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Handling Emergencies: Man Overboard

By: Zeke Quezada, ASA Safety

Every man or woman overboard situation should be treated as a very serious matter, even in seemingly balmy conditions. In cold waters or cold weather, in restricted visibility or at nighttime, or in rough seas, the chances for a positive outcome diminish. Any delay in recovering the person in the water stacks the odds against his chances of survival. the best advice is to do all you can to prevent anyone from ever going overboard, but be prepared to handle the situation if it does occur.

Focus on Recovery  

If somebody does go overboard, the entire crew must focus on one goal: getting him back in the boat. To do that, you have to do four things as fast as possible but without causing further risk to the boat and the rest of the crew. 

• Keep the person overboard in sight. 
• Throw him a life ring or some other type of buoyant device.
• Get the crew prepared for the recovery, return on a close reach, and stop the boat to windward of him and close enough to retrieve him.
• Bring him back on board. 

Sailors have developed several techniques for returning to a man overboard (MOB) and in any situation, the exact one chosen will depend on the experience and skill of the crew, the number of crew on board, the type of boat, weather conditions, and perhaps other factors. In the end, all recovery techniques are more similar than different, as they all share the four key components mentioned above.

First response: “Y, T, P, S, C”  

• Yell to alert the crew. 
• Throw a Type IV or any other buoyant device toward the MOB. 
• Point to keep the MOB in sight. 
• Set the MOB button on the GPS. 
• Call on VHF 16. 

After that, everyone’s attention (apart from the spotter, whose job it is to keep the MOB in sight) turns to the goal of getting the boat to the MOB, attaching the MOB to the boat, and bringing the MOB back aboard. 

Watching and pointing to the MOB is crucial because as soon as the boat turns to begin the recovery maneuver, the crew, busy at their stations, will lose their orientation with respect to objects outside the boat.

Method for recovery of MOB (Man Overboard)

The Figure-Eight Method  

You begin this maneuver by sailing away from the MOB. This may feel wrong, but the crew needs time to prepare the boat and recovery equipment and distance to be able to approach at the right point of sail, slowly, in control, and equipped to retrieve the MOB. While one crew prepares the line with the bowline, another can put in place some means of recovering the MOB, such as a boarding ladder.

• Bring the boat onto a beam reach and continue sailing away from the MOB. A distance of four to six boat lengths (20 to 30 seconds) should be sufficient — the distance will be shorter in lighter winds and longer in higher winds. While the boat is on a beam reach, the helmsman, guided by the spotter, glances back at the MOB two or three times while preparing the crew for the next maneuver.  
• Tack the boat and sail back on a broad reach aiming a few boat lengths downwind of the MOB. Ease the jibsheet to reduce power.  
• Sail to a point from where you can head up onto a close reach aiming just slightly to windward of the MOB. Knowing exactly when to turn onto your final approach will take practice. You need enough distance on the closereaching approach to slow the boat significantly before reaching the MOB.  
• Just as you did in your slowing drills near a buoy, sailing on a close reach, luff the mainsail to slow the boat to a crawl, but re-trim it to pick up speed if you are falling short of the MOB.  
• Come alongside the MOB at a speed of less than one knot, a very slow walking pace. Keep in mind that your ability to maneuver is limited, and once the boat stops altogether, you lose complete steering control.  
• As soon as you have gotten close to the MOB, your highest priority is to connect him to the boat with a line. Get the line with the bowline around his torso. DO NOT allow the boat to move away from the person in the water — the time expended making a second maneuver and approach could be costly.  
• Once connected to the MOB, turn the boat farther upwind to slow the boat and avoid blowing over the MOB. At this stage, the boat will be hard to control. Expect a certain amount of chaos on board and stay focused on the priority of bringing the MOB into the boat.

Placing the boat just to windward of the MOB is considered the safest approach in most conditions. It will offer him some shelter from the wind and waves and make it easier to throw him a line. If you have overshot, luff the sails and the boat will blow downwind toward the MOB. Be especially careful, though, that you don’t allow the boat to be blown on top of the MOB.

Additional MOB recovery methods are covered in Sailing Made Easy : The Official Manual For The Basic Keelboat Sailing Course.  These tips are directly from the text of the ASA 101 course.

Practice, Practice, Practice 

Despite the variety of techniques for the middle stage as the boat turns back for the pick up, any MOB drill aboard a sailboat begins and ends with exactly the same steps. The methods share more similarities than differences. You will learn more options as you progress with your sailing instruction, and they are discussed in Coastal Cruising Made Easy . But reading instructions for dealing with an emergency will only get you so far. Practice, with the entire crew, is crucial. Remember, the sooner you get back to your MOB, at a very slow speed and with the crew prepared for the retrieval, the better.

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Home  News  Man Overboard Recovery Procedure

Man Overboard Recovery Procedure

Written by Peter Isler, with additional contributions by Chuck Hawley and Michael Jacobs

“Man Overboard” is probably the third most famous nautical hail, after “Land Ho” and “Thar She Blows,” but it is by far the most serious and potentially life threatening of the three.

Man Overboard Rescue Procedure

Although we should keep in mind that every situation is different, man overboard procedures are often broken down into the following areas:

• Initial Reaction on Board
• Safety Turning the Boat Around and Returning to the ‘Person in the Water’ (PIW) (though I prefer the term “swimmer”)
• Approaching and Rescuing the PIW

1. Initial Reaction on Board

The first priority is to provide the victim with additional flotation to increase his or her odds of surviving until the boat returns. Be sure to also “litter the water” with any other floating paraphernalia that will increase visibility of the location, making it easier to find the PIW. From the simple speed, time, and distance equation, we know that time is critical when it comes to deploying any sort of safety or flotation gear if we want to be within dog paddling distance. This requires proper preparation and training so that the right equipment is easily available and deployable by any/every member of the crew.

Concurrently, the entire crew must be notified with that bone-chilling hail so the wheels of recovery can begin turning. Meanwhile, the person who first sees the PIW in the water must maintain a laser-like focus on his or her location in the water and continually point out that position to the helmsperson. It’s the luck of the draw when it comes to the roles being played on board. Although your crew should have default “emergency” positions, a man overboard will alter this because at least one crew is gone from the boat, while another is doing his or her best Superman impersonation to see through the waves and keep the PIW in sight. Short-handed crews have an even bigger challenge in a man overboard situation with perhaps half the crew missing.

