MOB Man Overboard! Volvo Team Sun Hung Kai Scallywag

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

Goss' rescue effort was superlative - we gave him a blue water medal for it.

Golding also made a good rescue effort - going 80mi upwind (if I remember correctly) to get alex.

Actually interesting how many such great efforts there have been in the solo fleet - I was thinking of another 'all french' effort.

Outstanding seamanship by all.

Were you thinking of this?
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...-south-pacific

Jean Le Cam was rescued by Vincent Riou, with a third competitor, Frenchman Armel Le Cléac'h.

[30yearslater]

But wait; there's more. Mapfre suspended racing while making repairs to a busted mast and this: https://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/ne...crew-safe.html This is turning into a cornucopia of calamity. Perhaps a new name is in order. Perhaps the Death and Destruction Ocean Race.

[donradcliffe]

Just following up on what went wrong on the Scallywag MOB recovery efforts. There is a NYT article posted on Sailing Anarchy with details.

First, the helmsman pushed the MOB button, but he did not hold it down the required 4 seconds, so they didn't have a real accurate position of the MOB.

Second, their masthead AIS antenna was broken in bad weather earlier in the leg, and they didn't have a deck level backup. The skipper felt pretty strongly that had the AIS worked they could have located the MOB.

I'm still not sure whether the MOB was conscious or not, as he was hit by the mainsheet during a unplanned gybe and thrown overboard. The MOB AIS system should be activated by the life vest inflation, but some crew prefer manually inflated life vests. RIP.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Just following up on what went wrong on the Scallywag MOB recovery efforts. There is a NYT article posted on Sailing Anarchy with details.

First, the helmsman pushed the MOB button, but he did not hold it down the required 4 seconds, so they didn't have a real accurate position of the MOB.

Second, their masthead AIS antenna was broken in bad weather earlier in the leg, and they didn't have a deck level backup. The skipper felt pretty strongly that had the AIS worked they could have located the MOB.

I'm still not sure whether the MOB was conscious or not, as he was hit by the mainsheet during a unplanned gybe and thrown overboard. The MOB AIS system should be activated by the life vest inflation, but some crew prefer manually inflated life vests. RIP.

Thanks for posting your comments and synopsis.

The point about holding the MOB button is a good lesson for others. In the excitement of the crisis moment, I can imagine how a small but essential detail like that could be forgotten or unknown or overlooked, unless drilled into Crew, all Crew, as part of training, even among elite professional sailors.

My opinion on PFD: I think Auto inflate is best, precisely because of the possibility of unconscious MOB. I am aware of the arguments for manual inflate, but think the risk of inability to pull the manual cord is too great because of accidents that involve the MOB being struck by boom, sheets, shackles, clews, poles, etc.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Just following up on what went wrong on the Scallywag MOB recovery efforts. There is a NYT article posted on Sailing Anarchy with details.

First, the helmsman pushed the MOB button, but he did not hold it down the required 4 seconds, so they didn't have a real accurate position of the MOB.

Second, their masthead AIS antenna was broken in bad weather earlier in the leg, and they didn't have a deck level backup. The skipper felt pretty strongly that had the AIS worked they could have located the MOB.

I'm still not sure whether the MOB was conscious or not, as he was hit by the mainsheet during a unplanned gybe and thrown overboard. The MOB AIS system should be activated by the life vest inflation, but some crew prefer manually inflated life vests. RIP.

Yes, thanks for the update.
The MOB button time failure shows a lack of training but is understandable (to a degree).
The lack of a standby AIS antenna is a lack of planning and is inexcusable IMO.

Originally Posted by Steadman Uhlich

Thanks for posting your comments and synopsis.

The point about holding the MOB button is a good lesson for others. In the excitement of the crisis moment, I can imagine how a small but essential detail like that could be forgotten or unknown or overlooked, unless drilled into Crew, all Crew, as part of training, even among elite professional sailors.

My opinion on PFD: I think Auto inflate is best, precisely because of the possibility of unconscious MOB. I am aware of the arguments for manual inflate, but think the risk of inability to pull the manual cord is too great because of accidents that involve the MOB being struck by boom, sheets, shackles, clews, poles, etc.

One aspect of the auto inflate argument is that if conscious, the MOB can always (mostly?) deflate the PFD if required while the converse is not possible.

[GTom]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Yes, thanks for the update.
The MOB button time failure shows a lack of training but is understandable (to a degree).

Maybe a point to address by the system manufacturers/designers? A MOB is a very stressful situation, might very well happen that only an untrained/half "passenger" stays on board. Remove the time limit and add a cap on the button that it won't be triggered accidentally?

The lack of a standby AIS antenna is a lack of planning and is inexcusable IMO.

^^. IMHO excusable for a 40' pleasure boat in the Adriatic, less so for a large racing vessel in the Southern Ocean with MOB prehistory....

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by GTom

Maybe a point to address by the system manufacturers/designers? A MOB is a very stressful situation, might very well happen that only an untrained/half "passenger" stays on board. Remove the time limit and add a cap on the button that it won't be triggered accidentally?


^^. IMHO excusable for a 40' pleasure boat in the Adriatic, less so for a large racing vessel in the Southern Ocean with MOB prehistory....

[Gerrit Coetzee]

I received my sailing licence around 1998 as part of a delivery crew for a yacht delivery built in Durban destined for the Bahamas.
As we concluded our 2 week course, we received notice that the yacht before ours had a MOB. He was showering on aft deck, and nobody saw when or how he went MOB, or how long. He was declared lost at sea.
That, together with other reasons, ended my tango with the sea.
Today , 20 years later, I think I may have a solution fit for cruise ships and yachts alike.
Still early days, but I will start the design to incorporate the safety future to prevent this preventable disaster, which has haunted me for decades.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Gerrit Coetzee

I received my sailing licence around 1998 as part of a delivery crew for a yacht delivery built in Durban destined for the Bahamas.
As we concluded our 2 week course, we received notice that the yacht before ours had a MOB. He was showering on aft deck, and nobody saw when or how he went MOB, or how long. He was declared lost at sea.
That, together with other reasons, ended my tango with the sea.
Today , 20 years later, I think I may have a solution fit for cruise ships and yachts alike.
Still early days, but I will start the design to incorporate the safety future to prevent this preventable disaster, which has haunted me for decades.

Welcome aboard Gerrit! Looking forward to seeing what you have in mind.

[Gerrit Coetzee]

Well in essence, it is a horizontal collapsible netting like a web going around the entire boat in sections. It is easy expandable during voyage, or collapsible when entering small confinements such as slip or habour, either vertically as additional handrail or horizintally flat alongside the vessel , out of sight when not needed.