MOB

[Polly]

Last weekend we had our first MOB, or in fact, woman overboard. Our weekend guest slipped whilst putting on a sail tie, fell on the deck and slipped off Brilliant. She is an experienced sailor and a good swimmer, and apart from bruises from the falling bit, is fine and unfazed by the experience. So why post a note here? Well because we learned a lesson or two that may be worth sharing.

1 the lifejacket was on, and properly fitted- I had in fact serviced them all in preparation for the new season replacing firing cartridges and blowing them up overnight to check for leaks.

2. We had briefed everyone on the whereabouts of emergency kit- all in one locker used for nothing else

3 The boarding ladder was deployed and hooked over stern cleat as planned, this worked, but it was in a bag that took precious moments to open so it is now Velcro strapped. The recovery was from the cockpit but another time it may be forward, so I have fitted two carabiners to the top so that we have fast anchoring anywhere aboard.

4 We have a throwing line which has never been used, it was too well coiled at the factory for fast release. On this occasion that wasn't an issue as she was alongside but it's now loosely coiled and Velcro tabbed.

5 Casualties are really heavy even when fit and conscious, three of us got her aboard, no bother, but what if it was one rescuer? I think a recovery line with blocks is to be my next 'invention'. Of course on a saily we do have options already available, main sheet, jib halyard and so on, but if circumstances make these hard to access, a line with 3x purchase or similar that can attach to a couple of cleats or a rail could be a lifesaver, and of course Stinkies would start at this point.

6. We had a plan ready, so that helped. RYA training is a good investment.

7. Even though recovery was quick, I still had a very cold crew member to deal with, cabin shelter from the wind, dry clothes, blankets and a hot drink and chocolate all were produced in rapid order, but I still realised that insisting she got under a duvet and stayed there a while was also needed. Staying with a casualty and keeping a close eye is important, my friend was insisting she was ok, but she was shivering, so wasn't.

8 And nagging crew to always keep one hand on the boat is probably needed more.

We did OK but there is always room for improvements. Hope we don't need them, but just in case!

[BroadAmbition]

A good post Pauline and a timely reminder for all of us.

 

I have the MOB ladder in our stern locker ready for deployment at a moments notice, we have a throwing line (Flotation type) with a life ring ready to go.  We have the shower with copious amounts of hot water, duves etc BUT the whole ot of it has never been put to the test

 

I hope it won't be either!

 

 

Griff

[Timbo]

I had a MOB overboard experience with the lad. On day two of an four night cruise I was getting sick to death of telling him to put his life jacket on. Leaving Ranworth and half way down the dyke I thought I heard someone say the dogs name. Thinking that the mutt had fallen overboard I looked over the cockpit side to see the dog (wearing his life jacket) looking at the lads head bobbing in the water, looking back at me, then looking back at the lad as if to say 'Have you seen that pillock? What did he do that for?'. I stopped RT and took a second to assess the situation. The lad was not wearing his life jacket, but other than shock and a gob full of water he was treading water. I shut off RT's engine as I did not want the lad swimming up to the stern and the prop. Nipping forward I dropped the mud weight, and then back into the sternwell where we have one of those horseshoe belts connected to some good quality rope which I threw out to the lad. Opened the stern doors and hoisted the lad back on board. 

 

I will admit taking my time in doing this. I was assessing the situation all of the time BUT there was a lesson to be learned here and the lad will admit he learned it well. The weather was hot, the water was freezing cold. Six inches below the surface the water is as black as ink. Where he thought there would be no current...there was a strong current pushing into the Broad. The water was deeper than he believed it to be. When you hit cold water...you can't breath. A hot shower and sweet tea soon had him sorted... and now he never goes on deck without his life jacket.

 

But with Uncle Albert soon to arrive back on RT I am having some serious concerns with regard to his safety should he fall into the water. Yes he has a life jacket but I'm more concerned on retrieving him from the drink should he fall in. I know from experience, that getting him on his feet from an armchair can be an immense strain on my back. Pulling him out of the water will be virtually impossible on my own. Getting him to use a boarding ladder would mean me leaving the boat to enter the water to guide his feet from below onto the steps. Even then I doubt he would be able to pull his own weight up onto the ladder.

 

The only thought that comes to my mind should the pratt fall in is tow him behind the boat to the nearest slipway or boatyard with a crane.

[grendel]

Tim, we will start getting suspicious if we hear of you buying up a lorry load of Banana skins before your trip.

Grendel

[Polly]

The Plan for a rope with blocks that can be deployed is because I lack upper body strength.

Just a thought, Tim; when the children were little we tied a line on behind their lifejackets, long enough to move about, short enough not to allow them to fall off, it's an old Canal dweller trick.

[Timbo]

Tim, we will start getting suspicious if we hear of you buying up a lorry load of Banana skins before your trip.

Grendel

Ask Maurice Mynah...we wouldn't need the banana skins, Uncle Albert will occasionally just decide to put himself on the floor, and when he decides to do this he goes down like a sack of sh ...potatoes. The temptation, should he fall in the water, would be to put my foot on his head!

