GBN said: "All these “ devices “ are great in theory and hopeless in practice. I tested many when I was involved in an informal RYA programme.
Most are crutches that’s all
sold to convince people they can do the impossible.
Take a husband and wife crew very typical , husband in full wet
gear goes over.
If he’s unable to help Himself the outcome is pre determined , death."
I share that view!
ElPinguino said: “Beyrl Smeeton - with a broken arm - was able to swim 30 yards back to Tzu Hang and was got back aboard by two*men*without the aid of a lifesling.
Quite so. My wife, 130lbs, 5'8”, “normal” strength for a woman of 60, and I, 210lbs, 6'0”, “normal” strength for a bloke of nearly 80, tested it alongside the pontoon we lie alongside in our marina about 5 years ago. The pontoon's freeboard is 24”. The
water was quite cold, and as a consequence my wife was quite “cooperative” in getting back aboard!
I, alone, while she was inert, could not pull her out. I alone while she “helped” could not pull her out. I, and a dock-mate we had recruited, probably 220lbs, 50-ish, 5'11”, could not pull her out while she was inert. When she helped by getting her hands on the bullrail and raising herself by her arms, we succeeded in getting hands under her arm pits and helping her to “belly” over the rail rather like a seal does.
At sea, with a three-foot freeboard and the boat rolling and pitching, there wouldn't have been a snowball's hope!
My wife has had a greater understanding of “one hand for the ship, and one hand for yourself” since that little demonstration!
It is to be remembered that man's greatest muscular strength is in his thigs. If he has nothing to step on, that doesn't help him! There is NOTHING for a
MOB to step on alongside a boat. Therefore he cannot assist his rescuers by very much. That is true whether he is somewhere midships or by a “sugar scoop” or swim grid!
Mechanical aid is required.
In my view NO sensible man should go to sea, even in the Salish Sea, without a running topping lift. A RTL is an essential safety device that turns the boom into a crane/cargo hoist.
Once you go down the path of the RTL, you deny yourself the sundry “mod cons” such as a modern
roller furling mailsl, tho' an old-fashioned rolling boom can have a RTL. Which dangers to accept and which to ignore is not for me to say. I would exchange my
mast furling for slides if I was still young enough to make the expense worthwhile and if I had serious seagoing business to do.
Wingsail said: “Yes, absolutely. I don't recommend using the boom, takes too much time and faffing around to rig it. “
No. A RTL, permanently and correctly rigged, means that you have your cargo hoist when you need it! No need to “faff around” :-)
Wingsail also said: “A disabled or unconscious person cannot get into the lifesling.”
Quite so! And a second person in the water to “help” only makes matters worse! Using the "sail in the water" technique,
men still aboard can maneuver the MOB into the bunt of the sail, if necessary using a boathook bass-ackwards or a
spinnaker pole or any other “stick” as necessary. Physically wounding the MOB may be a
price that has to be paid for getting him back aboard.
But the long and short of it is this: DO NOT GO OVERBOARD!!!
Novices who have not had the pleasure of being on either end of that particular problem, or of being knocked down let alone rolled, are welcome to speculate, and if they have the nous to pay attention to those who have had those pleasures, the replies to their speculations may even benefit them. Or others who may be merely lurking.
There remains a problem, nevertheless: Is the speculation
bona fides, or is it merely a
game of silly-buggers”?
TrentePieds
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