Suddenly Singlehanded

[Happ]

Single hand a fair amount. My rule is if I’m clipped in I’m not going overboard! That should solve the problem.

[ajchan]

I am not making light of your question or being snarky. Your question is an important one and our solution is to not fall overboard.

Realistically the odds of a sailing couple even with a bit of man overboard training being able to stop a boat, turn around and retrieve a man overboard single handed on the dark in rough weather is somewhere between slim and none.

Yes the high tech gizmos will help but there is still the issue of maneuvering in rough weather in the dark. It is a challenge for a full crew with spotters and line handlers, for a single handed effort it is nearly impossible. If you don’t believe me tie a flashlight it a life jacket and throw it overboard at night. Count to 30 and then do whatever you can to retrieve your life jacket and flashlight. I guarantee after you try that exercise you will be thinking about extra Jack lines and harnesses.

We employ very strict harness rules on our boat at night. Nobody leaves the interior of the boat unless they are wearing a pFD and a tethered harness. It doesn’t matter what the conditions are! its non negotiable.

It can’t hurt to practice a drill but it’s a lot more practical to never have to use the techniques in battle!

My 2 cents
Addison

[Shnookie]

We are faced with a similar situation. We are also looking at sailing SoCal and probably going into Mexico. I would have no problem picking up Cynthia, but she would have a hard time picking up me, even considering we have a sugar scoop on the back. We've taken multiple approaches. The first one is obviously BE CAREFUL. Wear a tether at night. Inspect them often, because I've heard of them breaking. I also have a PLB in my vest. It is ready to go in case i would accidently go overboard, along with a strobe on the side. We also have a MOM-8 on the rail. If she only needs to pull 1 handle, its easier to remember in an emergency situation.
https://www.switlik.com/marine/mom8/features
Then she can deal with slowing the boat down, starting the engine, etc.

The biggest problem would be going overboard when someone is sleeping and being unconscious. I'm thinking of adding CrewWatcher as 1 last line of safety for that reason.
https://crewwatcher.com/

Better to cover all the bases.

[Pegu Club]

Staying on the boat is the #1 objective, Pfd w/ crotch strap, jack lines and tethers. Add in the PLB and your most of the way there, you might want to have a block and tackle/4 to1, easily set up to haul her or you back onto the boat, me going in at 200 lbs, my wife isn’t hauling me back aboard without some mechanical advantage or another. You don’t want to be going “out there” without both of you knowing the plan and how to implement it. Both of you need to be able to sail the boat, and use it’s systems in case of illness or injury to one of you, jmo.

We are a couple on a modest thirty footer...

Fair winds,

[john manning]

Originally Posted by KayZee

Silently, I vowed to take a drink every time someone patronized me by stating it was better to stay on board. Thanks. It's only 13:00 and I'm already blotto.


Rhetorically, do you tether up on your day sailing racer cruiser when out in your local bay in a nice breeze not over 17 knots. No, I didn't think so.



Our boat rules are PFD's after dark or when the first reef goes in. First reef AND at night we use the jack line if someone HAS to go forward. I'm talking about that odd accident when you think you couldn't go OB but an odd lurch or mis-step and the missus realizes I'm in the water. What do I tell her to do and practice so she knows how and what to do. Like I said, Furl sails, motor or no? Etc.



Getting sorted on DSC is still on the to-do list. Do I need an MMSI for that or is that only for AIS?



Kurt

Have another drink on me. It is still the best approach where ever you are. Do not go overboard. That is not being patronizing. Its relating my experience and opinion.

Your real problem is what will happen if you go overboard and your wife has to recover you. It is surprisingly difficult to get someone back on board even in moderate seas/winds. I have done it during a yacht race and it needed two on deck to get one average sized man back on board. In cold water, the man in the water provides little help after 10 - 15 minutes.

[Don C L]

