MOB Procedures

[carstenb]

We have personal EPIRBS on our vest and I have just bought the new personal AIS beacons for both of us.

As with Kenomac - we always wear vests and we are always tethered at night

[Pendragon35]

I'm writing a set of procedures for my novice sailor wife. We typically sail together; she's concerned about what to do should I fall overboard. Here's what I have cobbled together; comments, critique, hoped for.

CREW OVERBOARD PROCEDURE
Call CREW OVERBOARD and sight person. If more than one person onboard, assign someone to point at the person.
Immediately throw anything that will float overboard to mark position
If Standard Horizon radio available, push MOB button
If sailing, let go all sails. The will flap and the boom will be unstable, be careful.
Start engine
Make sure throttle is down
Make sure shift in neutral
Turn key to right
push start button
up throttle to 1000 RPM
down throttle, shift to forward
turn to PORT (Left), circle back toward COB
If portable radio available, make following call:
MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY.
THIS IS THE SAILING VESSEL PENDRAGON
I HAVE A CREW OVERBOARD SITUATION
WE ARE A WHITE SAILBOAT, 35 FEET LONG, SLOOP RIGGEDLOCATED [GIVE BEST LOCATION YOU CAN - EXAMPLE, “NEAR THE BLUE CARGO CRANES ON THE PATAPSCO RIVER]
—— WAIT FOR RESPONSE AND DIRECTIONS
IF NO RESPONSE, REPEAT MESSAGE
Approach COB UPWIND, put throttle down, put engine in neutral.
Toss rescue buoy toward person
Engine in forward, slowly circle the person until they have the rescue buoy
Put engine in neutral
Slowly pull person toward
Put ladder out
Retrieve COB
Cancel Mayday call

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Pendragon35

I'm writing a set of procedures for my novice sailor wife. We typically sail together; she's concerned about what to do should I fall overboard. Here's what I have cobbled together; comments, critique, hoped for.

CREW OVERBOARD PROCEDURE
Call CREW OVERBOARD and sight person. If more than one person onboard, assign someone to point at the person.
Immediately throw anything that will float overboard to mark position
If Standard Horizon radio available, push MOB button
If sailing, let go all sails. The will flap and the boom will be unstable, be careful.
Start engine
Make sure throttle is down
Make sure shift in neutral
Turn key to right
push start button
up throttle to 1000 RPM
down throttle, shift to forward
turn to PORT (Left), circle back toward COB
If portable radio available, make following call:
MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY.
THIS IS THE SAILING VESSEL PENDRAGON
I HAVE A CREW OVERBOARD SITUATION
WE ARE A WHITE SAILBOAT, 35 FEET LONG, SLOOP RIGGEDLOCATED [GIVE BEST LOCATION YOU CAN - EXAMPLE, “NEAR THE BLUE CARGO CRANES ON THE PATAPSCO RIVER]
—— WAIT FOR RESPONSE AND DIRECTIONS
IF NO RESPONSE, REPEAT MESSAGE
Approach COB UPWIND, put throttle down, put engine in neutral.
Toss rescue buoy toward person
Engine in forward, slowly circle the person until they have the rescue buoy
Put engine in neutral
Slowly pull person toward
Put ladder out
Retrieve COB
Cancel Mayday call

Not bad.

I have a few comments. Not an argument.

Why turn to port?

If there is a chart plotter at the helm, does it have a MOB button or function too?

Before starting engine, look for lines in water. Don't want a fouled prop.

Does wife or crew understand reciprocal heading on compass?

Assume there is no GPS.

Have you both tried to board the boat while fully clothed, with shoes, from water, with some movement of the boat or waves?

Depending upon the conditions, I think immediately calling a Mayday might be a distraction from a more important task of keeping the MOB in sight and effecting recovery. If the MOB is lost then I would call mayday while continuing to search.

Hope this helps you.

[FamilyVan]

Good procedures. A minor detail I might change is instead of crew over board, stick with man over board for simplicity. Its more recognised and more instinctive language.

Sent from my XP7700 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Kenomac]

Way too many steps. It should read as ours does...

1.Leave sails alone.

2.Throw Lifesling

3. Turn left (not port or starboard KISS)

4. DONT TOUCH THE SAILS

5. Circle MOB

6. Reel in Lifesling when MOB grabs it

7. Make sure engine remains in neutral during entire procedure, unless no sails were up at the time of MOB

That's it, been there... Done that. The adrenaline rush will prevent anyone from following your list. Some which doesn't make sense.

Purchase a Lifesling, read the directions and practice. KISS

Don't waste time messing with the radio until you've at least spent five minutes trying the above. The MOB will probably be dead by the time help arrives if you do.

[Kenomac]

Dockhead.

