MOB Retrieval

[Jim Cornwell]

An article in the latest Good Old Boat, read just this morning, prompts me to review my own MOB (more properly COB, I guess) procedures. It reminds me that getting the victim back aboard is truly one of the most problematic aspects of this nasty business. And it's the part I've never practiced because the drill has always ended with snagging a pneumatic "victim" with a boathook - never actually hoisting an exhausted 200+ pounder over the rail onto the deck. Imagining that a likely method, involving a Lifesling, would entail use of the main halyard, I've included an "MOB gate" in Yankee's brand new lifelines, just forward of the shrouds on both sides. But I've not yet actually run a trial. Time will tell. What do others do - or plan on doing - to get an incapacitated victim back on board?

[Carl Thunberg]

I learned a lot from this thread in the archives, partly because of my own experience from this, but more importantly, from the suggestion of keeping a boom vang inside the Lifesling bag. It made perfect sense, but I would not have come with it on my own. Just another example of the collective wisdom to be found on this Board. Here's the link.

http://www.capedory.org/board/viewtopic ... highlight=

[joelcunningham]

Thank heaven the low free board on my 25 allows me to just grab a toe rail and throw a leg up. I have seen MOB video that makes retrieving an MOB look more complicated than drilling an oil well.

[CD-Sailor]

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[Klem]

I have a spare halyard with a snap shackle easy to deploy at the mast at all times and there is always a minimum of 1 winch totally free even if I were to not drop the main (a possibility on a ketch in the right conditions since the mizzen will hold the boat head to wind nicely). This halyard is quite easy to clip into the lifesling. Also, the ladder has a shackle set at the right height so that I can quickly clip it in next to the shrouds if the person can help me.

I have tried pulling someone in over the rail and it is possible but not easy. The two hardest things are getting the person high enough to get a good grip under their armpits and the fact that you have to do it kneeling not standing.

Another method to keep in mind if you have enough skilled people on board is to use the dinghy for retrieval. On larger boats, this is one of two methods they use (the other one being live bait). If you have a stable enough dinghy, it isn't hard at all to pull someone over the rail. The real trick is that the dinghy needs to be quickly accessible and seaworthy enough (often someone goes overboard when it is rough) and you need to have a competent person stay on the boat to maneuver it. Besides the rail height advantage, it is much easier to maneuver close to someone with the dinghy. Note: I have never tried this with an inflatable dinghy and I can see a few reasons that it would be different.

[Oswego John]

Thank heaven the low free board on my 25 allows me to just grab a toe rail and throw a leg up. I have seen MOB video that makes retrieving an MOB look more complicated than drilling an oil well.

There was a time when I could do that, too. There was a time when I could do a lot of other things, too. Alas. Sigh. Now just memories.

Getting back to the subject at hand, M/COB, I have been toying with a thought but have never gone beyond that stage.

It would be very difficult for someone weaker to manhandle my 180 pounds out of the water and pull me over the coaming into the boat.

In my mind, I was thinking about something like a swimming platform at the waterline, on the side of the hull. Maybe something that folds and would be supported by hooks over the coaming or by a winch.

Sorry, that's as far as I've gotten with this idea. Gotta go. Its time for my power nap.

Happy Easter to some.
Happy Passover to others.
Happy Saturday to everyone.

O J

[Len]

I know two things about MOB situations, 1. If you fall overboard you will not be able to get back on board unless you have a way to deploy a swim ladder from the water, have very low freeboard or have a very strong shipmate(s) aboard who can lift you. 2. You will not be able to lift an overboard person without the aid of mechanical advantage (or more hands).

I know this because having fallen overboard (at my mooring !)
I WAS UNABLE to climb onboard was unable to deploy my swim ladder and had to be "rescued" by a neighbor with a dinghy.

I have tried practice MOB with live volunteers. with appx 4 ft of freeboard, moving at speed of current appx 3 kts, plus maybe a knot or two boat speed, I was unable to lift a 110 lbs appx person onboard (by myself without block/tackle).

The best MOB plan is to harness up and stay aboard.

Len

[Oswego John]

Hi Len,

I couldn't be more agreeable with what you said if I tried. The MOB subject has come up many times in the past and the archives have dozens of posts attesting to what you have said. As the majority of posters have stated, STAY IN THE BOAT.

If a person in the water is injured, or even worse, unconscious the problem of reentry is compounded. It isn't an easy task for an elderly person or someone who isn't in good condition to even climb a ladder.

The thought I had in mind was of a person going from dock to boat or boat to boat and climbing from a dinghy to board a boat. The dinghy acts as a stage about at the water line to ease transfer into the larger, higher boat.