Other high priority steps include:

• Save a GPS location to facilitate returning to the scene. If your victim is wearing and has activated an AIS-based personal locator beacon, he or she will be easier to find. Before a man overboard emergency occurs, make sure every member of the crew knows how to operate the hardware (GPS/computer) to navigate back to the AIS beacon and the GPS’ man overboard waypoint. Ideally, one of the items your crew “litters” into the water will be a floating AIS locator with a sea anchor.
• Call for help. Any man overboard situation is life threatening, so there is cause for issuing a “Mayday,” or at the very least, “Pan Pan” on the VHF to get nearby boats to your team. The importance of this step must be weighed with the actual situation (e.g., it’s blowing 3 knots and you are at anchor in the Virgin Island with the swim ladder set over the side) and how much it will impact/slow down the crew’s ability to turn the boat around as soon as possible.
• Position the crew to turn the boat around. Ideally, this will follow the procedures that you have determined are ideal for your boat in the current conditions and that you have practiced with your crew.
• Immediately turn the boat into the wind, if appropriate for your boat and conditions, then tack, and stop/slow the boat. This is the first stage of the “Quick Stop” method that revolutionized sailing’s “science” of man overboard a few decades ago. The logic was indisputable: the closer you keep the boat to the victim, the better the odds of a swift and successful recovery. Today, the Quick Stop remains a valuable rescue option for most boats, but like so many of the possible return and recovery techniques, it has its time and place. It may be exactly the right approach for our 40-foot displacement sloop on the way to the South Pacific, but may not work on a boat with different handling characteristics. For example, a 60-foot racing sloop blasting downwind under spinnaker, a rapid round up could cause significant damage that inhibits the boat’s capability to return to the victim. It also risks throwing more crew overboard in the process. Once again, as in any safety-related emergency, its is important to be flexible. Well before any possible MOB, accurately assess the best way to rescue a PIW overboard as swiftly and safely as possible. Seamanship, experience, sound judgement, and thorough training all increase your odds of success.

Every step of the recovery benefits from practice, but this first “reaction” stage is perhaps the most crucial. A real emergency is not the time to figure out where the “launch” button is on the man overboard gear, or how to best organize the remaining crew to safely turn the boat around. Practice safety drills as a team before you need to act.

2. Safely Turning the Boat Around and Returning to the PIW

The Quick Stop method highlights the ultimate goal of man overboard recovery: stay as near to the swimmer as possible. But you have to do this maneuver safely so that you can successfully complete the rescue. Every situation is different depending on the boat, which sails are set, the crew size and experience, and the conditions.

Recently, I attended a US Sailing Safety at Sea Course at the US Naval Academy and watched the midshipsmen demonstrate some of the overboard recovery variations aboard the Academy’s 44-foot sloops. Conditions were ideal: the water was smooth, the winds were light, and the victim was a Navy diver in full wet suit. But it was still impressive watching the crews perform their rescue swift fashion. Clearly, they had practiced and their demonstration went according to plan. Even as I mentally critiqued the well-rehearsed and simplified presentation, I had to admit, these sailors were pretty darn good – especially the 110-pound female midshipsman who singlehandedly steered her 44-foot sloop back to the diver, secured the sails, stopped the boat, and hauled him back on deck with the aid of a block and tackle system and a Lifesling harness. I’d want her aboard my boat if I fell over. Sure, the degree of difficulty increases exponentially when you throw in heaving ocean swells, strong winds, and the element of surprise, but I’d rather go overboard on a boat where the crew had done a ton of recovery training – even if it was only in smooth water and light air.

The bottom line of turning the boat around is that it must be done as swiftly as practical (time is the enemy of the PIW) and must be done safely so that the crew can efficiently shift into rescue mode. There will be some trade-offs involved, e.g., making an out of control Quick Stop vs. a controlled dousing of the big sails – and the driver/skipper must make these critical decisions. What sails (if any) should be left flying? Should the engine be employed? And if so, are all the lines clear and out of the water so they don’t foul the prop? When can we safely tack the boat? Are the conditions safe for us to jibe the boat? A strong and well-honed chain of command can help in these critical decisions, but remember the “x-factor” of a man overboard situation: the skipper could be the swimmer!

3. Approaching and Recovering the PIW

The priorities in this stage of the procedure are:

• Find the PIW. This can be extremely difficult and time consuming – and time is not the friend of the victim. If it is daylight and the conditions are mild; if the victim is healthy, wearing a life jacket, blowing a whistle, wearing or floating near an AIS-transmitting locator, flashing a light, and has made contact with the boat’s man overboard gear; and if the boat has a good man overboard position to navigate back to – then the odds are pretty good that you will find him or her, even if it takes a few minutes to get the boat safely turned around. But that’s a lot of “ifs” and this highlights why having the boat and crew prepared for a man overboard incident is so important. Locating the PIW can be extremely difficult. So, that call you made on the VHF to rally immediate support from nearby boats can be a life-saving step in certain situations.
• Approach carefully and at a controllable speed. The close reach is by far and away the safest point of sail to make the approach because of the ease at which speed can be increased or decreased without making course changes. Try picking up a mooring on any other point of sail and you will soon agree.
• Make contact with the PIW. This doesn’t mean smashing the victim with your hull or chopping him or her up with your propeller. It means making a connection, most likely by rope and possibly by a Lifesling or other lifting/flotation device.
• Retrieve the PIW and get him or her safely on board. There are a number of potential methods that vary in their efficacy depending on the boat, conditions, crew size and strength, condition of the PIW, and equipment available.
• Apply appropriate care for possible near drowning, hypothermia, or any other injuries.

At this point in your study of man overboard procedure, I highly recommend a mental reality check. I’ve written and edited a number of books and articles describing the various “classic” recovery patterns and methods, including the aforementioned. Quick Stop and the venerable “figure eight” pattern. It all seems so doable on paper.

But let’s put ourselves in the shoes of a full crew on one of the US Naval Academy’s 44-foot sloops, sailing in 35-knot winds and hail during a thunderstorm. You must quickly revert to good seamanship, simple and basic sailing tactics – no jibes in 35 knots! And you will have your hands full even getting close to the victim as the keel loses grip and the boat blows sideways to low speed. There’s no way you can heave a line any distance upwind, but it’s so rough that you don’t want to approach within a quarter of a boat length to windward of the PIW for fear of smashing him or her to bits as the bow bucks in the waves. Again, this is where practice, good seamanship, and sailing experience are essential to stand any chance of recovering the PIW.

In extreme conditions or when shorthanded, the “waterski tow rope” method of making contact with the victim is invaluable. A few decades ago, the Sailing Foundation of Seattle developed the Lifesling device and its unique method of PIW recovery. Although the hardware has been refined over the years, it remains an icon in man overboard training with a long history of success, especially assisting small people in rescuing large people on boats of all sizes and types. The Lifesling employs the same method the driver of a water ski boat uses to return the tow rope to a fallen skier for another try. It involves circling safely and slowly around the PIW until they grab the floating tow rope and work their way to the floating harness that can double as a lifting sling – pretty nifty.

But if the PIW is injured or if it’s too windy to jibe (a sailboat can’t circle without doing a jibe), you will have to adjust your tactics. You may even break another “rule” of man overboard and send a second crew member into the water (firmly tethered to the boat) to help the victim. (Editor’s note: Not recommended unless the victim has serious injuries or is a child.)

Do I sound like a broken record yet? It’s all too easy to discuss man overboard theory and practice in a vacuum, extolling the virtues of a certain piece of equipment and/or sailing technique. But every situation is unique. In all likelihood, the crew will not be able to follow a perfect, cookie cutter method. They will be forced to adapt and make important decisions very quickly under pressure. This is where training, practice, good seamanship, and boat sense all play a crucial role.

In summary, read books and take courses. Go to the chandlery and look at the latest equipment. Get your crew together and practice, practice, practice. Then cross your fingers you’ll never have to learn whether you have the right stuff to save a life because everybody on the crew remembers that lesson their mother taught them: always stay with the boat!

This resource is provided by the US Sailing Safety at Sea Committee. Read the entire chapter on Weather Forecasting and Waves .

Learn more about US Sailing Safety at Sea Seminars in your area.

