RYA MOB - latest version??

[scotty123]

What is the latest version that is taught to YM's ??

Assuming this is different to the usual sail away 10 boat lengths before sailing back under spilled mainsail.

 

[peterb26]

Basically thus. (I have ignored all the verbal commands for the sake of brevity)

3 scenarios - beam reach, close reach and broad reach.

Beam reach - simply hove-to and recover the casualty.

Close reach - bear away until level on the wind with the casualty, then hove-to and recover

Broad reach - harden up into the wind until level on the wind with the casualty - then hove-to and recover.

If the hove-to recovery fails - broad reach away from the casualty and close reach back, depowering in final stages of approach.


PS - And I'm really a Mobo Person /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[john_morris_uk]

Firstly, there isn't an RYA official way. Any method that works and ends up with the boat under control and sailing VERY slowly up to the MOB is good.

That said, the most easily repeatable method is reach-tack-reach.

It has been argued that it's as much a 'sailing exercise' to demonstrate wind awareness and sailing ability as an actual method to use in an emergency. Hopefully, most of us most of the time will put the engine on.

Having said that, I've had several occasions where I have been engineless on a sailing boat. In fact despite good maintenance and sometimes a brand new engine, I can't remember a season's sailing where an engine hasn't let me down on one boat or another. Anyway, I'm drifting my own reply so I'll shut up...

 

[Talbot]

I fully support John's reply. This is one area where knowledge of your own boat's characteristics is vital.

Performance under sail is not the only characteristic you need to be aware of. Whilst a sailboat long keeler in particular, will drift quite slowly once stopped others even if heaved to, will drift down wind. Some boats really dont want to be heaved to, and trying to balance the boat at this critical momment risks losing sight of the mob.

for my own boat (and I suspect most cats), drifting sideways is something where I would qualify for the olympics. My own system takes advantage of the particular characteristics of my boat, and requires the sails to be shed as soon as possible. I then have to parallel the mob within throwing rope distance and across wind. bows downwind. then engine astern sufficient to balance the wind. throw rope, get mob to secure rope around themselves. get ladder in place. cut engine, pull mob in - as boat will be going downwind too fast for mob to swim up to boat.

Anyone who might doubt that this is a viable solution - I have rescues an exhausted dinghy sailor in 35+ kts of wind, and to give some idea of the wind power on my boat, my 27 hp engine was full astern most of the time to stay parrallel with the guy in the water.

It also illustrated the importance of the ladder being sufficiently strongly secured that it could cope with the boat movement through water, that it was long enough so that the mob could just walk up the ladder using his legs, he was too exhauseted to do it using arms alone, and the stupidity of ladders on the stern (mine is on beam adjacent to helm position.

Furthermore I was able to do this singlehanded!!!!!!!!

Biggest problem I had was trying to work a mayday relay at the same time, and immediately after this experience, I added cable to my mike cable so that I could use the vhf from the helm position.

 

[scotty123]

Firstly, there isn't an RYA official way. Any method that works and ends up with the boat under control and sailing VERY slowly up to the MOB is good.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
I heard a YM Examiner discussing MOB, he stated that there was now a RYA preferred method which they were teaching - different to the 'older' methods.

I am not dissagreeing with the above comments, but wondered if there was someone more up to date in the RYA loop, who could enlighten me on what this updated/preferred method is.

 

[Sailfree]

If on a beat a crash tack without freeing the genoa enables you to go nicely round in circle and freeng the main will leave you in a hove to position near the MOB. From here you can throw buoyancy in proximity to the MOB.

Often though you are so near and hove to it's a straight pickup.

When there is no wind I always get others to have a go at MOB for fun. I always mean to do the same when there is wind but unfortunately we are often too busy enjoying ourselves sailing somewhere.

A decent hat overboard is the best excuse to actually do an MOB under sail.

 

[snowleopard]

When I took my YM (1994) the method of choice was to approach on a close reach with headsail furled, playing the main by holding the whole tackle so it could be freed instantly without having to render through the blocks.

My instructor advised a quick crash tack bringing the genoa aback and enabling one to steer slowly up to the MOB and hand him a lifebuoy etc. At this point one is alongside the MOB and hove too but moving too fast for a safe pickup. One would then go off on a broad reach, gybe and come back under main only and able to stop dead in the water.

It depends a lot on the characteristics of the boat but in general it is only possible to heave to if there is enough way through the water to give the rudder some bite. That amount of way would probably be enough to make recovery difficult.

 

[H4B]

izzy.

Just to mention that John Morris is a YM examiner .How far up the loop do you want ?

