How to get MOB back into an X????

[ronacarme]

If anyone has gotten a weakened MOB back onto an X , how did you do it? With only the wife on the boat and you in the water?
Motor blocks most of the transom entry even with the rudders down. Archive's best recovery description appears to be Tripp Gal's of May 22 04, but its on a big non-X with a roomy reverse transom and 2 or 3 guys grabbing and pulling the MOB.
Pulling the MOB up the lee side onto the X looks hard in view of the high freeboard, lifelines in way, etc.
Any actual experience you can share?
Thanks

[richandlori]

After just pulling my dingy back on my foredaek on the Channel Island loop trip, I can tell you, you must PLAN and PRATICE before you need to. Basically, I used my extra jib block (that isn't used due to my furler) attached it to the mast raising location and ran my jib halyard (still unused) through the block, back through the genoa blocks, and to the winch. My wife was able to winch up the 150 lb dingy as I directed traffic and put it into position. Doing this got me thinking that if I was hurt in the water or even my wife, we need a SYSTEM that we know and have pratice! SO I just purchased a MOB sling (you've seen them, U shaped flotation in a yellow bag with about 150Ft of line. I figure with that sling and winch, I could get an injured person back on board, but I still need to think it through and pratice!

Some photos of the Dingy Recovery:






(Hey this is the 5th day on the water, so don't anyone DARE say anything about the Admiral's HAIR!!!, actually, don't even tell her I posted this!!!>>

Rich

[DLT]

Haven't tried it, but couldn't you just use the boom as a makeshift crane?

For example, if you have a topping lift, tighten it up. Then, disconnect the bottom clip/shackle/etc of the mainsheet. Swing the boom over the side and attach the bottom of the mainsheet to a sling wrapped around the MOB (or the MOB's harness). Finally, just pull them up using the mainsheet, which gives you a 4-1 advantage.

Obviously, this is not ideal. This is just an emergency recovery idea. You would need a rather stout topping lift... (Insert whatever other disclaimer you think appropriate)...

[Paul S]

Haven't tried it, but couldn't you just use the boom as a makeshift crane?

For example, if you have a topping lift, tighten it up. Then, disconnect the bottom clip/shackle/etc of the mainsheet. Swing the boom over the side and attach the bottom of the mainsheet to a sling wrapped around the MOB (or the MOB's harness). Finally, just pull them up using the mainsheet, which gives you a 4-1 advantage.

Obviously, this is not ideal. This is just an emergency recovery idea. You would need a rather stout topping lift... (Insert whatever other disclaimer you think appropriate)...

It could work...I would make sure the boom was located though (with the use of a preventer or boom brake). I just bought the dutchman boom brake to install on our M. I have a preventer now, will use that as a vang now. There are directions in the manual on how to use the boom as a MOB back on. I am not sure if the mac's boom/hardware is strong enough to lift a person back on, but unless you locate the boom, you could bang them into the boat as the boom moved.

Paul

[Frank C]

I've never practiced it, but I have thought a lot about it. As Ron observed,
it's a much different thing for me to recover a Mate, versus the opposite.
I cannot imagine my Mate rigging a tackle to the winch and lifting me
over the side of the cockpit.

If I was in the water, very cold and weak, and wanting to reboard the Mac
I'd focus on the transom. With engine turned OFF, I'd straddle the
cavitation plate like a bicycle seat and ask the Mate to raise the motor.
That would get me out of the water anyway. In fact, there's a lift button
right on the side of the outboard, so I could raise it myself. Once my
motor is horizontal, I think I could "dismount" to the transom.

Even using a tackle, I'd extend it across the outboard to be used in
combination with those motor hydraulics. I'm pretty sure that I could rig a
lifting line through my centered backstay block where the adjuster tackle
splits to both aft quarters. This is a nice bonus to having the split
backstay.


Rich, for such a heavy dink, it sure looks like a good fit up
on that bow. How big is it, and how'd you like it up there?

[Frank C]

Moe,

I always use the horizontal motor as a handhold when boat is on the trailer. My 60-horse has a very hefty lifting cylinder. I'm not sure it would lift the motor plus 200# into the air, but it would surely lift one'e "tottom" at least to the water's surface. If towing a dink, I'd surely be able to drop into it.

Climbing to the transom .... that would be a question of remaining strength. I'd still like to have a MOB horseshoe harness rigged overhead. (Your comment regarding the mast-top makes me doubt the backstay as a lifting pivot, especially as it's so far above the upper shrouds. Even just a loop of rope centered over the motor could steady the step toward the transom. Anyhow, the motor is key to my MOB recovery. I'll do some testing when I get up to the lake (SF Bay makes the practice sessions pretty d*mn cold).

