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Anarchist
Person overboard drills are really important, but has anybody else found that the real thing is never quite like the drill?
Yes.Person overboard drills are really important, but has anybody else found that the real thing is never quite like the drill?
We have a MOB parbuckle tarp made up specifically to help getting victims back aboard. It's a triangular piece of sailcloth that we shackle to two stanchions on the leeward side of the cockpit and drape over the side. The third corner has a line spliced to it. The victim is brought alongside where the cloth is and the line is passed outside of him, then taken to a winch on the windward side of the cockpit or cabin top. Pulling the line brings the victim up and holds him tight to the boat with a 2:1 increase over whatever force the winch creates. A 10 year-old could get a 250 pound victim aboard with this setup. It doesn't involve getting halyards or clipping on to harnesses, and is pretty quick. Haven't needed to use it for real yet, but have practiced.It takes four strong people minimum to reach down and pull one wet 200 lb wet person up onto a boat if that person cannot help.
Never assume that just because the boat the MOB fell off of and other boats are seemingly attending the MOB that those boats have the boat handling skills and/or the recovery skills to retrieve the MOB especially in cold water. We were third boat on the scene from half mile away and recovered an MOB with three other boats there before us.
MOB? Turn the boat immediately.
Extra flotation is a great idea. We volunteered our J/36 for dinghy-sailing juniors to use for a Storm Trisail Club MOB training. They had no idea how to stop a keelboat, and roared past the practice cushion - just a foot to leeward - at 8 knots. Took them several tries to arrive at a speed that would not rip arms off or break bones of the victim or his rescuers. Quick-stop maneuver got us back in 45 seconds - or less- even with a spinnaker up in 18 knots of wind, but each pass takes more time and the victim is getting tired, cold, and scared. Anything to make his situation easier is good.Most important thing I've learned is that when you are approaching the MoB for the first time, have someone throw them an extra float (TypeIV Pdf or equivalent)
No matter how good your practices or skills, there is always a chance that you will 'miss' and get separated, that extra flotation will help protect the MoB in case their own pdf is not working (or not on), and give you time to get back to them.
thats a great ideaWe have a MOB parbuckle tarp made up specifically to help getting victims back aboard. It's a triangular piece of sailcloth that we shackle to two stanchions on the leeward side of the cockpit and drape over the side. The third corner has a line spliced to it. The victim is brought alongside where the cloth is and the line is passed outside of him, then taken to a winch on the windward side of the cockpit or cabin top. Pulling the line brings the victim up and holds him tight to the boat with a 2:1 increase over whatever force the winch creates. A 10 year-old could get a 250 pound victim aboard with this setup. It doesn't involve getting halyards or clipping on to harnesses, and is pretty quick. Haven't needed to use it for real yet, but have practiced.
Going over when a spinnaker is up is about the worst possible circumstance.if you go over the side you are dead…full race crew and we were lucky to retrieve the MOB
Did the ship deploy a RIB to assist with the recovery? I'd imagine a RIB makes things much easier...When I was in the Navy, a very young, slightly drunk, somewhat depressed sailor attempted suicide by jumping over the side of the ship while the ship was in port.
The recovery pretty much went according to the drills but drills are never done at night.