Copyright ©2018-2024 United States Sailing Association. All rights reserved. US Sailing is a 501(c)3 organization. Website designed & developed by Design Principles, Inc. -->

• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

Man overboard: How to react and safely recover your crewmate

• October 31, 2019

How quickly you react in a man overboard situation can be critical. Pro navigator Mike Broughton gives his top tips and explains how technology can help

An image taken by the author during trials of using an infra-red camera to find a MOB

Turning a yacht around after a person goes overboard (MOB) and heading back in the right direction to retrieve them isn’t always easy when you’re taken by surprise, particularly at night. As navigators we need to employ all the help available to us, and be able to use any electronic tools instantly.

Sadly, there have been MOB occurrences when the technology has been available and not deployed, or not deployed correctly. The obvious solution is to practice MOB drills.

Coming from a military aviation background I’m used to placing a great emphasis on practising emergencies. To survive military flying training you need to be able to maintain a cool head when things are falling apart. The focus is on developing ‘automotive actions’ to a crisis. Learning the correct initial actions to an emergency is essential for a pilot as these first actions are carried out in seconds.

‘Subsequent actions’ are carried out in a longer timescale, and often with the help of flight reference cards. These can also help confirm those vital ‘initial actions’. I can still remember how to shut down both engines of a Sea King in mid-air in the event of a fire, some 25 years since I last flew that type of helicopter! Sailors can also learn from this method of training.

Different MOB drills are needed for different yachts, depending on wind strength, sea state, number and experience of crew, point of sail, boat speed and time of day. There is good reason why the RYA doesn’t specify a single way to execute a MOB recovery. However, whatever type of yacht you sail, there are still some ‘initial actions’ for MOB that can be standardised.

The subsequent actions will vary depending on the conditions mentioned above. Practice helps a great deal, but even talking through these actions when alongside will help. Not many people go out and practise MOB drills at night.

Searching for a MOB in the dark is never easy. Apart from AIS PLBs, one of the best new ways of showing your position is to utilise ultra-bright LED flares. They are mesmerisingly bright. They last five to six hours and can easily be switched on and off like a torch. I’ve also trialled using an infrared camera.

Using technology

Modern technology can now help in an MOB situation more than ever before, from wearable transmitters that activate an alarm when a crewmember is out of range, to personal locator beacons (PLBs). Crew can now activate the MOB button not just on the chartplotter but also on a smart watch.

Clever boat instrument systems can also translate that information onto other displays that is easy to interpret. If you have AIS transposed onto your chartplotter or navigation software then it can pick up an AIS PLB. Some activate an audio alarm but it helps to know what to expect.

In last year’s RORC Caribbean 600 race , when the 53ft catamaran Fujin capsized at night, I was navigating on a Ker 56 reaching at 20 knots. I’d gone below to download weather data and could hardly hear myself think as the noisy carbon boat crashed through waves. But I heard a beeping sound coming out of the back of the laptop so I checked my power leads and struggled to find reason for it.

About to give up, I scrolled through several weather programmes and discovered it coming from the Adrena navigation software and found my only clue to Fujin ’s plight – an AIS PLB and a round red circle on the chart about three miles ahead.

Unable to transmit a Mayday or recover their grab bag in the windy conditions, a Fujin crewmember had initiated his AIS PLB. This was their initial alert. With an AIS PLB there is no boat name showing, so my initial suspicion was that we were looking for a single person in the water – but instead found a capsized catamaran with the whole crew waving torches hoping we’d see them. From this PLB activation a full recovery operation was launched and Fujin was eventually saved.

Article continues below…

Fujin: The inside story of this carbon catamaran’s Caribbean refit

After Fujin capsized during the 2018 RORC Caribbean 600 race it would have been understandable if owner Greg Slyngstad had…

Bluewater Sailing Techniques Part 7: man overboard under spinnaker

Man overboard at sea is thankfully a very rare occurrence. But with any risk assessment, you have to consider the…

If you are overboard in the water, understanding how to activate your PLB or automatic identification system (AIS) transmitter is imperative. Some are set up to activate with your lifejacket and some people (me included) like to have my AIS PLB in my pocket should I happen to ‘sin’ and not wear a lifejacket when sailing in warm waters.

Knowing how to summon help on your VHF radio should also be part of your pre-sailing safety brief. Showing your crew how to push the distress button to utilise the digital selective calling (DSC) is a rapid way to send details of your identity and position.

Due to the annoying number of false alarms, if you press the red button in anger then you need to be ready to authenticate the message with voice or repeat the signal to give the coastguard the confidence to act on a genuine alarm.

Immediate man overboard actions

• Call out ‘Man Overboard’ to alert the rest of the crew
• Drop a lifebuoy/danbuoy/jonbuoy
• Get a crew member to point at the person in the water (where the helmsman can easily see them)
• Press the MOB button on chart plotter/smart watch
• By day, throw an orange smoke cannister (have one in easy reach of the helm), at night throw a floating torch
• Start your recovery manoeuvre

About the author

Mike Broughton is a pro race navigator who has won many titles including World and European championships. He is a qualified MCA Master to captain superyachts and previously had a successful career in the Fleet Air Arm flying Sea King and Lynx helicopters.

First published in the October 2019 edition of Yachting World.

• Man Overboard: Navigating the Challenges of Open Waters

In the vast expanse of open waters, sailors encounter numerous challenges, one of the most critical being the possibility of a man overboard situation. The effective handling of such scenarios requires not only skill but also a well-practiced procedure to ensure the safety of everyone on board .

Introduction

Definition of man overboard.

A "man overboard" situation refers to the accidental fall of a person from a boat or ship into the water. This perilous situation demands swift and organized action to prevent serious consequences.

Importance of Man Overboard Procedures

Understanding and implementing proper man overboard procedures is crucial for any sailor. It not only enhances the safety of the individual in distress but also prevents panic and ensures a coordinated rescue effort.

Man Overboard Procedure

Basics of man overboard drill.

The fundamental drill involves a coordinated response from the crew to mark the location of the person overboard, deploy life-saving devices, and execute a rescue operation. Training in this basic drill is essential for all sailors.

Single Turn Man Overboard Technique

A key maneuver in man overboard situations is the single turn. This technique involves a swift turn of the boat to return to the location where the person fell, allowing for a quicker retrieval process.

Shouting Man Overboard - Why Communication Matters

Clear communication is vital during a man overboard scenario. Shouting the alarm immediately alerts the crew, initiating the response protocol and ensuring everyone is aware of the situation.

Read more useful sailing tips:

Sailing methods, overview of sailing techniques.

Successful sailing involves mastering various techniques. Understanding the principles of sail control, wind direction, and boat balance is crucial for navigating open waters safely.

RYA Man Overboard Procedure in Sailing

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) provides specific guidelines for handling man overboard situations in sailing. Familiarizing oneself with these procedures is essential for every sailor.

Man Overboard Training and Its Significance

Regular training sessions focusing on man overboard scenarios prepare sailors for real-life emergencies. These drills enhance response times and ensure a coordinated effort when it matters most.

Man Overboard Retrieval

Techniques for retrieving a person overboard.

Various techniques exist for safely retrieving a person overboard. These range from deploying lifebuoys to specialized retrieval equipment designed for swift and secure rescue operations.

Man Overboard Maneuvers for Different Situations

Different sailing conditions may require adjustments in man overboard maneuvers. Adapting to variables such as wind speed and sea state is crucial for successful retrieval.