Regarding the grab bar, the pictured one is a bit meager. But here's another tip. I installed (vertically) a 24" stainless bathroom shower bar from HD. It's very nice because of its beefy diameter, about 2", but it's semi-brushed finish, not highly polished. Of course it was one-third the price of a WM version, but it's not the same grade stainless as you'd get at WM, so it forms a light rust sheen over time.

A quick wipe w/ WD-40 or chrome polish shines it right up, but doing over, I might choose a real, polished marine version. Meanwhile, it was an effort to install, so it's not worth changing ... and functionally it's terrific. I'll try to remember the camera next time.

[ALX357]

Moe, i'd recommend not drilling into your ladder, but using large SS pad-eyes 3/4" actually works ok, to clamp the step treads to the ladder rungs from the bottom side. Works good, and i used a couple of cutting boards from Wal-Mart, cut and dremel-trimmed to fit around the side rungs of the ladder to hold the lower step in position, while a third clamp-eye stabilizes the upper step to the rung and stand-off part. FULL description and overall pictures in Mods Page

[craiglaforce]

I bought and installed a couple of small brown plastic step treads that simply u-bolt to the ladder. Works great and was simple to install. I think I bought them at West Marine. Someone else here found them and I just copied their idea.

The other thing I did was remove the seat hinge and coincidentally, a large SS padeye fit the bolt holes perfectly. I also had a sailing harness and lanyard with big spring shackles. When you cliip this onto the padeye, it makes a terrific thing to grab onto when boarding.

First right hand goes on top of the motor, left hand grabs the blue lanyard web that I tied a couple into, then easily walk up the ladder.

Of course if someone is unconscious, some other method would be needed.

[Jack O'Brien]

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/cgi-bin ... record=305

The above is for a STERN LADDER EXTENSION which makes it much easier to climb the ladder from the water.

Secondly, a 21-inch grab bar mounted vertically allows grasping from the water and as one climbs the ladder.

[Moe]

Thanks for the pics, ALX357. The teak only extends about 3/16" on either side of the rung, so the padeyes wouldn't work with them.

Maybe it's time I fall back and punt... I've been concerned about what would happen to one's foot if the teak step split and a foot bottom wound up on one of those screw heads on the top of the rung.

Jack, I've always believed that our handle is one of those made for the companionway, and not the longer one needed at the swim ladder.

[argonaut]

I've puzzled over this too. Thankfully open sea rescues are prettly unlikely at this point.

Transom entry's got to be best assuming we're just wet and a little ticked off, not injured. Motor off, please.
A warm water MOB recovery of a 180 lb "me" by a 108 lb. mate alone is daunting. I don't want to think about my chances if I were to end up overboard off the BC coast in a pitching sea, losing the ability to grip (let alone lift my own weight) as seconds passed and hypothermia set in. Rigging a boom to act as a crane that may already have a sail affixed sounds dismally complex for a panicked mate. In an icy cold, nearly unconcious situation where I'm overboard and can't help myself, I think I'd want to have an old fashioned "come-along", or 1-ton engine lift aboard. Costs about $40 & has steel cable with hooks on both ends and an 18:1 reversable leverage advantage. In my wild imagination I can see my mate possibly capable of locating it, hooking one end around the mast base, the other to the harness, and winching my dead weight aboard, or at least out of the water. The lifelines would be in the way to be sure unless dropped prior to recovery. The stern may work but I'm worried she may still have the outboard running. If not a dragged-headfirst entry up the stern by winch sounds painful , but it would be better than ending up as frozen food.

[John Skardzius]

I have asked many times...what if? Tried to get the admiralty to practice a MOB procedure. Recently, she told me that she had come up with one and that we should practice it. We let the boat drift, she turned off the motor asked me to dive in to the 70 degree water. It was a hot day, so WTH!

She promptly got out her cell phone, pressed an auto dial button so that she would not have to remember the very important number. She then calmly and clearly stated three times "Larry he has gone off and drowned, call the insurance people!"

As you might have guessed Larry is our attorney.

The admiral has her priorities....

[craiglaforce]

I guess a humorous though impractical method to recover a POB would be to drop the mast to its crutch, rig the mast raising system. You really need a second halyard cheek block port side of the mast at the same height as the jib halyard where the stays attach. Then attach a halyard to the POB from this block. Then just raise the mast using the handy mast raising system. Now the POB is dangling from a line about 20 feet above deck like a trophy fish. THen power back to dock with your trophy.

Here is a link to the ladder treads I mentioned before.
Solemate ladder treads


tread