her and hauled her in, mind you its Marchish, freezing cold in Yarmouth Harbour. A hot shower, cuddles and lots of chocolate calmed her.

What was frightening was that her life jacket didn't go off and inflate. I see that they've changed the design now, but hers had velcro all around, including the bottom part, which over the summer and before its annual check out had knitted together, and didn't let the water in. So moral of story is to unpick and cut off velcro at bottom end of jacket.... and don't allow boys fart gas.