I just noticed a BIG flaw in your MOB plan. #4... You can't throw a Lifesling recovery buoy, it's unweighted. The best you can do is drop it overboard and allow the line to stream out by itself as you keep an eye on the MOB.

Practice with your Lifesling to find out the best way to use it. It's not intended to be used as you describe in several of your steps.

Ken

[rstevens]

Always more difficult in practice, however we use a life ring for our drills.

[Emerald Sea]

DH. Good on you for raising this safety matter.
We keep a full set of operating guidelines and procedures onboard that I specifically wrote for our cruising. This is not to be confused with the Lagoon's Owners Manual. Additionally we have prepared 22 'aide memoirs' of specific tasks, individually on A4 paper and plasticised (MOB is attached, others include abandon ship, safety brief, fire/emergency, anchoring, passage preps, heavy weather/storm management, etc). Often on passage we'll read these to keep familiar and always sit down with new pax or crew to ensure they are also familiar with them.

We also have a presentation that includes amongst other things, MOB, but its main purpose is to familiarise new comers with the boat and its safety systems.

I personally know what its like when you're in deep ***** and your best defence is often your knowledge to allow you to think quick and make correct decisions.

Well done

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Pendragon35

I'm writing a set of procedures for my novice sailor wife. We typically sail together; she's concerned about what to do should I fall overboard. Here's what I have cobbled together; comments, critique, hoped for.

CREW OVERBOARD PROCEDURE
Call CREW OVERBOARD and sight person. If more than one person onboard, assign someone to point at the person.
Immediately throw anything that will float overboard to mark position
If Standard Horizon radio available, push MOB button
If sailing, let go all sails. The will flap and the boom will be unstable, be careful.
Start engine
Make sure throttle is down
Make sure shift in neutral
Turn key to right
push start button
up throttle to 1000 RPM
down throttle, shift to forward
turn to PORT (Left), circle back toward COB
If portable radio available, make following call:
MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY.
THIS IS THE SAILING VESSEL PENDRAGON
I HAVE A CREW OVERBOARD SITUATION
WE ARE A WHITE SAILBOAT, 35 FEET LONG, SLOOP RIGGEDLOCATED [GIVE BEST LOCATION YOU CAN - EXAMPLE, “NEAR THE BLUE CARGO CRANES ON THE PATAPSCO RIVER]
—— WAIT FOR RESPONSE AND DIRECTIONS
IF NO RESPONSE, REPEAT MESSAGE
Approach COB UPWIND, put throttle down, put engine in neutral.
Toss rescue buoy toward person
Engine in forward, slowly circle the person until they have the rescue buoy
Put engine in neutral
Slowly pull person toward
Put ladder out
Retrieve COB
Cancel Mayday call

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Way too many steps. It should read as ours does...

1.Leave sails alone.

2.Throw Lifesling

3. Turn left (not port or starboard KISS)

4. DONT TOUCH THE SAILS

5. Circle MOB

6. Reel in Lifesling when MOB grabs it

7. Make sure engine remains in neutral during entire procedure, unless no sails were up at the time of MOB

That's it, been there... Done that. The adrenaline rush will prevent anyone from following your list. Some which doesn't make sense.

Purchase a Lifesling, read the directions and practice. KISS

Don't waste time messing with the radio until you've at least spent five minutes trying the above. The MOB will probably be dead by the time help arrives if you do.

I meant for my quote above to directed towards the first quote above... Not dockhead's original post. Just wanna be clear

There's way too many steps for anyone to follow in an emergency. The MOB will be dead before his novice wife figures out how say the first "May Day" into the mic... That she and most folks will forget to activate using the mic activate button.... So it won't be heard anyway.

She'll also be extremely lucky to not be launched overboard unconscious by the swinging boom that she was told to let go.

[OldFrog75]

Originally Posted by Pendragon35

I'm writing a set of procedures for my novice sailor wife. We typically sail together; she's concerned about what to do should I fall overboard. Here's what I have cobbled together; comments, critique, hoped for.

