MOB solo self rescue

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Not so much as you think. I'm guilty of breaking my own rules, most of the time. I'd like to think I know when not to.

LOL.. With crew its "Dont do as I do.. Do as I say".

[WingRyder]

Originally Posted by thinwater

Not so much as you think. I'm guilty of breaking my own rules, most of the time. I'd like to think I know when not to.

This is exactly when I think this technology would be helpful. Not when its blowing 40 and seas are 12 feet. Anyone would be scared S#!+less and strapped in for that. I think it would be beneficial in calm conditions, when your guard is down and you simply lose your balance while clearing a tangled line on the foredeck. I wonder how many lost at sea incidents happen like this, when solo sailing... since there's no "black box" on sailboats, we can never know.

It is a given that no system can be absolutely failsafe, but if your boat were at least, able to stop, heave to, or return to your location, that would at give you a fighting chance to get back on board. Much more so than if it sailed off without you. I think the worst nightmare would be if you fell overboard in calm seas, alive and healthy, faced with the reality that your boat is holding course and fading off into the distance.

[billgewater]

After all, the world is spherical and if you only sail great circle routes, the boat will eventually approach you from the opposite direction. But I wouldn't rely on this principle.
Thinwater is onto something.
But a tether line dragged behind that allows the swimmer to somehow "disable" the boat, or make it head into the wind may be a starting point. The tether line could also be used to release a buoyancy device and/or a line with inbuilt straps that might allow the swimmer to return to the vessel.

A tether line would not affect the boat performance to any degree and does not rely on any electronics to function. It could be of any length, could be highly coloured or towing a very visible float with a night light and is not restricted to a single line. Why not a couple?

Disabling the vessel is where the designers imagination comes in. I bet there are a few fairly simple ideas. I just couldn't imagine getting back on board any vessel sailing along at 8 knots or more even with a boarding ladder down.
Unless you are a solo sailor, then even a very loud alarm such as a gas type or even a bell may awake the crew. Then they can decide if you are worth saving having woken them up.

[Tillsbury]

I agree that a simple version of this would be a commercially viable solution. An ais/mob device can easily be the trigger. It wouldn’t be impossible to arrange for the autopilot to turn the boat and attempt to heave to. At the very least it would be travelling a lot slower, and possibly attempt to come a little closer. It would be possible to have some sort of training mode where the system could learn the boat’s possible responses in moderate winds and have a reasonable stab at position.

It could also, very quickly and before turning, fire off the Lifesling and/or marker buoy, heaving line or whatever. Even a life raft. If a life raft were to inflate within 100yds of me I would stand a chance of getting in it and getting organised. If the boat remained within a few hundred yards in non-survival conditions I’d fancy my chances of getting back to it in time.

[thinwater]

I don't think you got what I was hinting at. How do you stop a boat?

[Hoosierdoc]

Originally Posted by KeelMe

If you're sailing solo and you end up off the boat, it is your own fault.

Why should anyone go to the trouble of creating a system that allows people to make poor decisions?

I’m late to the discussion here... but how do you feel about treating most lung cancer, type 2 diabetes, vascular disease? Should that all go to pediatric cancer research?

[Hoosierdoc]

I anchored a rented pontoon about 15’ off a sandbar once. Had already deposited my family on the sandbar. I then jumped in (with a cast net) and went straight to the bottom. Was able to walk forward and save the net and myself.

When it was time to reboard the boat I realized we had no swim ladder, and I couldn’t pull myself into the boat. The current was racing by. Fortunately another boat was there and they gave me a lift to mine.

This was in the ICW by Daytona Beach. I can’t imagine trying to get on a boat by myself in the open ocean.

[Tillsbury]

You would definitely need some form of boarding ladder. But many boats of the last couple of decades have aft swimming ladders that are easy to deploy from the water. If not, a rope ladder mounted anywhere inside the gunwhales could be reached to pull down.

[Dan GB]

Originally Posted by Hoosierdoc

I anchored a rented pontoon about 15’ off a sandbar once. Had already deposited my family on the sandbar. I then jumped in (with a cast net) and went straight to the bottom. Was able to walk forward and save the net and myself.

When it was time to reboard the boat I realized we had no swim ladder, and I couldn’t pull myself into the boat. The current was racing by. Fortunately another boat was there and they gave me a lift to mine.

This was in the ICW by Daytona Beach. I can’t imagine trying to get on a boat by myself in the open ocean.

