What's your initial MOB procedure?

what's the closest to your procedure?

  • Immediately head into wind, stop the boat however quickest, then the rest

    Votes: 28 96.6%

  • Mark MOB on plotter, send DSC MOB alert, get boat and crew ready for recovery, then maneuver

    Votes: 1 3.4%
  • Total voters
    29
Poignard said:
Life belt thrown overboard.
Reach > tack > reach.
Click to expand...
By the time someone throws a lifering, you generally have a lifering nowhere near the person in the water.

I often demonstrate this and everyone is surprised. Then I show them how to stop then steer back to the casualty and hand them the lifering.....
 
Stop by Crash tack - Fingers crossed the casualty is still close enough to reach a line thrown from the boat but if not then engine on, furl sail and recover.

Although....

the last two items that i have had go overboard have been a cap and SUP. ( Not at the same time thankfully). In both cases i recovered under sail on reach tack reach ( very short ones - just enough to get steerage way) so although practice is to do one thing, doing it when you actually are surprised is different.
 
Has anyone done this in real life situation? I had a sailing instructor in Croatia who's other half would jump in when you least expected it, he jokingly said this is 'MLB, man left behind'
 
Clancy Moped said:
Has anyone done this in real life situation? I had a sailing instructor in Croatia who's other half would jump in when you least expected it, he jokingly said this is 'MLB, man left behind'
Click to expand...
Couple of times......but just when coming alongside. A simple slip on the dock. That's why I prefer crew to stay on the boat and lasso cleats and bollards whenever possible.

Open water? Practiced thousands, never had a real one, fingers crossed!

I've been on a couple of tcm's boats, but for drinking not sailing. It used to be one of his 'crew encouragement schemes......
 
I have often rescued a bucket attached to a fender. It has never thanked me.

Sadly, a few hats have gone to their doom before I got back to them.

My wife has not greeted my suggestion that I practise recovering her, with any enthusiasm. I love her dearly but she can sometimes be a bit of a spoilsport.
 
Last edited:
capnsensible said:
By the time someone throws a lifering, you generally have a lifering nowhere near the person in the water.

I often demonstrate this and everyone is surprised. Then I show them how to stop then steer back to the casualty and hand them the lifering.....
Click to expand...

This is why the Offshore Regulations requires two liferings... One to throw quick (and be in the general area) and the other to be dropped to the person when you come back to them

I guess you then have to ensure that if you have a spotter, they try to keep eyes primarily on the MOB...

A must as well for liferings to each have a drogue attached.

(Sorry to digress from the original question).
 
capnsensible said:
Open water? Practiced thousands, never had a real one, fingers crossed!
Click to expand...
Interesting considering you sail with a lot of novices. Though I wonder if more experienced people are more likely to fall in as less afraid to move about on a boat so when that weird wake hits they're gripping on less aggressively.
 
Clancy Moped said:
Has anyone done this in real life situation? I had a sailing instructor in Croatia who's other half would jump in when you least expected it, he jokingly said this is 'MLB, man left behind'
Click to expand...
I've turned back and recovered a couple of hats and a towel in the past..

We never got back in time to recover a sinking shoe...
 
Athomson said:
Interesting considering you sail with a lot of novices. Though I wonder if more experienced people are more likely to fall in as less afraid to move about on a boat so when that weird wake hits they're gripping on less aggressively.
Click to expand...
Not really. I've sailed on heaps of deliveries with very experienced crew. Most can move around deck very comfortably, no matter the weather.

Not taking your eye off seasick people vomming over the side despite being clipped on can be a challenge. Especially when there are two or three of them.....
 
Martin_J said:
I've turned back and recovered a couple of hats and a towel in the past..

We never got back in time to recover a sinking shoe...
Click to expand...
Try a brand new big round blue fender that the boat owner didn't tie a line on properly in a fair breeze and Atlantic swell! Was probably my favourite recovery. Took a while though. Especially as there were two of us and my good friend who owns the boat was doing his best not to be sick.

The fender earned the nickname 'Douglas Bader' because its got no legs and tried to escape.
 
My Initial action would be to kick to the surface and turn round, to watch my boat sailing away...
I don't say that lightly but in all seriousness, it's something I remind myself of every time I let the mooring go. It acts as an " ok switch on" type thought because I always sail single handed. I'm clipped on all the time, in an 18 foot day sailer that gets funny looks sometimes, but I don't care.
 
Throw a floating smoke flare towards the MOB. In fact, packing a handheld smoke flare instead of a whistle on your LJ would probably be more useful in an MOB situation.
Stop the boat.
Drop the sails.
Motor back.
Attempt recovery.
At some point, time and access permitting, hit the red button on your DSC radio.
 
Athomson said:
No GPS on that one. These are no good if people are on a tether either. Again making me think using (badly laid out) tethers in calm weather is a bad idea. In poor weather its more likely there would be someone else in the cockpit who would notice, but I can imagine someone on watch on a calm night not bothering to wake someone else but clipping on thinking its calm enough to nip up the front to do something, going over, alarm won't sound. They have been better floating free.
Click to expand...
Seen these?
Exposure OLAS Tag - Man Overboard System

Works on bluetooth to peoples phones. Records GPS position on an app. Would work with a tether assuming the persons wrist is underwater.
I've thought for the money maybe worth it as I do a bit of racing overnight.
 
Whoever spotted the person going over the side raises the alarm and keeps eyes on the person...as soon as the helmsman hears the alarm he stops the engines instantly...marks the plotter (if possible) and then everyone has to assess what to do next depending on the unique circumstances of that event...
 
ridgy said:
Seen these?
Exposure OLAS Tag - Man Overboard System

Works on bluetooth to peoples phones. Records GPS position on an app. Would work with a tether assuming the persons wrist is underwater.
I've thought for the money maybe worth it as I do a bit of racing overnight.
Click to expand...
Not into anything phone app reliant on a boat tbh. Battery life. Easily dropped. Wet fingers on screens. Fragile. City gear, not for wild sailing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top