I would humbly and respectfully say that I think planning to arrange to rescue a MOB with the dinghy is not a wise idea. If your boat has a working engine, and even if it doesn't, it is still a far better vessel to retrieve an MOB unless you are talking about a quick release on a RIB from davits and an outboard gassed up and ready to go.
Everyone should know how to round a boat up and heave-to. Just getting the MOB equipment (ring and pole or whatever kit you have) off the boat and the getting the boat stopped and turned around is a good first lesson. Then you can turn to firing up the engine quickly. Doing this while hard on the wind is part 1, then from a reach is part 2, and may require some mainsail adjustment and then doing it from a broad reach or run is a bit more of a lesson, because in those situations the main will need to be sheeted in or it is easy for the boat to come around and keep on going around into a gybe if there's no one at the helm.
My own kids have practiced rounding up and dousing sails quickly if needed, but I have the halyards on a clutch at the cockpit, and the jib is hanked-on, which makes this easy and quick. Roller furling quickly will be tougher in a strong wind for someone inexperienced and will require practice with the procedure and equipment.
Then you can work on how to get back to a MOB in various conditions, and then getting a line on the MOB (Lifesling, throwline) and then working on retrieval methods. Each stage needs its own practice IMO.
But really it depends on the boat and the person who is on the boat and their skill level.
When I used to practice this with scouts many years ago I had each one practice at the helm, and each one would go through the steps, and it takes a long time to get it right, but it's worth it, if for no other reason than it makes the whole crew a lot more relaxed and confident that they can handle the MAIN thing they are worried about: the skipper leaving the boat without permission.
Once I had the scouts pretty well skilled, on a calm day I climbed down into the dinghy that was being towed at the time, and cut myself loose, unannounced, and said "man overboard." Of course they followed the steps and came back and got me, no problem, but they were furious!
I am a little surprised to read of folks saying to only focus on staying tethered in because there may be little chance of recovering a MOB especially at night or in bad weather. If that is always true, then why wear a PFD? If your boat has an engine capable of motoring against 20 or 25 knot winds, or more, that's a good start. Even if the engine can't, motor sailing with a reefed main and tacking can help make headway in more difficult conditions. Go out on a rough day and practice it.

[mvweebles]

I've been away from this thread for a few days and breezed through the 30-40 new posts. I'm still scratching my head over the number of people who say "don't go overboard." I'm sure there are people who are always clipped-in, but I haven't seen them. My guess is the OP's wife won't feel much better with that answer, especially when he's not clipped-in on a day sail. That said, there was one really, really good response along these lines: Someone replaced their lifelines with stainless steel 1-inch tubing. That's a tangible and realistic improvement.

I hope I can find a way to say this that doesn't sound condescending, but I posted early in this thread that I used to do MOB drill demos. It was actually part of West Marine's Safety-at-Sea seminars for TransPac/Pacific Cup entrants. As a follow-on, West Marine also sponsored TrawlerFest, a 4-day seminar-style boat show for trawler-cruisers. I also did MOB drill-demos for them. My overwhelming read of the posts on this thread is people have a plan but have not fully tested it. They have not actually tried to get a person out of the water onto a boat. Think a stern-mounted boarding ladder is the answer? Try it in 1-foot chop where the stern of the boat is bobbing up/down by 2-3 feet.

Most boaters practice a MOB drill by using the opportunity to return to a hat or cushion that has blown overboard where they can stab it with a boat hook. That's great, and I in no way suggest that's a bad idea. But from my years of doing several dozen MOB drills on different boats with different owners, I can tell you very, very few practice getting a person back aboard. Boats that had sufficient lifting tackle normally had it otherwise engaged for lifting a dinghy or such. When they did get it free, they could not get it connected to the victim - there was no lifting ring in the horseshoe ring. If they did get it connected, they could not lift the victim high enough to clear the lifelines (not even close in most instances). Forgetting to shut-down engine was a common problem which is a two-fold problem: not only is the victim near the prop (especially if your plan is to use the stern-mounted boarding ladder), but ad-hoc gear does not use floating line, so there is a serious risk of fouling your prop.

And this all assumes you get back to the victim. Consider this: at 6-kts, a boat travels 200 yards in 1-minute. In 60-seconds, you are two football fields away. What are the chances you will see a head in the water at that distance. A debris field is critical, and the boat must be stopped as quickly as possible. Hardover, lines tossed, crash jibe, whatever it takes.

If the victim is unconscious, well, its gone from really bad to almost impossible. The person onboard must NOT GO IN THE WATER. This could get very dire and heartbreaking in a painfully slow way, but it is an inviolable rule.

Again, I really apologize if this sounds condescending. But I don't know how else to say that I have watched and participated in many MOB recovery practice sessions. There are many, many surprises. Please, try out your plans, your lifting tackle, whatever your plan is. Please....I can imagine no greater pain than watching my spouse die due to lack of prep. To have her watch me die in such a way would destroy her - she would never, never forgive herself. Brings tears to my eyes just thinking of that.

For those who's plan is to not go overboard, the post who said install solid stainless rails at a reasonable height is by far the best advice in this thread. It's less expensive than you think.

Peter

[DanielI]

Just wondering, for those planning on a motoring to pick up an MOB (which may often be the best approach) and also planning on using a rear mounted swim ladder to get the MOB back on board (also sensible), what is the plan to avoid injury from the prop?

PS Seems to me that, “don’t go overboard,” and “have a MOB plan and practice,” are not mutually exclusive. Of course, one should become adept at MOB rescues, but that doesn’t mean that such rescues are a sure bet. So “don’t go overboard” is still a good reminder that having mastered the MOB drill doesn’t mean one doesn’t need to be careful.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by DanielI

Just wondering, for those planning on a motoring to pick up an MOB (which may often be the best approach) and also planning on using a rear mounted swim ladder to get the MOB back on board (also sensible), what is the plan to avoid injury from the prop?

