Safety gear in cockpit

[Kenomac]

A Lifesling should be a priority on everyone's list. Practice using it before you think you might need it; but practice on some object like a dock fender... not a person. No need to put someone at risk. I've used a Lifesling to actually save a knucklehead overboard when he dove in after his dog overboard. Make sure your engine is turned off when you approach the victim(s).

A very sharp rigging knife is also a necessity to have in your cockpit or on your belt. A large set of bolt cutters should be in a handy place, but not necessarily the cockpit.

[jackdale]

With the Lifesling you do not toss to the MOB, you circle and the Lifesling will come to them.



I use a variation I which I heave-to rather than luff up.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by CarlF

The Life Sling is by far the best way to recover a man overboard if you sail as a couple. The person remaining on board simply hits the MOB button on the chart plotter, throws the Life Sling over, and then sails in circles until the line pulls across the swimmer. Much easier for one person than other methods. You should also have the block and tackle to lift the person from the water once along side (and both you and your wife should try a full rescue)

And I think an AIS transponder is a critical piece of safety gear for anyone who does coastal cruising in areas with commercial traffic. I'd rank it well ahead of a liferaft.

Carl

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by jackdale

With the Lifesling you do not toss to the MOB, you circle and the Lifesling will come to them.



I use a variation I which I heave-to rather than luff up.

My point is that I also want something throwable. If this person is hurt, giving them something to hang on to that's fastened to the boat, I think may be a good idea. It's a serious problem and I want multiple solutions. ]

I also have a drag line with figure 8 loops in it.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by jackdale

I use a variation I which I heave-to rather than luff up.

You can drop the sling at any point.

We also carry a throw bag and a life ring with 15 m of polypropylene (Canadian, eh?)

I also like to deploy a MOB pole - another safety item to be added. It serves as a datum point to which to return.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by jackdale

You can drop the sling at any point.

We also carry a throw bag and a life ring with 15 m of polypropylene (Canadian, eh?)

I also like to deploy a MOB pole - another safety item to be added. It serves as a datum point to which to return.

Good reminder. Doesn't take much wave to hide the mob.

[Andrew Troup]

Throwable things are great if you're drifting (or moored/anchored in a current or stream) when the person goes over. The further they can be thrown, the better

[Bash]

Throwables first. They not only mark the spot, but they provide the overboard person additional flotation, which can be helpful even in a PFD is being worn.

I'm going to hit the MOB button and start the figure-eight maneuver before I even think about getting out the Lifesling.

One item of ready-in-the-cockpit gear that you haven't mentioned is a good boathook. That can help in situations were a lifesling is nearly useless, like when the MOB is unconscious. Or when you've lost your favorite ball cap.

[bobconnie]

ALL of the above ideas are super !! and we subscribe to all of them ! But, we started a Rule on our boat many many years ago when the kids were a consideration! When ya come in the cockpit ya hook up your harness! We always felt the best way to save someone is to not let them go over board in the first place !! Now that it's just Connie and I, we think this rule is even More important!! I can with very little effort, Bring Connie back aboard, but she would have a hell of a time bringing me back aboard if I was unable to help her !! So we still hook up when we come up and stay that way !! if the weather gets bad we add SoSpenders and clothing if needed! Not trying to say anyone else should do as we do ! just saying we feel better this way !! Just our 2 cents

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Bash

Throwables first. They not only mark the spot, but they provide the overboard person additional flotation, which can be helpful even in a PFD is being worn.

I'm going to hit the MOB button and start the figure-eight maneuver before I even think about getting out the Lifesling.

One item of ready-in-the-cockpit gear that you haven't mentioned is a good boathook. That can help in situations were a lifesling is nearly useless, like when the MOB is unconscious. Or when you've lost your favorite ball cap.

Ohhhh yeah the boathook is my very good friend.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by bobconnie

ALL of the above ideas are super !! and we subscribe to all of them ! But, we started a Rule on our boat many many years ago when the kids were a consideration! When ya come in the cockpit ya hook up your harness! We always felt the best way to save someone is to not let them go over board in the first place !! Now that it's just Connie and I, we think this rule is even More important!! I can with very little effort, Bring Connie back aboard, but she would have a hell of a time bringing me back aboard if I was unable to help her !! So we still hook up when we come up and stay that way !! if the weather gets bad we add SoSpenders and clothing if needed! Not trying to say anyone else should do as we do ! just saying we feel better this way !! Just our 2 cents

That "Bonnie getting me in" is why I have 4:1 block and tackle permanently stowed with the lifesling.

By the way, boathooks work well on small pets if they're in a pfd -- or even just have a harness on. We fished a guy's dog out of the marina that way once.

[TEE]

After 20 years of sailing, both coastal and over 20,000 miles in open ocean passages, here is what I would recommend in the cockpit and readily handy for coastal sailing. What should actually be in the cockpit depends a lot on the size of the crew, the state of the weather, the experience of the crew, and the type of boat involved. I am presuming you are talking about a 30 - 40 foot cruising sailboat here. Of course the best safety equipment anybody can carry on a boat is caution. Secondly, the more stuff you have, the more stuff to go out of date eventually, needing replacement, or needing education amongst those who might have occasion to need it at some time. By coastal I am also presuming you are not going substantially out of sight of land.