My thought, as previously stated, was to somehow have something like a temporary swim platform to board first as an intermediary step, if only for resting before final reentry into the boat or until help can be called..

No, I haven't thought out any details. It's just a fledgling idea of mine. Another thought I had, probably one of the simplest implements to store and then put to rapid use, is a variation of a cargo net.

In closing, let me echo the sound thoughts of wearing a pfd and harness, clip in and DON'T LEAVE THE BOAT. Unfortunately, many are not young and spry, in excellent condition and don't intend to leave the boat purposefully. Things happen.

Just thinking out loud,
O J

[Neil Gordon]

It's not just "stay on board because you'll probably die otherwise." There are multiple procedures and we should practice/train for all of them.

1 - Staying on board.
2 - Deploying flotation and keeping the COB in sight.
3 - Ship/boat handling
4 - Recovery

There's lots in the archives and I'm sure lots more not in the archives.

[Dean Abramson]

I've been thinking about this a lot, and I have come to the conclusion that for me and Marvo, this is what is realistic to do initially:

1) Throw the MOB pole over, and hit the MOB button on the plotter. (Send DSC all-ships call, specifying emergency type?)

2) Start the engine.

3) Loosen yankee sheet, and be prepared to just let it luff, or back after tacking.

4) Engage forward gear and, motor-sailing, turn back to search for MOB, but NEVER JIBE. Never, ever jibe. Loosen other sheets if needed to not feel over-powered.

I think that asking Marvo to retrieve me under sail is not practical. I think that it may also be less stressful to me that way, if she were in the water. In any event, I think we should have ONE plan for both situations.

95% of our sailing is just the two of us. And we are 60 years old. Each.

Did I mention "never jibe?"

Thoughts?

Dean

[Johnd]

Why never jibe? I'm guessing too much sheet adjusting, while not keeping an eye on the MOB? While just turning into the wind would allow one to keep a bearing on the mob?

[Russell]

I've included an "MOB gate" in Yankee's brand new lifelines, just forward of the shrouds on both sides.

Did you add new stanchions to to create this MOB gate?

I have often thought of putting pelican hooks on the lifeline attachments to the pulpit. Mainly because one often goes bow in with boats of our type and in parts of the world with very little tide tiny finger piers are the norm, so one is exiting the boat to land up there often.

What has kept me from doing it, is I dont like the idea of a large expanse of deck becoming accidentally releasable. Granted a properly designed pelican hook helps prevent this in that even if it does become accidentally unlatched, so long as it is bearing a load it will not release.

In theory, you could just add pelican hooks to the bow, releasing them would allow you to slack any section between the bow and origonal boarding gate low enough to haul a person back aboard.

Boarding gates are purposely narrow, and releasing the hooks there will not cause the rest of the lifelines to slack. This is intentional. Now if you did add extra stancions to create a similar boarding gate near the shrouds so it prevents them all going accidentally slack, I am honestly not sure how much good it would do. Having lifted a 115lb dingy aboard in the same area, even with mild breezes, it moves around a lot. Of course a human wont catch the breeze nearly as much, but I dont think you can count on it sitting still enough to easily bring it through a narrow boarding gate. Honestly, just up and over the lifelines might just be easier anyway.

But if you are dealing with a 200+ lb person, even a main halyard wont help a lot on smaller CDs if you are talking about the dead weight of someone unconscious.

Not trying to answer anything here, but hoping to raise some good questions.

For years the standard boarding method of a life raft was a ladder made of nylon webbing. Most cheaper life rafts are still made this way. But anyone who has tried climbing a rope ladder knows this is very difficult to climb, since the weight of your body causes the ladder to swing under making for a very awkward angle. So the better liferaft manufactuers now instead, or in addition to, use an inflatible boarding "platform". Something you basicly swim onto rather them climb. Perhaps a similar idea can be applied to MOB situations, a sort of inflatible slide that an unconcious body can be dragged up with a main halyard and clever snatch block placement and included with those lifesling devices people keep placed on their stern rail.

[CD-Sailor]

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[Neil Gordon]

As a gov't employee about 40 years ago, I was lifeboat crew on a very large heavy cruiser. We drilled at MOB often. Our MOB, "Oscar," was life sized, orange and made from old life jackets. He didn't weigh much and floated quite nicely. Still, getting him on board the lifeboat wasn't all that easy. One hand on Oscar and one hand on the boat and you don't have any hands left.

I would suggest that the first step once you have your COB alongside is to secure them there, head above water, obviously. That leaves you free to arrange a halyard, vang or whatever to complete the recovery and/or call for assistance.

[CD-Sailor]

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