PS Seems to me that, “don’t go overboard,” and “have a MOB plan and practice,” are not mutually exclusive. Of course, one should become adept at MOB rescues, but that doesn’t mean that such rescues are a sure bet. So “don’t go overboard” is still a good reminder that having mastered the MOB drill doesn’t mean one doesn’t need to be careful.

A lot here depends on the boat. When I practiced with a Downeast 38 there was no way a stern ladder would be employed in the first place, the transom is so high of the water. But, for me, by the time I am at the point of retrieval, there is a line on the MOB, the MOB is approaching the boat, either swimming or being pulled, the engine has already been in idle for a while. If it is me at the helm, I am confident that I will not be engaging the engine and I like to keep my options open and keep the engine idling. Some prefer to shut the engine down at that point, or more importantly, teach their inexperienced crew to do this, where the MOB is nearing the boat, to minimize that hazard. You are right to bring this up, because if one chooses let the boat drift down to the MOB an inexperienced person might be tempted to use the engine to adjust position before the MOB is secured but scrambling at the waterline. And it would be easy in all the kicking to get one's foot down close to the prop.
By the way, regarding hoisting the MOB OVER the lifelines, which came up in another post, it is important to be able to lower the lifelines in an emergency, either with lines that attach the lifelines that can be cut quickly or a snap shackle IMO. Even solid railings, if they are around the cockpit, should be rigged for easy removal when needed.

[DanielI]

Originally Posted by Don C L

If it is me at the helm, I am confident that I will not be engaging the engine and I like to keep my options open and keep the engine idling.

Silly question, but does idle really mean the prop is not spinning at all? And how long does it normally take to spin down when put into idle. I don’t know whether not feeling thrust correlates to “prop is safe.”

[SailMoonShadow]

I would agree that practising "Man Onboard" procedures is by far the best option but, of course, there is always Murphy to deal with and it only takes a moment's inattention for you to end up in the drink.

Getting back to the person in the water is only the start of it. Getting that person back on board may be extremely difficult if not impossible. As Anne points out if you go over the side you're probably dead. I imagine that is purely because even if you get to the person you simply cannot pull them out.

To that end, a retrieval system is required. Some of you may be aware but for those that are not, such a system is available that allows a slightly built woman to haul a well-built man back onto the boat with relative ease.

MOB Lifesavers | Westview Sailing

Just to be clear I have absolutely no affiliation to this product.

HTH
Paul

[goboatingnow]

People practice mob recovery on benign conditions largely with non human dummies

Try it in a reasonable seaway with a big unresponsive man in wet gear !! And your wife as the only person on the boat !

[michaelkcowan]

Here is the set up I used while sailing our 28 foot yacht...me and the missus...and God forbid...if I go over...the missus would be a bit lost...training ongoing...so here is the system...attached to the life buoy...or lifebelt...is a 30 odd metre synthetic rope...which is al;so attached to the back of the cockpit...in a crisis the lifebelt goes over...launched by my wife...with the rope...no need to be thrown...dropped in the water is enough....and I can swim to it...and pull myself back to the yacht...this all assumes the wee wife sees me going over the side...plus we sail coastal waters...no mountainous waves on oceanic passages... this system is a back-up safety measure only...

[KayZee]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Again , it’s your wife left on board , maybe she hasn’t the knowledge or strength to heave to , equally that s awkward downwind

Hi, In case you don't realize I'm the OP. It's sort of the whole point that my wife GET the knowledge to at least maybe get me back on board or if failing that stay on station to make it easier for help to find me. We're fortunate that it's a rare day in our area where there are not other rec. and pro. craft in the vicinity.



I appreciate your thoughts and input,


Kurt

[KayZee]

Originally Posted by DanielI

Just wondering, for those planning on a motoring to pick up an MOB (which may often be the best approach) and also planning on using a rear mounted swim ladder to get the MOB back on board (also sensible), what is the plan to avoid injury from the prop?

PS Seems to me that, “don’t go overboard,” and “have a MOB plan and practice,” are not mutually exclusive. Of course, one should become adept at MOB rescues, but that doesn’t mean that such rescues are a sure bet. So “don’t go overboard” is still a good reminder that having mastered the MOB drill doesn’t mean one doesn’t need to be careful.

From the OP,


Paragraph one: If through our practice we decide that using the motor is an option, we'll use the lifesling to do a waterskier type approach and then use neutral or kill the motor all together once we know the POB is safely attached to the boat again.



Paragraph 2: Agreed and always understood.



Kurt