 

The Plan for a rope with blocks that can be deployed is because I lack upper body strength.

Just a thought, Tim; when the children were little we tied a line on behind their lifejackets, long enough to move about, short enough not to allow them to fall off, it's an old Canal dweller trick.

Now there's an idea! I'm looking into designing a hand rail system to help the old duffer up and down the steps, one which will stop him swinging from the companion way doors now that I know how very little holds the doors to the jamb. Hand rails in the center and aft cockpits will be an easy matter...but getting hand rails up the center cockpit steps and still allowing the doors to close is causing a headache.

[JennyMorgan]

This has to be a very serious subject, one that needs thought. It's a drum that I have banged in the past because it's largely ignored by the majority. Sailing boats, like Brilliant, have low freeboard and are awash with ropes and blocks so hoisting deadweight out of the water is almost certainly a walk in the park, but how about  from a slab sided motor cruiser, with an unfit, overweight crew and no no suitable ropes or blocks and tackles? If I were on a high sided  boat, and fell in, my wife could not help me, it would be down to me. Could I haul myself out? No. Am I fit enough? No.  Am I overweight? Yes. I am not young, I'm not agile. I have but one serious option, don't fall in. 

 

Ask yourself, could you and your crew cope? Is your boat suitably equipped? 

[MauriceMynah]

Two rules for the likes of us Peter, Wear lifejacket and swim to bank.

If there is a crew onboard, make sure they have basic boat handling abilities and that they know not to motor towards a casualty... Ok that's four rules.

So to summarize, the four essential rules are...

 

Wear lifejacket

Swim to bank.
If there is a crew onboard, make sure they have basic boat handling abilities.

and that they know not to motor towards a casualty in the water.

and that they know the whereabouts of liferings etc.  Hmmm that's five!

[retired]

We were moored  above Acle Bridge last monday lunchtime(18th) when we heard a noise. Looking out we saw a boat at right angles to the bank with a man clinging to the bow rope. John grabbed our life ring and we both went to help only to discover his wife was also in the water trying to keep afloat by grabbing anything she could on the rear of the boat moored behind us. Neither were wearing life jackets. Luckily another boat owner also heard them and ran to assist so I left the two men and ran for help from Horizoncraft boatyard. They were both successfully rescued, she had a badly shattered ankle we believe caused when she stepped onto the bank which in turn had led to her falling backwards into the water. He had tried to reach her from the boat and toppled in. 

We are now looking at replacing our life jackets (they are quite elderly and bulky) with new ones and are also looking to attach a boarding ladder as we are a high sided boat and I would not be able to pull myself back on board without it.

[Polly]

A point about boarding ladders, the flexible rope ones curve under your weight and follow the contour of the hull, you are therefore hanging backwards to some extent when scrambling up. Rigid drop down stainless would be my choice in the case of Respite, it's not really an option on Brilliant. On Rondonay it was easier as we had a pushpit and a slanting inwards stern; I kept a rope ladder on the rail, with a Velcro tie which could be reached from the water and released at need. The Danbuoy and horseshoe lived there too, the former housed in a length of plastic down spout. You could lift and chuck it out instantly.

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Polly,

 

Thank you for posting this topic, I am sure it will have all owners looking at their procedures and will also make hirers aware of the benefits of wearing the life jackets they are provided with.

We are now getting into the season and already a number of fatalities have been sadly reported.

 

Regards

Alan

[BroadScot]

Two rules for the likes of us Peter, Wear lifejacket and swim to bank.

If there is a crew onboard, make sure they have basic boat handling abilities and that they know not to motor towards a casualty... Ok that's four rules.

So to summarize, the four essential rules are...

 

Wear lifejacket

Swim to bank.

If there is a crew onboard, make sure they have basic boat handling abilities.

and that they know not to motor towards a casualty in the water.

and that they know the whereabouts of liferings etc.  Hmmm that's five!

I bet you achieved an A in Arithmetic MM  Kidding apart, very good advice.

 

 

Iain.

[Viking23]

Most of you have missed an important point here....

Most are relying on crew on board to deploy recovery devices.

Assuming that ALL the crew are proficient in their use, then that's fine, but if for some reason you are alone, however briefly maybe you are setting off early for Breydon, wife in bed, or you are moored up, wife gone shopping, now you are on your own in the water, with no one on deck to deploy any devices that you thought would save a life you now find yourself alone, cold and to be fair, panicking.

So think again, how would "YOU" get out of the water "NOW" this minute...

No forward planning, you arrived at the boat, from home, wife in car because it's too cold and wet you slip, now... what are you going to do?

We tried to haul a guy out of Hickling a few seasons ago, he had been thrown from a sailing dinghy, the dinghy had left him behind. I thought we could get him to climb up the outboard, transom and then onto the stern step, he couldn't he was young fit and couldn't do it, it was summer, the water was around 65 degrees F.

So we hailed a small passing open boat, and three young guys on board, the guy himself and I between us struggled to get him into a low free board dinghy.

