Realife MOB recovery - lessons learnt

Rob_Webb

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It's a long story so I'll cut straight to the point. On Saturday, after a long sequence of events I found myself going to the rescue of one of the large Auckland coastguard RIBs. It was blowing 30-40kts and only stupid idiots like me were out which turned out to be extremely fortunate for the CG boys. Their RIB sprung an engine fire and after failing to contain it the 5 man crew had to jump into the sea. Luckily at that stage I was less than 0.5nm away and was eventually able to pick them out of the water onto my yacht. But the key lesson learnt are as follows:

1. We agreed over VHF that they would take to the water and as I approached they should try to climb aboard my boat via the boarding ladder over my sugar-scoop stern. No problem there.
2. We agreed that initially they would jump into sea and stay in a large group for visibiluty purposes - again no problem so far.
3. But I didn't specifically request that as I approached their position they should move clear of the burning RIB to allow me to operate in clear water. I thought that bit was obvious. It wasn't to them.
4. Hence I was forced to approach close to the burning RIB to pick them up. In fact I was actually bumping alongside it on several occasions and the impact even punctured one of the pontoons. It was a large 9.5m, 5 ton RIB so had quite an impact as we rolled in the chop.
5. Despite trying to stay head to wind I found the boat inevitably weather-cocked around and the bow fell off downwind. This was unavoidable cos I had to obviously go into neutral to avoid chopping up my casualties in the water and I then started drifting whilst each guy clambered aboard.
6. In the end I stopped trying to fight the weather-cock effect and simply stayed stern to wind. This meant that as I approached each casualty I was motoring astern at about 2-3kts into the chop which created a huge wash over my stern and into the cockpit - which of course found its way below. The bilge pumps were now singing.
7. I was singlehanded and so selected the strongest, fittest looking casualty as my first pick-up. He was able to climb aboard with minimal assistance from me and was then able to help his coastguard colleagues as we returned to pick up the rest.
8. Longest time in water for last casualty picked up was approx. 12 mins so with water at 17-18C it wasn't too bad. Shock more of a risk.
9. Left burning RIB behind at anchor whilst we dashed back to port to drop victims ashore for medical checks - Westpac heli had landed on scene but not required. Hot showers and tea did the trick.
10. Left the pros to put out the fire and recover CG RIB. Cause of fire unconfirmed altho one theory is that sudden stoppage of 450hp diesel might have caused turbo to overheat leading to fire......

And I only went out to catch myself some dinner - ended up pulling people out of the water instead of fish.
 

ShipsWoofy

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Well done Rob, I hope you get a decent bottle from them soon.

Did you chat with the CG guys after the event mentioning these points? Just wondering what their reaction was. I can see it being quite a difficult decision to leave the rib, even on fire it was still something to cling to. They probably know better than anyone how many lives are lost when the crew leave the main vessel, even when she is upside down.

Another thing, how is your ladder, I use mine for swimming and the like, it probably is ok for the job but looks lightweight IMO. I do not know how it would stand up to 5 burly blokes in drenched gear, they must have weighed a ton (literally!).
 

jimboaw

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Well done indeed. Hope they treat you to a decent seafood dinner to make up for the lost catch! For what it's worth I thought about this problem of getting possibly injured people on board when I had a new pole made for my wind genny. The main part of the pole is WAY oversize SS and is fitting with a SS arm that can swing through 360. Tested to 300lbs. Block and tackle on the end with a lead available back to a winch. I could get a biggish man onto the sugar scoop at least as long as I could reach him to hook him up. Only ever used it to haul the outboard onto it's bracket but you never know.
 

Rob_Webb

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I had a call from their director of ops yesterday to thank me for help and I did mention these points which he asked me to put in an email which they would use in their de-beifing. So I think they will take the points onboard (sorry!). And I joked that whilst they owed me one I hoped not to have to call in the return favour too soon!

Re the ladder, yes the average ladder is vulnerable and in fact mine gave way only a few weeks ago when the screws pulled out of soft wood in the duck board as I climbed out from a swim. So fortunately I had the whole duckboard repaired a few weeks ago and over-sized screws fitted to the ladder just in case.... it seems to be OK but you are right it did take a pounding with these guys climbing out in a 1m swell/chop.

The sugarscoop stern does make life so much easier in these conditions - I'll try to post a pic to show what I mean!
 

