Rescuing a Man Overboard

[Russ]

In the MacGregor Yacht Club of BC we always encourage new members to run a line along the outside of the boat from the front bow pulpit stanchion to the rear stanchion. We nickname them "Ray lines" because it was Blue Water Yachts employee Ray who showed us this trick. The line hangs somewhat loose.

Ray showed me that trick as well. For a while, I had a "Ray Line" to help get the boat into the slip. So simple and so versatile.

[pitchpolehobie]

In the MacGregor Yacht Club of BC we always encourage new members to run a line along the outside of the boat from the front bow pulpit stanchion to the rear stanchion. We nickname them "Ray lines" because it was Blue Water Yachts employee Ray who showed us this trick. The line hangs somewhat loose.
I leave the lines in place all season, even while trailering. Mine happen to be black colored, and they are the only black lines on my boat.
They have 3 functions
1. When docking the boat, if someone on the dock grabs the line near the middle of the boat with a fairly wide grip they can easily control the entire vessel. Often when docking there are helpful volunteers on the dock. I just tell them to grab the black line with both hands in a wide grip, and they are always surprised at how easily they can control the boat.
2. I then untie the line from my rear stanchion. Instant bow line for mooring.
3. The most important use: if you go overboard it is possible to get one foot on the line and haul yourself up. One member of our club tried it with a friend on a warm day. It takes a bit of effort, but it works.

It's a low-tech solution with a high value. The only caveat: make certain the line is too short to accidentally foul your prop if it somehow comes loose.

The next question: what if the person overboard is unable to use the ladder due to hypothermia or an injury?
1. Shut off the motor.
2. Bring the person to the back of the boat.
3. Open the helm seat.
4. Have the person straddle the leg of the motor.
5. Use the electric tilt to raise the person as far as possible out of the water, and then pull them over the cowling into the cockpit. The person will lose some skin, but they'll be in the boat.

Finally, one the events our club runs every May long weekend is our annual "Safety Sail". New members can go out with experienced sailors, or they can ask an experienced sailor to go out with them. We practice:
1. Anchoring under sail (as though your motor had died and you were drifting to a lee shore)
2. Crew overboard drills
3. Reefing our sails
4. Heaving to.
5. Sailing a figure eight.

In between each drill each boat is given a sheet with different call numbers that they have to relay to the committee boat using the NATO alphabet and proper VHF protocols. It's a really nice way to keep some very important skills up to par. I'd encourage everyone to make that part of their boating season.

Cheers,

Kelvin

Excellent ideas. Thanks for sharing, id love to see that session sometime.

I review this with everyone on my boat.

https://cruisingclub.org/article/man-ov ... nded-crews

[Jimmyt]

And speaking of man overboard…. Combined sailboat racing and swimming yesterday at the Sunday afternoon races.

First race went off without a hitch. 10 boats total, consisting of 8 finns, a fish boat, and a small cat boat. The cat boat skipper, an accomplished sailor, had just bought the boat and was taking it on a shakedown run. He retired early due to some slight problems with his rig. His centerboard lift line broke when he was taking it out of the water - just to add insult to injury. We supposedly beat two of the finns in the first race (likely on corrected time).

We noticed thunderstorms building well north and south of the course during the first race. Between races, there were some good gusts, but still manageable.

We had a great start in the second race, and the wind was getting pretty sporty. Full jib, full main up, making great speed toward the windward mark. We got hammered with a gust that came out of nowhere, knocking us down, and putting helm (me), and main sheet (my buddy and crew chief) in the water. Jib sheet (our buddy who must be part squirrel), managed to scramble up to the starboard rail and stay on the boat. We loosed the main sheet and jib sheet, allowing the boat to right itself. We had taken on a lot of water due to the open cockpit design and very rough seas. After our brief refreshing swim, we climbed back aboard and began trying to get our game plan together. At this point, we were in a pretty nice summer squall, and it didn’t look like it would pass quickly. The jib sheet had become so tangled that there was no sorting it out in the weather we were dealing with. It’s a compound affair with blocks on both sides at the clew. We doused and secured the jib, and began trying to work our way back to the harbor. As we approached, we could see one of the finns had been knocked down in the mouth of the harbor as he made the turn. So we made a gybe and went around for another try. The wind was shifting and gusty, making sailing a bit of a challenge. The water, and lack of jib, made tacking in that weather very difficult. After the finn got righted and into the harbor, we tried again. We made it in without further excitement. After getting the sails secured and pumping the bilge; we changed clothes and headed to the club to commiserate with the other racers.

