single handed sailing MOB self rescue

[secrabtree]

To climb back on the boat I used the frame of my Monitor wind vane.

[goingplaces]

Jacklines along the side decks are not a good idea. It's better to have one single jackline in the center of the boat running from just forward of the dodger to the mast. I attache one end of a tether permanently to that single jackline and the other end is clipped on to the side of the dodger.


In rough seas I wear a harness with a tether attached to it and before I go out in the cockpit I attache the tether to a strong U-bolt in the cockpit which I can reach while still in the cabin. If I have to go on deck I go up to the side of the dodger (the tether is just long enough to do that) and attache the 'deck-tether' on to my harness and than undo the 'cockpit-tether' from my harness and clip it on to the side of the dodger, ready to be used again on the way back to the cockpit. Now I can safely move up to the mast. No chance of falling off the deck.


If I have to go to the fore deck I do the same thing again with a 'fore deck-tether' which is permanently attached to the front of the mast, just long enough so I can reach the bow.


Good luck!

[Jethro411]

Didn't Knox-Johnston write of diving off the bow, swimming along and retrieving a trailing line for exercise? Of course the speed and conditions won't always allow that...

But to say it's "utterly impossible" doesn't figure in the adrenaline of being near death.

[Chuck Hawley]

I've sailed close to 8,000 miles offshore singlehanded, including two trips from San Francisco to Hawaii on ULDB sloops. For the first trip, I created a 12' tether than a ran to the base of the mast, which allowed me to get anywhere on board without disconnecting. I felt the risk of being disconnected was the biggest concern, and with a low freeboard boat, I felt I could climb aboard under most conditions.

On my second trip, I used jacklines and a more traditional tether arrangement.

While I have encountered many well-meaning "line dragging solution" advocates, I seriously doubt whether this would work. Plus, in the case where you can't get to the line in time, you're screwed. People love to come up with complicated solutions that make them feel like they have solved a vexing issue, but I suspect they seldom if ever try them out under realistic conditions.

So, I sort of side with the Fish Food side of the argument...

Chuck Hawley

[secrabtree]

Agreed, Chuck.

[domander]

I agree with all the cautions about NOT going overboard to begin with, as well as centre-line jackline, short tether(s) and the impossibility of pulling against any significant boat speed if you're hanging onto a trailing rope.

The only information I can offer to the group is on my boat there is a swing-down stern swim ladder which is often secured by a light line to the stern pulpit. I was shown years ago how to change this line for one that secures at a low spot easily grabbed by someone in the water, and tied to the boat with a slip knot. The knot is not as secure as a non-slip knot, but does allow someone in the water to pull it and deploy down the ladder. It would be of most help if you fell into the water from the dock for instance.

- Brian Domander

[Eric Jacques]

Originally Posted by K_V_B

There is a Frenchman who designed a tether that allows self rescue, even when over board. How well it works at higher speeds I don't know, but it has been demonstrated to work at 4 or 5 knots.

See these videos:
Videos - San Miguel Design 4 Sea EIRL

Hi,

I am the guy you see on the videos of the self rescue tether (see San Miguel Design 4 Sea EIRL). Additional information:

1 - the tether has been tested at 8.5 knots on the sailship Corto, of the naval architect Jean Pierre Brouns. A journalist from Voiles et Voiliers was present. At this speed, I was almost choked and blinded by my own head wave, so I had to pull hard to get quickly out of the water ...but I am alive, are not I?

2 - Even at lower speeds, the tether requires some amount of strength, mostly when you get close from the deck and the water does not support your weight: typically, at 5-6 knots, 5 or 6 strong pulls at 40% of your own weight, taking a rest between pulls.

3 - It also requires that you master the technique beforehand (practicing on deck with a halyard is a good idea).


I hope this helps.

[Foolish]

Earlier in this thread someone mentioned my free singlehanded tips book available at the San Francisco Singlehanded Society website. For the newer, published edition of the book I interviewed a Mini 650 sailor who actually went overboard and was dragged beside his boat for what he estimated to be 10 minutes.

A few things came from this discussion. First, is what I have always known, you won't go overboard in rough weather when you are being extra careful. You will go overboard on a normal day in nice weather when you are just not paying attention for a second. So if you only wear a tether in rough weather, you are very mistaken.

Dragging beside the boat is a big problem. If you are using an autopilot, then having a remote control clipped to your harness will be the solution. You can press the button a few times and turn the boat into the wind to stop it, or even right through the wind to heave to.

Your lifelines will be a major impediment to getting back on board. The main reason for the sailor's 10 minute drag was that he could not climb over the wire lifelines. Spectra lifelines are now considered as safe as wire, but they can be cut with your ever-handy knife. This would have solved the sailors problem.

Have fun out there.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Eric Jacques

Hi,

I am the guy you see on the videos of the self rescue tether (see San Miguel Design 4 Sea EIRL). Additional information:

1 - the tether has been tested at 8.5 knots on the sailship Corto, of the naval architect Jean Pierre Brouns. A journalist from Voiles et Voiliers was present. At this speed, I was almost choked and blinded by my own head wave, so I had to pull hard to get quickly out of the water ...but I am alive, are not I?

2 - Even at lower speeds, the tether requires some amount of strength, mostly when you get close from the deck and the water does not support your weight: typically, at 5-6 knots, 5 or 6 strong pulls at 40% of your own weight, taking a rest between pulls.

3 - It also requires that you master the technique beforehand (practicing on deck with a halyard is a good idea).


I hope this helps.