Rob_Webb

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Test pic

This is the first time I've tried to post a pic of Aily's Comet so here goes.....

ACsternqtr.jpg
 

CodStewart

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Re: Test pic

Well done and relieved that everybody was safe and sound in the end.
You're moving closer and closer to getting that O.B.E from the Queen!
Ja ne.
 

ShipsWoofy

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Re: Test pic

Nice shots. The sugar scoop must make a big difference in MOB recovery. If it were me who had been alongside the guys would have had to climb about 3ft to get onto the transom.

With your layout you could drag an unconscious body from the water using a sheet winch, maybe, they would be bruised and bashed, but alive.
 

Rob_Webb

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They had managed to anchor the RIB before jumping over the side and congregating near the bow around the anchor wharp. All I wanted them to do then was let go of the anchor line (maybe 1 person at a time) and drift downwind clear of the RIB to where I was waiting - remember it was blowing 30-40kts.

But they stayed in a group near the bow which meant I had to run the gauntlet of both the burning RIB and the anchor rope which was streaming out at a shallow angle - at times it was perilously close to my rudder and prop as I maneouvred in to pick them up. If I had fouled my sterngear or got tangled up on the burning boat it could have been a very different outcome!
 

Rob_Webb

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Re: Test pic

Why thank you! AC is the love of my life actually.

In fact I had hoped that she would help me in my bid to end batchelorhood and find a new 'real' love in my life - but so far no joy, I'm just a hell of a lot poorer as a result!

Having said that, I'm not sure what's more expensive - a yacht or a woman? But that one probably belongs in another thread somewhere else.....
 

Ships_Cat

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Fine work Rob. It would be interesting to hear of any feedback regarding picking up groups of people in the water where wind blows the bow off. Maybe some forumites have some direct experience (I have not).

Have a lot of time for the CG guys (for the UK types it may not be clear that the CG here is like your RNLI rather than your CG), Dad's Armyish as it sometimes gets, but have never directly supported them myself as because of our size I understand that they will not tow us, just take us off and abandon the boat - so we are reliant on non-CG, commercial or police services. Can't remember exactly when they get fussy on that but may be worth checking for yourself if not known already.

Also, AC sans rouge looks very good.

Regards

John
 

Ships_Cat

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Whoop's Gov., I meant to say that I envy you having a mooring in front of your own house and garden like that - very nice /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

John
 

ParaHandy

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well done ! i was told that picking people out of the water from a stern ladder was v. difficult (you could knock 'em out) and never mind in a wind of that strength ...
 

KREW2

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Re: Test pic

Hi
I had a mooring in gulf harbour in 1988/1990. Where are you anchored looks like it could be kauau (exuse the spelling) island. Looking forward to returning to Whangaparaoa one day I suppose I've spelt that wrong as well.
Good sailing KW
 

Rob_Webb

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Re: Test pic

You're right, the pic is Mansion House Bay at Kawau Island and the house is Governor Grey's pad that he set himself up with. At age 36 he was running the entire country from here and had the occassional mistress shipped over from Sandspit to keep him company on chilly winter evenings. And they say things have progressed since then?!

And well done - you are bang on with you spelling of Whangaparaoa - I bet we could start an interesting competition here on the correct pronounciation!
 

Rob_Webb

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I was worried about that aspect but the windage of the boat was greater than that of the people in the water hence once we made contact the boat had a tendancy to be blown away from them. But yes there was a dangerous moment as I was moving towards them in reverse when I needed to give a burst of forward power to avoid running them over.

So all in all it worked in the end but I'm not 100% confident that I would set out to repeat the same technique or recommend it to other people. The design of my boat (sugar scoop stern) made the stern recovery an attractive option and the weather-cock effect also reinforced that. And relatively speaking for a yacht I am quite maneouverable with a large spade rudder and responsive 3cyl Yanmah which makes her relatively easy to 'park' where you want.

But would much rather have used a small, agile, twin engine RIB for this kind of thing though!
 

fireball

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Foresight is always a wonderful thing, but here goes ....

To save getting too close to the flaming RIB and the posiblity of endangering those in the water with a turning prop, could you not have thrown a line and pulled them 1 or 2 at a time to the back of the boat, once safely on board you could have then maneuvered back to repeat the process again?

This is not a critisism but a genuine question as I have not had to do this type of recovery and it would be handy to know your viewpoint on if this is a viable option.
 
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