Boat Overboard Scenarios and How to Handle Them

In some cases, the boat itself may be at risk of drifting away. Understanding how to handle boat overboard scenarios is integral to preventing further complications and ensuring the safety of everyone on board.

Read our top notch articles on topics such as sailing, sailing tips and destinations in our  Magazine.

 Sailing Tactics

Essential tactics in sailing.

Navigating open waters demands a strategic approach. Understanding essential tactics, such as tacking and jibing, contributes to overall sailing proficiency.

RYA Tactics for Effective Sailing

The RYA provides a comprehensive guide to sailing tactics, covering everything from navigation to strategic decision-making. Integrating man overboard awareness into these tactics is crucial for a well-rounded approach to safety.

Integrating Person Overboard Awareness in Tactics

Sailors must incorporate person overboard awareness into their tactical decisions. This involves considering the potential risks and taking preventive measures during maneuvers.

In the unpredictable realm of open waters, a man overboard situation can quickly turn into a life-threatening crisis. By mastering man overboard procedures, integrating them into sailing methods, and understanding effective retrieval techniques, sailors can navigate the challenges of the sea with confidence and ensure the safety of all on board.

So what are you waiting for? Take a look at our  range of charter boats  and head to some of our favourite  sailing  destinations .

Man Overboard Procedure: How to React and Save Lives

by Emma Sullivan | Aug 2, 2023 | Sailing Safety

== Short answer man overboard procedure: == The man overboard procedure is a set of actions taken when someone falls off a boat or ship. It involves quickly alerting the crew, throwing flotation devices, conducting search patterns, and rescuing the person in distress. The goal is to locate and recover the individual as swiftly and safely as possible.

Understanding the Man Overboard Procedure: A Complete Guide

Picture this: you’re out on a sailing adventure, the wind in your hair and the sun kissing your skin. It’s a perfect day… until suddenly, you hear a frantic cry for help. One of your crew members has fallen overboard. Panic sets in, but fear not – if you understand the man overboard procedure, you can take quick and effective action to ensure their safety.

The man overboard (MOB) procedure is a crucial protocol that all sailors should be well-versed in. It serves as a step-by-step guide to rescue individuals who have fallen into the water accidentally or intentionally. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every aspect of executing this maneuver with precision and skill.

First things first – prevention is key! Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or just starting out, it’s essential to take preventative measures to minimize the risk of someone going overboard. Properly briefing crew members about safety protocols, ensuring everyone wears personal flotation devices (PFDs), and maintaining an organized deck are fundamental steps towards avoiding mishaps.

However, even with precautions in place, accidents can still happen. That’s when the MOB procedure comes into play – swift action is paramount. The first step is to call out “Man Overboard!” loudly and urgently while pointing directly at the person who has fallen into the water. This alert triggers other crew members to take immediate notice and spring into action.

Once the alarm has been raised, it’s crucial to keep sight of the person who fell overboard at all times by designating someone to watch them closely. Maintaining visual contact ensures their exact location is known while providing critical information for subsequent maneuvering.

Now comes one of the trickiest parts – stopping the boat efficiently without losing sight of the person in distress. The method used may vary depending on wind conditions and vessel type but generally involves turning into the wind and reducing sail rapidly. This action helps decrease the boat’s speed and allows for a controlled approach towards the MOB.

Communication is pivotal during this stage. Assign someone to make a mayday call or send a distress signal if necessary, informing nearby vessels or authorities about the emergency situation. Keeping calm while providing clear and concise information assists in coordinating rescue efforts effectively.

As you approach the MOB, throwing a flotation device towards them can greatly increase their chances of staying afloat while awaiting rescue. Rescue slings, floating cushions, or lifebuoys are all suitable options for this purpose and should be easily accessible on board.

When it comes time for the actual rescue, having designated crew members who are trained in water-rescue techniques can make all the difference. These individuals should be skilled swimmers, knowledgeable in how to safely retrieve someone from the water without endangering themselves or others.

Remember – improvisation doesn’t always work well in emergencies like these. Practicing man overboard drills regularly is essential to ensure that crew members are well-prepared and capable of handling high-pressure situations efficiently.

Lastly, once the person is safely back on board, it’s crucial to provide immediate first aid if needed and evaluate their condition thoroughly. Even if they appear unharmed, shock and hypothermia can set in quickly after being immersed in cold water for an extended period.

Understanding the man overboard procedure could mean the difference between life and death for those who find themselves in dangerous waters. By taking preventative measures, acting swiftly, communicating effectively, utilizing proper equipment, and practicing regular drills, you can ensure that your sailing experiences remain safe and enjoyable for everyone involved.

So next time you venture out onto open waters, stay vigilant and remember: when it comes to man overboard situations — preparation is key!

How to Execute the Man Overboard Procedure: Step-by-Step Instructions

Title: Navigating Life-Saving Waters: Expert Guide on Executing the Man Overboard Procedure with Finesse

Introduction:

Safety at sea is paramount, and there’s no procedure more crucial than executing the Man Overboard (MOB) maneuver. While addressing such a scenario may seem unsettling, having well-defined step-by-step instructions can save lives efficiently. In this guide, we’ll embark on an enlightening journey through the MOB procedure, equipping you with the knowledge needed to tackle unexpected challenges at sea.

Step 1: Stay Calm and Sound the Alarm:

Remaining calm amidst chaos is essential when facing a Man Overboard situation. The first step is to prevent panic from spreading by maintaining composure among your crew members. Instantly sound a loud alarm, ensuring that everyone onboard understands that a person is in distress overboard.

Step 2: Shout “Man Overboard!” to Alert Others:

Besides engaging audible alarms, vocal communication plays a pivotal role in swiftly conveying the gravity of the situation. Shout loudly and clearly, “Man Overboard!” to inform all crew members of the emergency at hand, ensuring that everyone springs into action.

Step 3: Assign Dedicated Lookouts:

Assigning dedicated lookouts is instrumental in keeping track of the person who has fallen overboard and maintaining situational awareness during critical moments. These appointed individuals must continuously observe and point directly at the MOB victim while minimizing distractions or other duties.

Step 4: Deploy Lifesaving Devices:

Time is of the essence during an MOB incident; promptly deploying lifesaving devices can mean the difference between life and tragedy. Retrieve Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs), life rings or buoys equipped with lights or whistles, and throw them close enough to reach the victim while avoiding impact risks.

Step 5: Initiate Quick Turn Procedures:

Initiating rapid turn procedures prevents drifting away from the victim, improving the chances of a successful recovery. Have at least one crew member point directly at the MOB while others execute pre-planned procedures based on your vessel’s design. Implementing sharp turns, such as a Williamson Turn or an Anderson Turn, can significantly aid in marking the MOB’s position and setting up for the next steps.

Step 6: Deploy a Marine Marker:

Deploying a marine marker can further enhance visibility and assist authorities in locating the MOB from other rescue vessels or aircraft. These markers are designed to emit signals or brightly colored smoke to help pinpoint the victim’s location swiftly.

Step 7: Communicate with Rescue Services:

Once safety measures are underway, ensure open communication with nearby rescue services or coastguard authorities who may assist in locating and recovering the individual in distress. Relay all relevant details about the incident, including last-known location, time of occurrence, and any additional information that could aid their search efforts.