Obviously good for young fit people.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Foolish

SNIP: First, is what I have always known, you won't go overboard in rough weather when you are being extra careful. You will go overboard on a normal day in nice weather when you are just not paying attention for a second. So if you only wear a tether in rough weather, you are very mistaken.

Dragging beside the boat is a big problem. If you are using an autopilot, then having a remote control clipped to your harness will be the solution. You can press the button a few times and turn the boat into the wind to stop it, or even right through the wind to heave to.

Your lifelines will be a major impediment to getting back on board. The main reason for the sailor's 10 minute drag was that he could not climb over the wire lifelines. Spectra lifelines are now considered as safe as wire, but they can be cut with your ever-handy knife. This would have solved the sailors problem.

Have fun out there.

Andrew,

I was the one who posted the link to your very good and informative book, and I recommend everyone read it because I think it is well written and very helpful. If you see this, would you post a link to your new edition or the book where it is available to purchase?

Thanks for coming to this forum/thread to add more good tips and your advice.



EDIT: I looked for the 2014 edition of the book on Amazon and found the new edition (2014) is also available as a Kindle version! Good for the old iPad and Kindle too.

http://www.amazon.com/Singlehanded-S...es+%26+Tactics

[K_V_B]

Originally Posted by Eric Jacques

1 - the tether has been tested at 8.5 knots on the sailship Corto, of the naval architect Jean Pierre Brouns. A journalist from Voiles et Voiliers was present. At this speed, I was almost choked and blinded by my own head wave, so I had to pull hard to get quickly out of the water ...but I am alive, are not I?

Thanks for this info. I actually found your videos through my interest in J.P. Brouns' designs.

Good to know that this works.

[dick sargent]

I installed an igloo life raft on a ramp on stern with vw horn to alarm off watch. The idea was to trail a line attached to an igloo life raft pkg. If not injured the mob can pull the raft off of the ramp. Had this rig for 20 years of extended liveaboerd cruising and thankfully never reallyhad to test it. Better idea...don't fall overboard

[korrigan]

While my level of experience doesn't compare to most people here I do solo a lot. Most of my sailing in the last 10 years has been solo.

I have to laugh at suggestions for ways to get back on the boat or to have it circle around or some such.

Maybe on some flat sea in clear weather drifting with the sails this kind of thing might work but it's unlikely you'll fall off the boat in those conditions.

When I was embroiled in a pointless and hostile discussion on another board about how useless lifejackets are someone actually had the nerve to suggest that all one needs to do is to buy some gadget (of course they suggest purchasing something expensive, that's what they always do). This gadget was supposed to put your autopilot into some mode where it goes around in circles. Then by some miracle you are to swim to your boat and climb on board.

Just suggesting such a thing leads me to believe that particular poster really doesn't get out much. Maybe that looks Ok in the flat waters out in front of Seattle but it's laughable in my experience, and I'm guessing they never actually tried it.

Even if the boat did get back to you it would likely just run over you.

I've climbed a fair amount as well and I don't ever recall a conversation about how to survive falling off the cliff. You fall off the cliff you are dead and correspondingly you fall off the boat while solo on deck and you are dead. The only thing the lifejacket will do for you then is increase the chances your family will have a body to bury.

The only times I bother with a lifejacket is when docking and undocking where I might actually need it and if someone else is on deck and I've got a bunch of work to do like prepping the spinnaker and the harness and tether become a burden.

Other than that all the man overboard equipment on the boat is simply there so I don't get fined. First thing I tell people when they step on the boat is: "don't fall off because I won't bother coming back for you".

But before you all start howling; it's not that I'm unsafe. I'm probably the most cautious sailor out there. As soon as I'm officially in the Straits the harness goes on and the hatch board goes in no matter what the weather. It's just that I know what to be afraid of. Falling off the boat is what scares me the most, well after I've survived the drive up there which is really the most dangerous part of any journey.

....

Of course here's where someone will invariable say: "I fell off in a gale in the ocean and my crew of ten was able to get me back on the boat so you are full of it etc etc etc.

Or so and so fell off and grabbed that rope he drug around for all those years and pulled himself back aboard.

There's always some story of some person who's survived such a thing. But then there's also plenty of stories of people who fall thousands of feet down a mountain and survive.

But the fact is that most people who fall off mountains don't live and the list of great sailors gone missing while alone on deck off of perfectly good boats is pretty long.

But who am I to argue. Knock yourself out with these expensive and useless gadgets but be sure to fall off the boat as you are knocking yourself out because Darwin needs to work some magic on the humans if we're to survive another century.

Me I'll continue to see the edge of the boat as if it's a 100 foot cliff. That's the mindset that's missing in these, I'm geared up so much it's Ok to fall off the boat conversations.

[Stu Jackson]

Good post, k.

We used to sail on Clear Lake, Ca, largest natural lake in CA, on our Catalina 22. Great place with calm morning winds that would pipe up like clockwork between 1200 & 1300 for the afternoon between 10 & 20 knots.

We'd sail some and then in the 90F afternoon heat would heave to and jump in.

But NEVER without a trailing line tied to a BIG floating cushion at the end.

Even hove to it was sometimes a LOTTA work getting back.

I like K's post and the 500 foot cliff edge of the boat. Some times they call 'em gunwales.

It's reality.

I singlehand a LOT. Almost always.

Be careful out there.

[K_V_B]

Originally Posted by korrigan

First thing I tell people when they step on the boat is: "don't fall off because I won't bother coming back for you".

Which is where I would immediately step off again. I won't sail with a skipper with so little concern for his crew.

Maybe that's why you solo so often.