First, I would have an inflatable pfd with a built in harness for everyone on the boat. Since people usually don't wear their pfds all of the time, you also will have to pack a solid pfd i.e,. the big orange for everyone if you want to meet coast guard regs when they are not actually wearing their inflatable.

Along with the pfd, have a tether for every crew, and some substantial pad eyes with backing plates or other deck hardware for them to be clipped to if the weather pipes up. If you have a cabin below, there should be a way for crew to clip on before entering the cockpit, and a way for them to move clipped if necessary.

The companion way should have the ability to secure the hatchboards so they cannot come out if locked.

I don't use jacklines in ordinary circumstances, but if you are sailing in rough conditions or overnight they are a good idea.

Every pfd should have a whistle and a light.

I keep a substantial fixed blade knife taped to the helm for quick access in an emergency. I also tell crew to bring their own sailing knives or give them a personal sailing knife to use if they don't have one.

A pair of multipliers is a neccesity in my opinion.

You can meet the USCG safety minimums for signaling pretty easily, but I think having three SOLAS hand helds, three rocket flares, and at least one smoke is a good idea.

A waterproof high intensity flashlight.

A fire extinguisher where it can be accessed without getting into the engine compartment. If the boat is a larger boat, you will need a minimum of at least two extinguishers.

A handheld VHF and a GPS/EPIRB unit is a good idea also.

A lifesling on the stern railing ready for deployment if necessary.

A heaving life to throw to any crew that goes overboard.

Several throwable cushions that also act as seats if a MOB situation occurs.

A pair of safety glasses like those worn in factorys. If you have ever been in a big storm with water flying sideways, your eyes need some protection. Better idea is to not go out if the weather looks questionable.

You already said you had a life raft. Just make sure it stays certified and is not abused while in storage by having junk dumped on it, or placed in a damp or wet environment.

Foulies and sea boots readily handy.

You can spend a lot more by buying a lot of extra stuff I didn't mention. But if you buy it eventually it will just go out of date and you are left with replacement. Also, in a coastal situation, you are likely to get help a lot faster than in the open ocean. I would recommend a coastal version of some sort of first aid pack, but that doesn't need to be in the cockpit.

If you are sticking coastal and like to listen to the radio, and if you have a chart plotter that will support it, XM marine radio and weather is really, really useful and does a lot to enhance safety. If not, and you have a smart phone and are noy going to far out, you should be able to get a radar app and stick it on the phone to see what is moving around you occasionally.

Thats about all I can think of.

[Roy M]

A lot of talk about the Life Sling, but not enough factual stuff about the dangers of retrieval of a victim. The Life Sling can actually contribute to dangerous consequences according to a Coast Guard document on rescues (The Four Stages of Cold-Water Immersion By RADM Alan Steinman, USPHS (Ret) and Gordon Giesbrecht, Ph.D., ON SCENE, THE JOURNAL OF U.S. COAST GUARD SEARCH AND RESCUE, http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg534/On%...e/OSFall06.pdf.

MOB victims can go into a dangerous condition, known as post-rescue collapse, which can be a result of retrieval of the victim in a vertical hoist from the water. A series of events can lead to a surge of chilled blood triggering cardiac arrest.

An alternative retrieval method was developed several years ago, by Tanya Budd, a young engineering student in Britain, and her invention, the Hypo-Hoist (- HypoHoist), is a clever solution to this problem.

A similar device can be made from a small jib or trysail, secured at the foot to the toerail, and the head raised by a halyard. The victim is drawn alongside in a prone position, then raised horizontally to the deck, without enhancing the dangers of the cold-induced shock damaging the patient.

Read the pdf, it will open your eyes to the actual dangers of hypothermia and subsequent treatment of victims.

[dgasmd]

I think far more important than the what to get is the knowing how to use it well and quickly.

I cannot understate how difficult it is to get someone back on board that is not able to help or even worse actually, someone large that despite trying to help is far more difficult due to size and weight. I recently went out with some family members and a rather large friend. She was about 5'3" and at least 225-250+ Lb. There was a point with no wind whatsoever and extremely calm seas, so we decided to jump overboard to swim a bit. It was very nice and the water was great. That is until we had to get back on board. The ladder to get back up only came down about 85% of the distance between the toe rail and the water level. Most of us had not much difficulty getting back on. We put a small kayak on the water right under the ladder for a couple of people to help themselves. When it came to this woman, this was just not going to happen. Oh, and yes, we did consider briefly tying a rope around her and towing her back to the marina LOL............ In any case, we used a sling, but we could not even get her on the ladder with it despite 2 healthy and robust adult males trying. Eventually, we had to use a block and a winch to bring her back on with the sling. Even that was a struggle. An open transom would have made this much much easier.

The moral of the story is that this was with a conscious, willing, and participating individual in calm seas with no wind or waves. People go overboard typically in rough seas with huge waves and lots of wind, so imagine this scenario above in those conditions.

Personally, I think at least 2 people on board need to know what the heck to do and practice it enough times that it becomes second nature. When the emergency occurs is not the time to try to "figure it out". Same goes for all the other equipment really.

[jackdale]

Another way to get someone out of the water is to use an inflatable tender as an intermediate step. Roll them into the tender. That will also mitigate against cardiac arrest.