Step 8: Execute Recovery Techniques:

The final step involves direct engagement in rescuing the MOB victim using appropriate recovery techniques. Approach carefully, following established protocols according to your vessel’s capabilities. Expeditiously hoisting or assisting individuals back onboard is crucial but must be performed safely for both the rescue team and the individual being saved.

Conclusion:

In life-threatening emergencies like Man Overboard situations, knowing how to execute step-by-step procedures can make all the difference between success and tragedy. By staying calm, alerting others effectively, deploying lifesaving devices promptly, initiating quick turn procedures, using marine markers intelligently, coordinating with rescue services seamlessly, and executing disciplined recovery techniques – you equip yourself with indispensable tools needed to navigate through precarious waters while saving lives admirably.

Remember: Practice makes perfect; regularly conducting MOB drills ensures efficiency when facing real-life emergencies on board. Maintain a watchful eye over your crew members’ safety—your vigilance today protects countless tomorrows.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Man Overboard Procedure: Answered

Welcome to our blog post where we will dive into frequently asked questions about the man overboard procedure and provide you with detailed, professional, and witty answers. So grab a cup of coffee and let’s get started!

1. What is the man overboard procedure? Ah, one of the most important procedures in any maritime setting! The man overboard procedure refers to the specific set of actions taken when a person falls or is thrown into the water unintentionally while onboard a vessel. It involves immediate alerting of the crew members, ensuring their safety, initiating search and rescue efforts, and ultimately recovering the individual from the water.

2. Why is this procedure so vital? Well, apart from avoiding really awkward conversations with Poseidon himself regarding your lost crew members, it is crucial for two main reasons: Safety and preserving life. People are an invaluable asset on board, and ensuring their safety in emergency situations like this one is absolutely paramount.

3. How can I quickly alert my crew? Excellent question! Communication is key here. There are several effective methods for alerting your crew about a man overboard situation. These include activating alarms or sirens specifically designed for this purpose (because who doesn’t like a good siren?), using radios or PA systems to broadcast information to all crew members simultaneously (giving your best radio voice is optional), or employing handheld flares (adding some flair to your emergency situation).

4. What actions should I take after someone goes overboard ? Remember these four P’s: Protect yourself, Position the vessel, Prepare for recovery operations, and Perform quick actions! First things first — ensure your own safety before jumping into superhero mode by throwing out lifesaving equipment such as rings or floats to aid the person in distress without endangering yourself.

Next up comes positioning your vessel effectively for search and rescue operations — this might involve turning around swiftly (cue Top Gun soundtrack!) or maneuvering according to wind and current directions.

Then, prepare for recovery operations by gathering all necessary equipment and assigning dedicated crew members to monitor and maintain visual contact with the person overboard. Keep in mind that timing is crucial here!

Lastly, perform quick actions by deploying trained individuals to conduct a search pattern while keeping an eye on the spot where the person went overboard — because finding Nemo might be cute, but finding your crew member is way more important.

5. How can we prevent man overboard situations? Oops! They did it again? To prevent man overboard situations, you should first ensure that all crew members undergo thorough safety training and are equipped with proper personal protective equipment (no capes allowed!).

Implementing physical barriers such as guardrails or safety nets can also significantly reduce the risk of accidents. Additionally, promoting situational awareness among crew members through regular briefings and training sessions will help them understand potential hazards and steer clear of them (pun fully intended).

Remember, prevention is always better than plunging into emergency procedures!

There you have it – frequently asked questions about the man overboard procedure answered in a detailed yet entertaining manner. Now you can navigate any conversation around this topic like a true maritime professional! Stay safe out there on the high seas!

Ensuring Safety at Sea: Key Components of the Man Overboard Procedure

Sailing across vast oceans and exploring uncharted territories is an adrenaline-fueled adventure that captures the hearts of many. However, amidst all the excitement, safety should always remain a top priority. One crucial aspect of maritime safety is man overboard procedures – the measures put in place to rescue someone who has fallen into the sea. In this blog post, we will delve into the key components that make up an effective and efficient man overboard procedure.

1. Prompt Detection: The first step in any man overboard situation is detecting that someone has gone overboard as quickly as possible. To ensure prompt detection, various detection systems can be employed onboard a vessel. These may include radar systems, closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras covering deck areas, or even specialized man overboard alarms integrated with crew personal locator beacons.

2. Raising Alarm: Once a person falling overboard is detected, raising an alarm promptly becomes vital to maximize the chances of a successful rescue. This entails utilizing communication devices such as radios or emergency distress signals to notify everyone on board about the emergency situation at hand.

3. Initiating Immediate Action: Time becomes an invaluable resource when dealing with a man overboard incident. The crew must act swiftly and decisively to increase the likelihood of rescuing the individual safely from the water. It involves designating qualified personnel to take charge and orchestrating a coordinated response team to carry out necessary actions.

4. Maneuvering Vessel: In order to reach the person who went overboard efficiently, maneuvering the vessel becomes essential . Depending on wind conditions, current strength, and other factors affecting ship handling capabilities, specific maneuvers may need to be executed—such as turning off engines or adjusting sails—to ensure optimal positioning for retrieval operations.

5. Deploying Recovery Equipment: Once in position, deploying recovery equipment plays an instrumental role in retrieving the individual swiftly and securely. This can include lifebuoys, rescue boats, or nets designed to facilitate the rescue process. Extensive training and drills should be conducted regularly to ensure crew members are proficient in utilizing this equipment effectively.

6. Executing Rescue Operation: Executing a properly planned rescue operation is a meticulous task that calls for expertise and coordination amongst crew members. Clear communication lines, adherence to all established safety protocols, and close monitoring of the situation from start to finish contribute significantly to minimizing risks during this operation.

7. Providing Medical Attention: Once the person is successfully recovered onboard, providing immediate medical attention becomes crucial. A well-equipped first aid station with trained personnel should be readily available to address any injuries or health concerns resulting from the incident. Timely response can mean the difference between saving a life and exacerbating complications.

8. Post-Rescue Evaluation and Review: After every man overboard incident, it is imperative to conduct a thorough evaluation and review of the entire procedure with all involved parties. This helps identify potential areas for improvement or modifications that could enhance future response efforts. Lessons learned from these evaluations assist in refining emergency protocols and further honing crew member skills.

In conclusion, ensuring safety at sea requires meticulous planning, swift action, reliable equipment, and well-trained individuals who understand each step of the man overboard procedure deeply. By implementing robust measures such as prompt detection systems, efficient alarms, immediate actions, skilled maneuvers, proper deployment of recovery equipment, precise execution of rescue operations, timely medical attention provision, and post-rescue evaluations – we significantly increase our chances of successful rescues while exploring our beloved oceans safely!

Helpful Tips and Techniques for Effective Man Overboard Procedures

Picture this: You’re cruising along the open seas, enjoying the salty breeze and the tranquil waters. Suddenly, panic strikes as you witness a crew member disappear overboard. In this critical moment, knowing how to respond swiftly and efficiently can mean the difference between life and death. That’s where effective man overboard procedures come into play – a set of essential strategies designed to rescue individuals who have fallen overboard while ensuring the safety of everyone on board.

