Develop a plan to successfully retrieve your crew from the water and get them back on your boat. Practice MOB procedures.
Having a crew overboard incident represents a nightmare emergency for any boater. Getting your crewmember out of the water quickly after a fall overboard is a huge priority and time is not on your side. Exhaustion, fatigue, cold water, and injury literally make recovery a race against death.
Man Overboard (MOB) procedures will vary with each boat and are something worth thinking about. Sailboats maneuver differently than powerboats, freeboard varies between vessels, rigging and lift points have diverse locations, and the safest place to bring a person back aboard will depend on the vessel. The following is a discussion of the basic concepts. Each boat and crew will need to tailor and practice MOB procedures for their unique situation.
MOB Procedures
- Sound an alarm, yell "man overboard", point towards the person in water and keep them in site.
- Throw a Type IV PFD, buoy or fender towards the person in the water to help mark their position. Many GPS systems have a MOB button that will record the incident's position, if you have this option, use it.
- Reduce vessel speed and bring the boat about. Learn to make a quick stop, the technique will depend on your vessel. Ensure propellers remain clear of the person in the water and that rigging from loosed sails doesn't cause a trip or foul a propeller.
- Approach the person in the water from downwind and into the waves.
- Throw a line and flotation device to the person in the water. Throw bags are a good option.
- Once you are alongside, kill the engine and bring the person into the boat. Try to bring them in over the gunnels just past amidships if possible. You may need to make the recovery from the stern, but beware of being swept under the boat, vessel motion, and propellers. The stern may be the only option for smaller vessels because of their stability.
- Getting a person back onboard is the most important and difficult task with a MOB evolution. The Sailing Foundation of Seattle developed a device called a Lifesling that combines a rescue sling and horseshoe buoy. Using a high lift point with proper block and tackle, a smaller rescuer can successfully retrieve a much larger person from the water using a Lifesling.
- Treat for potential hypothermia and injuries that might of occurred in the fall. Don't be afraid to call for help!
It is important to practice MOB drills on your boat with your crew. Practice under different conditions. Could your spouse retrieve you from the water?
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