We found out that three boats got knocked down - us and 2 of the finns. No one was injured, no boats lost. Lots of second-guessing, armchair sailing, etc. I accused the skipper of the cat boat of being the only one in the bunch with any brains. He assured me that was not the case; and that he only retired because parts were falling off of his rig.

I won’t be wearing my inflatable in the fish boat again. I’ll go to a conventional vest. Once inflated, it’s a pain to maneuver in. Not to mention having to buy the recharge kit…

Also, summer squalls around here are not to be trifled with. I wanted to get off the water after race one, but the other two crew members felt like we were ok (both have extensive offshore experience), so I went along for the ride.

We weren’t in any danger (other than a possible lightning strike). The water was warm, and it was a fairly easy swim back to the club. There were two committee/observer boats in the water, so it is likely we wouldn’t even have to swim. I was mostly worried that the boat would sink - screwing up a few days this week getting it sorted out. The owner had removed the flotation for extra storage space.

The wind info from the club; located onshore. Likely winds were higher on the race course.

[NiceAft]

Good story; great writing. Jim, you’re the Ernest Hemingway of the forum.

[Jimmyt]

…Jim, you’re the Ernest Hemingway of the forum.

More like the Beavis or Butt-Head of the forum.

A Finn for those not familiar.

https://sailcraftblog.files.wordpress.c ... -finn1.jpg

And a fish class on a better day (in fact the very boat we were sailing Sunday). I’m on the foredeck setting the whisker pole, my buddy Charley (main sheet and crew chief Sunday) in the cockpit with the boat owner at the helm. She’s an amazing gal.

[NiceAft]

When sailing a dinghy class boat, getting wet is to be expected.

Sailing a Mac is fun, but hiking out in a dinghy class boat, inches above the water, is thrilling.

This was a relatively mild day. On a day with whitecaps, a sailor is in for an experience.


My Phantom along side my Mac.

[Jimmyt]

Looks like a fun boat! I'm sure there have been a few MOB incidents while sailing that.

[Herschel]

Well, I've got to get my $.02 in on this small boat sailing and MOB thread. You won't find the Admiral and I going overboard on my Achilles LT-4 with a sail kit. We call it the Rubber Ducky.

[NiceAft]

Well, I've got to get my $.02 in on this small boat sailing and MOB thread. You won't find the Admiral and I going overboard on my Achilles LT-4 with a sail kit. We call it the Rubber Ducky.

Cute Herschel,

But with a big enough gust, even the duck gets dunked.

Last year, on an incredibly windy day (probably shouldn’t have been on the water), I lost track of how many times I was flipped on a one hour sail. It was humbling. I’ve been sailing the Phantom for forty-two years.

I have an Achilles LSI-290 E. I wonder if a sail kit is available for it

[Herschel]

Niceaft said

Cute Herschel,
But with a big enough gust, even the duck gets dunked.
Last year, on an incredibly windy day (probably shouldn’t have been on the water), I lost track of how many times I was flipped on a one hour sail. It was humbling. I’ve been sailing the Phantom for forty-two years.
I have an Achilles LSI-290 E. I wonder if a sail kit is available for it
Ray ~~_/)~~

Actually, with the aluminum spars and nylon sail, the sail kit is rated for about 15 knots of wind before it would probably bend/brake. The Rubber Ducky would then turn into a slightly disheveled life raft. I bought the rig from a firm in Massachusetts called Sailboats-to-Go. They market all kinds of light inflatable boats plus the old foam Snarks and sail kits for them and canoes. You could fit my kit on your Achilles no doubt as it is adjustable. This is my third inflatable. My first two were cheapies and lasted accordingly. That is why I went for a more expensive real-deal Hypalon Achilles inflatable from Defender Marine. I like to take the Rubber Ducky with me when pulling my travel trailer. Between the three inflatables, I've been able to sail the Rubber Ducky in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Wyoming, Utah/Arizona (Lake Powell) and California.

[NiceAft]

Thanks for the info Herschel.