Here are some helpful tips and techniques that will transform an emergency situation into a successful rescue mission:

1. Swift Action Saves Lives: When someone falls overboard , time becomes your greatest enemy. Immediate action is crucial! Immediately alert the crew by shouting “Man overboard” loud and clear, activating any onboard alarms or signal systems at hand. The faster you react, the better chance you have of locating and rescuing the individual quickly.

2. Assign Dedicated Observers: Designate specific individuals on board as dedicated observers who continuously visually track the person in distress until help arrives. These observers play a vital role in maintaining visual contact and providing critical information about the victim’s position throughout the rescue operation.

3. Throw, Don’t Go: As tempting as it may be to jump in after someone who has fallen overboard, resist this urge without proper training or necessary equipment. Instead, throw flotation devices like lifebuoys or life rings to provide immediate floatation assistance to keep them above water while awaiting rescue.

4. Employ Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs): Incorporating advanced technology into your man overboard procedures can significantly increase chances of survival and successful retrieval. PLBs are small electronic devices worn by crew members that emit satellite signals when activated manually or upon entering water. These signals guide rescuers directly to their precise location with greater accuracy than traditional search methods.

5. Utilize Modern Navigation Equipment: When it comes to man overboard situations, modern navigation equipment is an invaluable asset. Equip your vessel with radar, AIS (Automatic Identification System), and GPS technologies. This integration allows for real-time tracking of the lost individual’s position, which significantly expedites rescue efforts by pinpointing their location on digital maps.

6. Conduct Regular Drills: Practice makes perfect, they say – and it rings true even in crisis situations. Implement regular man overboard drills to train crews on what actions should be taken during an emergency. These practice sessions build confidence and ensure that everyone knows their roles and responsibilities when a real-life situation arises.

7. Maintain Clear Communication: Efficient communication among crew members is vital during a man overboard scenario. Establish clear protocols for radio communication or other means to relay critical information swiftly while avoiding misunderstandings or confusion amidst the chaos.

8. Training is Key: Providing comprehensive training to all crew members ensures that they understand and can execute the necessary procedures seamlessly during stressful circumstances. Encourage crew members to undertake courses in first aid, lifesaving techniques, and safety regulations regularly.

9. Never Underestimate Protective Gear: Maintaining a stash of personal protective gear such as life jackets, immersion suits, throw lines, or rescue slings will help minimize risks associated with falling overboard accidents. Don’t neglect these essential items as they act as your ultimate lifelines during emergencies at sea .

10. Seek Professional Assistance: Man overboard incidents can be highly complex and emotionally taxing events. It’s always wise to seek assistance from professional maritime organizations specializing in search and rescue operations when faced with difficult situations beyond your capabilities.

Remember – nobody expects a person falling overboard but being prepared can save lives! By implementing effective man overboard procedures onboard your vessel, you equip yourself with the tools necessary to handle emergencies efficiently while prioritizing the safety of both passengers and crew members alike.

So stay vigilant, practice regularly, and remain up to date with the latest industry guidelines. Your thorough preparation could be the determining factor in bringing individuals safely back on board and ensuring successful rescues in man overboard scenarios.

Navigating Troubled Waters: Mistakes to Avoid during Man Overboard Situations

Picture this – you’re sailing on a serene day, the sun kissing your face and a gentle breeze caressing your hair. But suddenly, disaster strikes ! A crew member goes overboard, and panic engulfs the vessel. This is when navigating troubled waters becomes crucial. To ensure you can effectively handle man overboard situations, it’s essential to be aware of the common mistakes that could escalate an already dangerous scenario. So, let’s set sail into our guide on avoiding these blunders with wit and cleverness.

1. Lack of Preparedness: The Shipshape Blueprint

When it comes to man overboard situations, failing to plan is planning to fail. Before embarking on any nautical adventure, make sure your vessel is equipped with proper safety gear such as life jackets, flotation devices, and throw ropes easily accessible in case of emergencies. Conducting regular drills and training sessions will also help familiarize all crew members with their roles and responsibilities during a man overboard situation.

“Witty Wisdom: Remember, being prepared keeps calamity scared!”

2. Delayed Alarm Response: The Perilous Pause

Time stops for no one when an individual falls into the vast expanse of oceanic uncertainty. However, many crews fall victim to the perilous pause – that fateful hesitation before raising an alarm or informing authorities about the incident promptly.

To avoid this mistake, designate someone responsible for monitoring every passenger on board diligently. Utilizing technology like onboard cameras or motion sensors can help detect any sudden movements or unusual behavior instantaneously.

“Clever Counsel: Don’t dally! Sound the alarm early; let timely action be your safety surly.”

3. Incomplete Crew Communication: Lost at Sea

In chaotic scenarios like man overboard situations, communication within the crew must be crystal clear – no room for messages lost at sea! Failing to establish a coherent communication plan can lead to confusion, misinformation, and compromised safety.

To overcome this obstacle, establish predetermined signals or hand gestures understood by all crew members. Utilize efficient methods such as handheld VHF radios or onboard intercom systems for swift and accurate communication. Additionally, designate specific roles and responsibilities to avoid any crossed wires.

“Professional Pointer: Clear comms ensures harmony amidst the storm; let every word be like gold – concise and warm.”

4. Overboard Recovery Technique Errors: The Catch of the Day

Rescuing a man overboard can be likened to catching the catch of the day—precision is key! Common mistakes during recovery include attempting unsafe maneuvers such as backing down on an individual or circling too close with your vessel’s keel risking injury.

To combat these errors, employ techniques like the Williamson turn or quick stop maneuver that help maintain visual contact with the fallen person while keeping your vessel in a safe position. Regular practice of rescue drills will hone necessary skills and mitigate potential accidents.

“Witty Wisdom: Recovering ‘the one’ without causing harm is an art; master it well before you even start!”

Navigating troubled waters during man overboard situations is undoubtedly challenging, but avoiding common mistakes can make all the difference between tragedy and triumph! By being prepared, promptly addressing incidents, maintaining clear communication within your crew, and executing effective rescue techniques, you ensure maximum safety for all aboard. So set sail with wit, cleverness, and professionalism – armed with knowledge to navigate these treacherous waters ahead!

“Professional Parting Words: Navigating rough seas demands skillful tact; wiser choices will keep your crew intact!”

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Deep Water Happy

Man overboard under sail, figure-eight maneuver.

• On April 22, 2019
• By Kimberly

Basic overview: the steps for this maneuver are to move to a beam reach, tack, another beam reach, luff, go to close reach, pick up item.

Sounds easy! It actually is, and you can retrieve a person – or more likely – a hat overboard – faster than dropping sail and cranking up the engine.

Theory – Running Is Similar to Downhill Skiing

In downhill skiing, if you drop your, say, hat, and continue to ski down hill, your hat is up-hill from you. Then you would have to traverse back and forth and climb uphill to retrieve it.

On a boat, that would be like sailing downwind, then continuing to sail downwind, then having to beat back and forth to weather to get back to the person / item.

Just like in skiing, it is easier to maneuver to put yourself on the same “plane” as the item you wish to retrieve.

Theory – Close-Hauled Is Like Hiking Uphill

If you were hiking uphill, and you dropped your water bottle, and if you continued to hike uphill, your water bottle would be downhill from you. If you tried to go straight back downhill, you might slide right past your water bottle and not be able to stop exactly there.

On a sailboat, sailing to weather – or – close hauled working your way upwind, if you continued sailing upwind, you would be further and further upwind from your man overboard.