CREW OVERBOARD PROCEDURE
Call CREW OVERBOARD and sight person. If more than one person onboard, assign someone to point at the person.
Immediately throw anything that will float overboard to mark position
If Standard Horizon radio available, push MOB button
If sailing, let go all sails. The will flap and the boom will be unstable, be careful.
Start engine
Make sure throttle is down
Make sure shift in neutral
Turn key to right
push start button
up throttle to 1000 RPM
down throttle, shift to forward
turn to PORT (Left), circle back toward COB
If portable radio available, make following call:
MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY.
THIS IS THE SAILING VESSEL PENDRAGON
I HAVE A CREW OVERBOARD SITUATION
WE ARE A WHITE SAILBOAT, 35 FEET LONG, SLOOP RIGGEDLOCATED [GIVE BEST LOCATION YOU CAN - EXAMPLE, “NEAR THE BLUE CARGO CRANES ON THE PATAPSCO RIVER]
—— WAIT FOR RESPONSE AND DIRECTIONS
IF NO RESPONSE, REPEAT MESSAGE
Approach COB UPWIND, put throttle down, put engine in neutral.
Toss rescue buoy toward person
Engine in forward, slowly circle the person until they have the rescue buoy
Put engine in neutral
Slowly pull person toward
Put ladder out
Retrieve COB
Cancel Mayday call

I applaud what you are trying to do here but if someone handed me this list, I would never take the helm. It's overwhelming when presented this way...

My suggestion is to take her out and let her practice until she knows what she needs to do and then let her make her own list.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by OldFrog75

I applaud what you are trying to do here but if someone handed me this list, I would never take the helm. It's overwhelming when presented this way...

My suggestion is to take her out and let her practice until she knows what she needs to do and then let her make her own list.

Toss the lists... Her reaction needs to be automatic and well rehearsed many times in advance, both physically and mentally.

[jackdale]

An MOB is a not necessarily a Mayday.

If you issue a Mayday, all vessels in the vicinity are required to render assistance. The Coast Guard will be on the radio immediately asking for information.

BTW - While she is issuing that Mayday, she will have taken her eyes off you.

She will also lose sight of you while she starts the engines and eases sails.

I like the heave-to, sail-to, heave-to method, as it can be done by one person WITHOUT losing sight of the MOB.

In an MOB, KISS.

All crew should learn and practice 4 MOBs: upwind and downwind under sail, Anderson and Williamson turns under power.

[FamilyVan]

Originally Posted by jackdale

An MOB is a not necessarily a Mayday.

If you issue a Mayday, all vessels in the vicinity are required to render assistance. The Coast Guard will be on the radio immediately asking for information.

BTW - While she is issuing that Mayday, she will have taken her eyes off you.

She will also lose sight of you while she starts the engines and eases sails.

I like the heave-to, sail-to, heave-to method, as it can be done by one person WITHOUT losing sight of the MOB.

In an MOB, KISS.

All crew should learn and practice 4 MOBs: upwind and downwind under sail, Anderson and Williamson turns under power.

I could be wrong but I'm assuming from his post that in his case- not all cases a may day would be appropriate. I wasn't answering the question in a general sense, but a specific sense.

I'm in the same boat so to speak. If my wife falls in I stop and pick her up- easy, picked up more MOBs than I can remember.

If I fall in its an entirely different matter. If motoring my wife might be able to figure out how to work the throttle and get the boat out of auto in time to pick me up. If we're sailing, I am screwed. I know for sure she could not manage the sails well enough to recover me and doubt she would be able to get the engine started.

Is this an ideal arrangement? Absolutely not, but its the reality on my boat and I suspect many others.

Sent from my XP7700 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by FamilyVan

If I fall in its an entirely different matter. If motoring my wife might be able to figure out how to work the throttle and get the boat out of auto in time to pick me up. If we're sailing, I am screwed. I know for sure she could not manage the sails well enough to recover me and doubt she would be able to get the engine started.

Both you and your wife should be practice MOBs. You need to simplify that process. The upwind MOB that I use and teach can be done by one person without leaving the helm and does not require anyone to touch the sails. The downwind does require coming about, but can be done by one person with practice.

To be blunt, it foolish to have only one person on board who can perform a MOB. That goes just about everything else: navigation, docking, anchoring, cooking, etc., as well.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by FamilyVan

If I fall in its an entirely different matter. If motoring my wife might be able to figure out how to work the throttle and get the boat out of auto in time to pick me up. If we're sailing, I am screwed. I know for sure she could not manage the sails well enough to recover me and doubt she would be able to get the engine started.

Is this an ideal arrangement? Absolutely not, but its the reality on my boat.

You should start by giving her more cerebral credit.

Mrs Mac acts disinterested in most things related to sailing 90 percent of the time, but she frequently asks questions that I can be very curt in answering because she asks the same things over and over. Its not because she's dumb, it's because she wants to be sure of something thats she's rehearsing in her head.

Four days ago, two hours into our crossing to Elba from La Spezia, I ended up seasick and for the most part dead for eight hours in 12-14 ft seas. I was just a passenger aboard whilst Mrs. Mac navigated, steered, kept watch, monitored the radar, ran the engine, revved the engine once an hour... Basically, did everything just as I would have done for the next eight hours... including bringing me hand towels to wipe the vomit off my face. The only thing she didn't do was clean up the throw up on the deck the next day.

Ken