I second that.
When I was learning my newly acquired boat, I took a very experienced skipper with me, for the first family trip across to the Gulf Stream to Bimini. I have some eclectic experience, my wife and kids not at all. But the skipper was a big jolly fella in his late sixties, all the experience you could wish for and a great attitude.
Beautiful day, blue skies, calm seas. Took us to some reefs for snorkeling. Much fun was had by all. Finally I am the only one left in the water and skipper decides to jump in. All good until he puts his foot onto the boarding ladder and levers it out of its fixings (big jolly fella, remember).
Fine. Skipper fails to dolphin himself out of the water. Fine. Owner almost manages it, but realises that the fourth midlife crisis that pre-occasioned the purchase of boat also meant he was a few pounds (stones?) over his fondly remembered fighting weight. Fails, nursing his barnacle gashed legs. Fine.
Wife, 12 and 9 year old go from giggling to looking down with kind of big eyes. Fine.
I got my 12 year old to throw down a sheet, and secure it round something up top. Eventually I manage without much grace to get myself onto the sugar scoops and help jolly skipper up. Fine.

And the point is that even with very user-friendly transom scoops, right down at water level, it was not easy to get back on board on your own. Even in swim wear with a rope!

The boarding ladder can lift the boat now and strong appropriately sized and positioned handles have been installed. And jackstays, harnesses and tethers are set up and used, very much part of staying onboard commitment - my boat and I will never be separated at sea!

All good

[Suijin]

I can climb up my wind vane onto the boat but each year it gets harder.

I also have a folding stainless ladder at a gate that I have rigged with a snap shackle, a bungee cord, and a leash hanging down to within reach if I fall in the water.

But both of these assume the boat is standing still. I singlehand almost exclusively.

I recently had someone on the boat visiting for a beer who chided me for not having a MOB pole or lifesling. The conversation:

“It’s stupid not to have them, what would you do if you fell overboard?”

“Exactly.” I replied.

A moment of thought, then “Oh, yeah, I get it now...”

If I fall in while the boat is moving I’m done. Needless to say I focus on not falling in. I do have a PLB but figure I’d almost certainly be dead from hypothermia by the time anyone got to me.

[a64pilot]

I admit to not having read the whole thread.
Way back when I rode Jet Ski’s if you fell off, it would roll slightly to one side and just circle, you would swim up to it and climb back aboard.
Newer ones that are really boats I think have a kill switch on a lanyard.
Why not a kill switch that along with killing the engine, causes the rudder to go hard over?
That if you trailed a significantly long enough floating line ought to give you a chance, and doesn’t require much sophistication.
Rudder held hard over, my boats not sailing anywhere, I assume most won’t?

[cyan]

Originally Posted by thinwater

* Speed. You will NOT be able to pull yourself up the line at over 4 knots, not unless you are very fit and there are grips. But please don't take my word for it. Jump in, wearing foulies and then haul yourself back to the boat at 5 knots. Cold water or faster you have no chance. Anything over 3 knots is a real workout. Remember, this is like hauling a 5-gallon bucket straight up 150 feet, with skinny wet line, with no breaks, while getting firehosed in the face. Try it. I have. How many pull-ups can you do?

Why not attach the last-chance line to a halyard shackle pin mechanism that blows the main when tugged? Yeah, the headsail would be more complex, but the dragging force could be used to stop or turn the boat. The rudder idea was interesting too. How about 2 lines to STEER the boat into irons while being dragged? Stopping the boat somehow would be better than watching it sail away without you.

[cyan]

Originally Posted by skkeith

I was not think of special hardware or explosive bolts or auto tenders or anything. You could do it all in OpenCPN if you have AIS and NMEA autopilot. And the personal MOB AIS tracker of course.

On the sailing back front, I was thinking of an algorithm more like 'keep the boat in irons' or 'heave-to' Let the MOB swim back. No help for the unconscious solo sailor, and it would be useless in a storm, but I think it would help if you were jacked in and thrown over the side being towed, and you are nearly as likely to fall overboard on a nice day. I think it also could be a good assist for short handed retrieval or retrieval of crew in the dark (with a different retrieval pattern possibly).

Interesting idea.
Last I checked, it’s pretty easy to heave to. Downwind might be trickier.

[cyan]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

People who post questions like this have never been on a boat at sea. The logistics of climbing back aboard a moving unmanned boat are pretty extreme.

Quite a few of us have been on a boat at sea.

Why does the boat have to be moving(forward)?
The logistics of sending a man to the moon are pretty extreme. This isn’t rocket science. Its just suffering from being a tiny market.

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by cyan

Quite a few of us have been on a boat at sea.

Why does the boat have to be moving(forward)?
The logistics of sending a man to the moon are pretty extreme. This isn’t rocket science. Its just suffering from being a tiny market.

Even those who go into space are tethered when they are on the deck of the vessel. It's not rocket science. Err. Oh nevermind.