If you turned to retrieve them, they would be directly downwind and no luffing on Earth would luff your sails to slow you down. Your sails would be pinned against your shrouds. You would shoot right past the person. If you tried to round up at just the right moment; it would be nearly impossible to time it exactly.

Better Technique – Move to Beam Reach

The solution is to, upon hearing the cry, “man overboard!” is turning the sailboat immediately to a beam reach.

At this point, press the MOB button on the GPS, assign a spotter to not take their eyes off the person, and throw the Type IV throwable cushion. Also, prepare lines, boat hook, flares, and call “Mayday” or “Pan Pan” on the radio depending on the situation. If necessary, toss all the cushions overboard to make a large “scatter zone” or whatever is your agreed-upon procedure.

Don’t bother with the sails. They will be trimmed improperly, which will slow the boat. But that’s not a problem, since sailing away from your victim faster is not the goal. Unless your sails are huge, then you might have to over-luff them just to decelerate.

So, immediately assume a beam reach, and beam reach away from the person three or four or five boat lengths. This will vary depending on the acceleration of your boat, or lack of. Your goal is to make it back to the victim, nearly at a stop.

Some methods suggest seven to eight lengths. Our boats are fairly slow, so, we can tack fairly early and still struggle to return to the “swimmer.” Other boats may need a lot more distance in order to decelerate. I’m not a fan of getting too far away from our victim.

Controlled Tack

Then make a controlled, planned, anticipated, announced tack. Nice and safe, sails fluttering from one side to the other.

Don’t accidentally gybe. This is not the time to knock your spotter right off the deck, five boat lengths from the original person overboard.

Depending on the boat, you may or may not need to sheet in the jib sheet. The main should be set fairly well, but might need to be cast off if you accelerate too much.

As long as someone releases the jib, then the helmsman can decide whether they need to sheet in or out on the main sheet.

This is why practice on the boat you will be operating is a good idea; because each boat reacts differently under different sail combinations and different wind speeds.

Beam Reach Back to the Victim

If you draw a figure eight, and look at the wind from where the boat begins, you will see that the beam reach back to the victim actually looks like it would be a run.

This is due to the difference between true and apparent wind. Whichever way you are sailing, as long as you are moving forward, the apparent wind will appear to be forward of the true wind.

You must remember that on the initial path, when the person fell overboard, say with the vessel close-hauled, the wind was not actually as far forward as it appeared. When you drop to a beam reach, the apparent wind makes the wind appear to be at 30° apparent, but is actually at 45° true.

You dropped to what was a beam reach, what you perceived put the wind at 90° from the bow. Actually, it was more of a broad run, but your forward motion made everything read beam reach.

So, after the tack, the apparent wind now moves further toward your bow. You must quite purposely sail downwind of your victim on the next-to-final approach. You must sail about 120° to the true wind, which puts you at 90° to the apparent wind. Think of the final “leg” of the eight – it dips away, then back toward your victim to close the eight.

Final Approach

On the final approach, now is the time to estimate how fast your boat is moving, and how much sheeting out or in you need to do – by hand – very gently – to move right up to the person.

The preferred approach is with the person to leeward, where possibly the jib sheets will hang down and give them something to grasp. I always thought that the jib sheets would whack the person in the head, knocking off their eyeglasses. The idea is to give them something on which to hold.

That final approach on a close reach allows you to easily sheet in to accelerate. Or, you can sheet out to decelerate, or fully luff, or fully accelerate.

A close hauled point of sail could possibly result in an accidental tack – and subsequent fast acceleration away from your person, so avoid that.

Victim Alongside

Once alongside, simply hold all – change nothing – let the boat rock and slide, focus instead on getting the person back on board. Hopefully you already have a plan for how to handle this.

At all points, the helmsperson also has to be aware of traffic around the boat, positions of everyone on the boat, safety of everyone on the boat, and a zillion other considerations.

Simple Steps

Beam reach, tack, beam reach, luff, close reach. Pick ‘em up.

It’s no good if you don’t practice it, though. Practice – practice on a piece of floating trash, an orange peel, whatever! Some fun items to practice on are anything floating freely – palm fronds, watermelon rind, abandoned hats.

I would not recommend practicing on something attached to the bottom, like a marker or a crab pot. Getting blown against it a navigational beacon could damage your boat. Having the tide carry you over a crab pot could result in pot warp wrapped around your prop.

The ASA – American Sailing Association has some wonderful reference books. Their Sailing Made Easy has great diagrams for all safety maneuvers, so it’s worth reading. When you sign up for a 101 Basic Keelboat Sailing Certification class, you will receive Sailing Made Easy . If you prefer to read well in advance of taking a class, many ASA schools will deduct the cost of the book from your class registration if you already have it.

Some further reading would serve you well. Here’s a good example from the Royal Yachtmaster: Man overboard . Sailing magazines’ Crew-overboard recovery is worth reading as well and presents four methods. US Sailing’s Man Overboard Recovery Procedure article brings up great points about calling for help.

Have I Had to Perform This?

Yes and no. Several hundred times on a throw-able cushion, several times on hats, and once for a cat.

While teaching sailing school, we run through this maneuver as many times as we have students, and sometimes a couple extra times.

Every time I learn a bit more about the boat I am on that day. I learn how the boat will react, and I learn exactly how much momentum it will carry for every combination of sail and wind speed.

I have learned how many techniques did not work for us or our boats. After a couple hundred times, I can tell when we make our final approach if we will overshoot or fall short. I can feel if we will drift closer or further away. I know if we will come to a stop next to the victim, or have too much speed on the final approach.

Whether it was successful or not, each practice allows the students to learn and gain experience.

The cat – Spencer accidentally jumped overboard, and we did rescue him. We performed a classic figure-eight method, except, with an additional stall in the middle of the tack in order to lower our rowing boat and reach him.

While You’re Out There…

Stay on the boat. And, speaking of staying safe; wear your sunscreen. I’m loving this tinted variety from Stream2Sea . Their mineral, reef-safe sunscreens come in tinted or non-tinted, and 20 or 30 spf. Use my code “KimW” to save 10% off your coral-safe sunscreen. Now, go sailing!

Here’s a great read: How to Get the Most out of Class as a Sailing School Student

If you already lost your hat, then read: In Search of the Best Sailing Hat Ever

Or: Fueling a Sailboat Safely and Efficiently

Maybe even: Don’t Make These Beginning Sailing School Student Mistakes

About Kimberly

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Man Overboard Maneuver Resources

April 23, 2019

Every boat should have a documented and communicated man overboard plan. Here are a handful of resources and tips to help you make the right plan for your boat, no matter what type of sailing you do.

When it comes to man overboard procedures, there are a handful of options, and they often come with some heated opinions. However, it is up to you and your crew to pick the plan and maneuvers you’re most comfortable with. 

Regardless what plan you choose, outline your man overboard plan and make sure your crew is familiar with it and where all of the equipment is located. The next step is to practice, practice, practice. Practice until every sailor is comfortable performing the drill. As you practice, rotate roles and make sure multiple crew are comfortable at the helm for the maneuver. This is especially important if you’re shorthanded sailing with only one other sailor. Man overboard maneuvers are no good if the only person comfortable driving falls overboard! Once you settle on a plan, it doesn’t hurt to print the diagrams and steps and store them somewhere on the boat so it is easy to review, practice or bring a new crew up to speed.