Following that event, I have since fitted a folding stainless steel ladder, that can be deployed from the water, and goes into the water around two feet... now this is really important to have a submerged step.

So have a rethink about MOB on your boat, I'm surprised that hire craft don't have this facility. I guess it might encourage people to have a dip...

[JennyMorgan]

Two rules for the likes of us Peter, Wear lifejacket and swim to bank.

If there is a crew onboard, make sure they have basic boat handling abilities and that they know not to motor towards a casualty... Ok that's four rules.

So to summarize, the four essential rules are...

 

Wear lifejacket

Swim to bank.

If there is a crew onboard, make sure they have basic boat handling abilities.

and that they know not to motor towards a casualty in the water.

and that they know the whereabouts of liferings etc.  Hmmm that's five!

Swim to the bank, sound advice. However, from Stokesby up to Aldeby, for example, there are many of miles of inhospitable bank to cope with if you do go in.

 

I know of numerous North Sea fishermen who refuse to wear life-jackets, their argument being that if they do fall in they want to get it over as quickly as possible. On the other hand my wife insists that I wear buoyancy whilst at sea, her argument being that she would like a body to bury. 

 

Don't go in, one hand for you, the other for the boat, hold on!

[Wussername]

I am constantly amazed at the lack of boat handling skills by some holiday makers and private craft alike. In some instances it defies belief.

Not wearing life jackets in the most challenging of conditions, the over reliance of bow thrusters where basic boat handling during mooring has either not been taught or considered irrelevant.

As craft get larger, more comfortable, more gadgets, perhaps people feel less vulnerable.

But the basic principles still apply.

Ignore them at your peril.

I am so fearful that one day we will read of a tragic incident on the broads which could have been so easily avoided due to complacency.

[MauriceMynah]

"I am so fearful that one day we will read of a tragic incident on the broads which could have been so easily avoided due to complacency. "

 

We already do Wussername. Every year brings a drowning (not necessarily on the broads) incident that's boating related.

 

Playing with water is like playing with fire! Wetter, yes... Colder, most certainly but still a fatal accident waiting to happen if you fail to respect your surroundings.

 

Too much cotton wool wrapping only goes to make it worse, but we don't want to frighten people away either. The very best we can do is to recommend the use of some common sense, and the worst mistake we can make is to fall into that trap where "familiarity breeds contempt".

 

Do I helm a boat when I've had a few drinks?... Yes, of course I do!

Do I do so when drunk? ... No, that would be reckless!

Do I leave the helm when the boat is under way?... Yes, sometimes I have to!

Do I do so when there is any chance of an impact with anything? ... No. That would be both reckless and stupid!

 

There comes a time in ones life when one has to take risks, answer? work out how high the risk and act accordingly!

 

I am normally on my own on the boat so my MOB routine is simple. Avoid prop, swim ashore. If possible, run after boat!

[smellyloo]

I do feel that our over protective attitude to children can lead to a certain lack of common sense and inability to assess the likelyhood of personal danger.

 

As a kid I was free to play, wander, cycle for miles exploring all sorts of places which would be deemed dangerous today. Yes kids got hurt but that's part of learning life skills.

 

I'm afraid today people always want to find somebody else to blame when things go wrong and ignore the bleeding obvious ...... they've been a complete numpty!!

[Gracie]

I agree with you entirely Smelly, the problems parents face more so now days it would seem, is a very nasty person might be lurking around every corner, it's very difficult to get the right balance between protecting them and allowing them freedom to explore and yes get into scrapes.

 

As for as MOB goes, we have given our children a plan to try and stick to if they go overboard, I know not always easy when panic sets in (especially from mum) and it would probably go completely out of the window but we are trying to teach them common sense and to react as calmly as they can in such a situation. Unfortunately not all parents feel this way as I have seen some pretty scary stuff with kids being allowed to play on the roof of the boat (no life jacket) with parents down below, we even called out to parents once when we saw a little girl on the back of a bath tub leaning over to try and touch the water, only to be told to have sex and travel, a tragedy waiting to happen in my opinion

 

Grace

[smellyloo]

I regularly used to take my kids sailing.

 

I taught and regularly practiced MOB exercices .... well fender overboard & retrieval.

 

The one thing I drilled into them was NEVER to try to rescue me by jumping into the river.

 

Carry out the practiced routines but if that failed seek help from a passer by.

 

Sadly no mobile phones in those days.

[Wussername]

A good reply Smellyloo.

May I call you Smelly?

On a more serious note, no disrespect old chap regarding my frivolous comment. Has anybody questioned the lifebouy one sees on our quay headings. A truly wonderous thing.

But how do you throw it..........half way across the River Yare, say at Reedham. If you are the one who is a floundering, indeed under distress, how do you get into the blxxdy thing, or do you just hang on to it........and hope.

Surely in this day and age there is a more practicle solution?

[Timbo]

 

 

I am normally on my own on the boat so my MOB routine is simple. Avoid prop, swim ashore. If possible, run after boat!

Its them sandals and white socks that let him walk on water you know!