 

[Woodentop]

I hold that any method which begins " Sail away from the MOB at full speed ......" is flawed.

 

[john_morris_uk]

[ QUOTE ]
I hold that any method which begins " Sail away from the MOB at full speed ......" is flawed.

[/ QUOTE ]Well.... argue for another technique that is repeatable, under control, and doesn't end up with the whole crew disorientated.

Crash tacks are fine and can work well, but rely on a switched on crew that does the crash tack very quickly. If it all goes wrong, anyone arriving on deck doesn't know which way to look for the MOB and you are already a few boat lengths away from the MOB.

Gybing in any sort of wind is potentially dangerous.

Reach tack reach is repeatable, not so dangerous, and allow you to sort things out under control. Just don't reach away too far...

If your engine really is defunct, and its a wild night and someone goes over the side with a broken harness or whatever, you are already stacking things up against the preservation of life.

I don't claim to be the source of all knowledge about sailing, but some constructive suggestions as to what might be better than reach tack reach would be interesting. If there is an 'official new RYA way', I think I might have heard about it - but I could be wrong...

 

[scotty123]

If there is an 'official new RYA way', I think I might have heard about it - but I could be wrong...
------------------------------------------------------------------------

John,
I heard a YM 'Instructor Examiner' discussing MOB with a sea school guy & he mentioned that the previous method of doing it under sail was not now the preferred teaching method for 'new' instructors/renewals.

Can't remember his name.

I'm sure that the methods given by forumites have validity, but would be interested if this 'updated' method was described. Perhaps your contacts within RYA might resolve any confusion on my part.

 

[Talulah]

Not so much a new way but showing instructors how it can be done under sail with the engine being used in reverse. The casualty remains on the leeward side and the boat engine is adjusted to keep the caualty on a constant bearing as the boat goes side on to the casualty. Very easy to do.

 

[snowleopard]

[ QUOTE ]
Crash tacks are fine and can work well, but rely on a switched on crew that does the crash tack very quickly.

[/ QUOTE ]
Disagree. All the helm needs to do is yell 'coming about, don't touch the sheets' and in a few seconds you are under control at reduced speed.

As for gybing in a heavy wind - of course you poor folks with goosenecks and shrouds can have a problem /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif A gybe is the most reliable way to turn without a headsail but in a stronger wind you will have enough way on to tack instead. It was blowing a solid 6 when I did my YM exam and I opted to tack instead, no problem with 15 tons of momentum.

 

[snowleopard]

There's more than one way to skin a cat as they say. The method recommended for my boat is unusual to say the least. The key being that I have an unstayed 360° rotating rig.

Sail directly to windward of the MOB and stop beam on to the wind by allowing the rig to weathercock. Drift down on the MOB, pulling or pushing the boom to sail forwards or backwards as required.

 

[peterb]

[ QUOTE ]
The casualty remains on the leeward side and the boat engine is adjusted to keep the caualty on a constant bearing as the boat goes side on to the casualty. Very easy to do.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's a very effective way of getting the man alongside. You don't even need to be very accurate, miss by 10 ft and the boat will soon make that much leeway. The problems arise when you need to get the man onboard, you need one person permanently on the throttle.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Seems like a plan that might work in many situations and have seen it done, but I will come back to my original point - there's no 'Laid Down Official Way' If its safe and seamanlike its OK. I will make some enquiries.

 

[jamesjermain]

On my YM exam the Examiner told us the rudder had fallen off. Five minutes later he threw the MOB dummy over the side. We crash tacked under jury rudder and drifted down to the bucket and fender which was recovered quite quickly. Wind and sea conditions were light, though.

 

[peterb]

Depends a lot on what point of sailing you're on. Close reach, yes, you'll come to a stop to windward of the man and not far away from him. Broad reach it's more likely that you'll stop to leeward of the man and drift away from him.

There's a point somewhere between beam and broad reaches where a fast crash tack brings you straight round on top of the man with very little control. It's worth a little practice to find out what happens.

 

[AndrewB]

In my case it was a good F6, gusting. The examiner declared the mainsail as well as the engine to be out of action, then dropped the MOB smack bang in front of a large race fleet coming out of Lymington. I hinted that our casualty might wait until they had passed, but he would have none of it. Chaos!

Although, quite correctly, there is no one "right" method, I do believe the RYA were correct to move people away from the bear-off - gybe - close reach method that had been widely taught up to 1980's. Everything happens too fast, the gybe is dangerous with half the crew having their attention elsewhere.

 

[KREW2]

I always thought the first job was for the helm to appoint a lookout, if feasable.