MOB Lesson Learned easy

[nolatom]

These are all excellent suggestions. I like Sonofasun's heave-to idea for short-handing, kind of a modified flattened figure-8.

Whoever said "know your boat" is right, some jibe quietly with the main strapped in, some don't. Avoid the jibe or not? Are you overcanvassed (ie, did Oscar fall overboard during a sail change or reef?)?

So I wouldn't necessarily recommend the quick-stop (described as immediately head up, tack with jib backed, beam reach til oscar's abaft abeam to, bear off to a run and douse the jib--or leave it alone if you're shorthanded-- get Oscar abaft the beam again, then round up to close-hauled, luff, and get him), but have tried it in light/moderate conditions (albeit with students and Oscar just a life cushion) and it's way faster than the figure 8 and little chance of losing sight of Oscar unless the vis is really awful.

Disadvantage is you have to jibe. Advantage is you're continuously going around Oscar in a circle close aboard, you both see each other (much better for Oscar's morale, and you don't always have the luxury of a crewmember with "nothing to do but look and point at Oscar"), easier to throw stuff at him if you didn't initially, and easier to stream out a recovery line to him if you have one--and if you miss, then go around again.

And the principle is easy to teach to students: "head up immediately, strap the main in, and make a gradual circle around Oscar til you get back to him heading almost upwind". Could be useful if the instructor ends up being an actual Oscar, God forbid.

[BC Mike]

I did, I did.
The discussion made it clear to me that what might work well for me may not work on another boat. Any worthy advise we get would need to be tested for effectiveness on our own boat.
To steal a thought from another post. I am so lucky to have my fellow sailors here to be able to share ideas via this great medium.
Michael

I have noticed in this conversation that no mention has been made of the fact that often, Oscar will be unable to assist in the rescue due to exhaustion, or injury. While ladders are important, something should be rigged so that the MOB can be hoisted onboard the boat by the weakest member of the crew. I have a snap shackle rigged at the base of the mainsheet, and can quickly release the mainsheet to use the boom as a crane. Our freeboard allows the person on board to reach the person in the water to attach the hook, but on my friend's boat previously mentioned, that is not the case. Had we been able to find the dinghy, someone would have had to get in the water to attach a line. In those seas, that was not a reasonable option.
So the question remains, how would you retrieve an unconsious MOB?

[nolatom]

That unconcious MOB had better have a type 1 PFD on, failing which he will probably drown before you can get to him and get him on board, if his head and face haven't been held above the water.

Frankly, without a dinghy and an extra crewmember in it, or without putting that extra crew in the water to hook Oscar up to the boom tackle, halyard and winch, or whatever hoist you're using, I don't know how you'd get him hooked up--and to what? He'd better be wearing a harness, or you're going to have to get a line under his arms, which may not hold. Only thing I can think of is one of those MOB slings, like a cargo net, which you might get under him if you're fortunate and he's floating horizontal, then haul up with him horizontal and "rolling" up the freeboard as you hoist. If he's floating vertical rather than horizontal, then I still think you have to get someone in the water, or in a dinghy next to him, to get him hooked up.

Have never had to try it (thank God for that) so this is only what I think.

The lifesling's look like a good idea, but I was told that West Marine did a demo at our yacht club some years back, and the rep never could get it to deploy properly. It was before my time so this is second hand info, but it does make you wonder.
I have considered making up a line with one of the mooring hooks that attach to a boat hook for this purpose, and yes, it is necessary for the MOB to have on a life vest or harness of some sort, although, I suppose it could be possible with this setup to get them in a safer position by grabbing a belt loop or some other part of the clothing. This is an excellent point in favor of wearing a life vest or harness all the time, although I will probably not change my own habits.
I am just wondering if there are some established procedures for recovering an unconcious victim.

[Sonofason]

The thing I don't like about dropping the jib is that you're taking at least one person out of the action. In addition, the jib does most of the work upwind; Catalina 25's sail like crap with a double-reefed main in the wind, but go great with just a working jib.

BC Mike - what do you mean by your jib gets all wrapped up in a figure 8?

When I was sailing back on the warmer waters of the Chesapeake, we would do MOB's with a person in the water. Simulating an unconscious person, I usually found that sheeting in the jib tight and lowering it overboard worked quicker than a cargo net.

Be careful of using a halyard to hoist an MOB - there's nothing like having someone three feet out of the water and having the halyard jump the sheave and become stuck...

My setup does not use the halyard, it uses the mainsheet. THe topping lift handles the boom, and I can swing it out by hand, while keeping one hand on the mainsheet. My ketch sails better under jib and mizzen, while my cutter is very easy to control, and even will tack well under main alone. It goes back to knowing the boat.
I have seen explananations of the jib recovery, but have not tried it.

[BC Mike]

The book instructs us to head up turn around and head up or something like that. It is the boat that is doing the figure eight. If the headsail is left unatended during a jibe, it will wrap around the forestay. If that happens it may be very difficult and dangerous to get down. With one person watching the person in the water, one steering, one handling the main, you can be a bit shorthanded when you only started with three. We could not find the extra person to handle the headsail / they fell overboard.
In calm conditions the problem is not so great, but usually we do not fall over when it is calm. It is more likely to happen on a rough day. My boat sails fine with just the main on a windy day.
In the previous posts we discussed the importance of knowing your own boat. It was mentioned that one boat did not perform well with just the main up. I guess that is why we do the drills so we can make a plan. I do it by the book and I allow the new crew to improvise. The headsail wrap is usually the biggest problem sailing, and retrieving the wet one the other big problem. I have since built a swim grid for landing the wet one like a fish.
Michael