The internet is full of great resources, but at the end of the day, the best maneuver is the one that safely and successfully recovers the sailor. Try out a few, find the ones that work for you, and make sure to practice them regularly. Here are a handful of resources our teams like and recommend. 

Sailing Magazine: Crew-Overboard Recovery

(Article & Diagrams) This is one of the more comprehensive articles with great instructions and diagrams for the different maneuvers. It also lists the pros and cons for each.   Click here >>

Practical Boat Owner: Man Overboard Under Sail – the Quick Stop Method

(Video) These guys do an awesome job of combining onboard footage and drone footage and their instruction is on point. One of least contested and most praised demonstrations on YouTube!

Catamaran Guru: Man Overboard Recovery – The Quick Stop

(Article & Diagram) The folks at Catamaran Guru discuss the maneuver for shorthanded sailor, making a point that cruising yachts are mostly sailed by couples.  Click here >>

US Sailing: Man Overboard Recovery Procedure

(Article) A trusted source for all things sailing, including safety. This article is provided by their world-class safety education arm, Safety at Sea. Also from US Sailing, instructions on the Quick-Stop Rescue . Click here >>

Nautilus Sailing: Man Overboard Drill

(Video) This video keeps it simple and does a nice job of demonstrating a rescue with a bit of added humor.

Sailing World: Crew Overboard – Four Recovery Methods

(Article) Hailing from 2006, this one is a little more dated, but has great information and links to other good resources, including a list of recovery gear. Click Here >>

Royal Yachting Association: Man Overboard Drill

(Article & Diagrams) This is the RYA Yachtmaster™ accepted maneuver and they do a great job of explaining how to execute it. Click here >>

Do you have a favorite resource for man overboard drills? Share it in the comments!

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Man Overboard Techniques

Man Overboard

he purpose of the man overboard drill is to help you and your crew practice the maneuvers that you will need to do in the event of a real man overboard situation. With practice, you will be able react quickly and do the right things the first time. This can make the difference between a successful rescue and an unsuccessful one.

• Shout "MAN OVERBOARD" to let the crew know what has happened so everyone onboard can help.
• Throw some kind of FLOTATION into the water to help the victim keep afloat You can use boat cushions, life jackets, life ring, or even a beer chest - whatever is handy. Extra flotation will not only make it easier for the victim to stay afloat, it will help you see the victim. It can be very hard to see someone in the water when there are waves or when visibility is poor. Try to throw the flotation as close to the victim as possible without hitting him.
• Assign someone to be a spotter so that you don't lose track of the victim. This will give the skipper a chance to pay attention to what must be done onboard.
• If it's going to be too much trouble to control the jib, LOWER THE JIB and secure it to the deck. This will also help the boat stay put while pulling the victim back aboard. In a real emergency you can let the jib flog by releasing the sheets. On large boats you will have to SECURE THE VICTIM with a line while getting ready to haul the victim aboard with a halyard or other line.

Objective - The primary objective is to get the boat situated so that you can make a final approach towards the victim on a close reach or close hauled. This way you can ease the sails and slow the boat down to a stop in order to get the victim aboard. It will take some practice to get the boat to stop where you want it to stop. Always remain calm and orderly. Confusion will lead to mistakes that can make the difference between success and failure. Also you don't want anyone else to get hurt or go overboard. Maneuvering into Position - First note the wind direction. Then pick the victim up on the leeward (down wind) side of the boat There are three benefits to doing it this way.

• This protects the victim from the wind and the waves.
• The leeward side is usually the lowest side to the water. Using this side will make it easier to get the victim back onboard.
• The boat will tend to drift toward the victim. If you don't get close enough to him on the first try, the boat will drift closer to him.
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Person-Overboard Retrieval Techniques

What is the best mob rescue tactic for your boat and crew.

The term Man Overboard (MOB) has been caught in the tide of political correctness, and terminology like Crew Overboard (COB) and Person in the Water (PIW), the U.S. Coast Guard’s latest designator, have changed safety semantics. Regardless of the phraseology, it remains a cry that every sailor hopes to never hear.

This update focuses on a key element to a safe recovery: seamanship. Our findings—some of which contradict or amend current thought on the subject—are based on analysis of a series of on-the-water drills on Chesapeake Bay. The drills were carried out under the direction U.S. Naval Academy Sailing Master Dan Rugg and with the participation of the Philadelphia Sailing Club. Practical Sailor was invited to observe. Be sure to consult the links here so you can get a better sense of the various recommended maneuvers.

• Tips & Techniques
• Practical Sailor: Skill Guide
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By taking a close look at how the crews from the Philadelphia Sailing Club members (aboard a J/37, representing mainstream racer/cruisers) and midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy (aboard the McCurdy performance-oriented offshore sailors) react to overboard situations, Practical Sailor hoped to develop some valuable insight into what works most effectively in any given condition and how to optimize a crews chances for success.

INSIDE A MOB RECOVERY

The wide range of variables that can come into play cannot be overstated. It is clear that factors ranging from crew skill and size to the vessel’s behavior under different sea states affect the challenges involved in a rescue and define the right maneuver to use. However, some common denominators stand out.

First and foremost, the success of any person-overboard drill will depend on a clear chain of command. This may sound militaristic, but in a crisis, the most capable person needs to be making the calls. Naturally, the person at the helm at the time of the incident must be able to carry out the initial steps in the maneuver, at least until the skipper or watch captain decides whether to step in. Regardless of who is at the helm, command resides in one person, and it’s their job to clearly direct the rescue process.

Providing a victim with flotation is part of the first phase of every overboard response, even if the victim is wearing a life jacket. The additional floating cushions and other throwable rescue gear can also make the victim easier to spot. Marking the location with an MOB pole, light and drogue-equipped horseshoe, or a person overboard module-type device (MOM) is also an imperative part of the early response.

This is one point where Practical Sailor’ s view diverges from some other accepted guidance. U.S. Sailing, the governing body of sailboat racing in the U.S., advises that such poles and spars be reserved for later deployment. In Appendix D of the ISAF Special Regulations that govern offshore racing, U.S. Sailing prescribes: “The pole (strobe and dan buoy) is saved to put on top of the victim in case the initial maneuver is unsuccessful.” This assumption that the first maneuver will bring the crew closer to the victim is a leap of faith that’s unwarranted and dangerous, in our view. In numerous incidents, the initial sighting of the victim being left astern was the last sighting.

MAN OVERBOARD MODULES

The MOM 9 (man-overboard module) is a popular, self-contained, inflatable pole and flotation device that can be deployed to a person in the water. One advantage is the ease with which it can be released. However, during independent testing in 2005, a unit repacked by an approved vendor opened with its lines snarled around the vertical spar, causing it to kink in half. The ease and speed with which a MOM can be deployed outweighs the snarl issue, and it is a viable option, especially for shorthanded crews. Deploying a MOM or similar pole/strobe/flotation combo should be a part of any overboard routine. Since it is expensive to rearm and repack the MOM 9, mock deployment can be simulated with a faux pull-handle taped to the top of the MOM.

CREWMEMBER RESPONSIBILITY

Each crew member should be able to execute a recovery maneuver. Naturally, it makes most sense to have the best helmsperson on the tiller, the person with Chuck Yeager’s 20/10 vision acting as spotter and the agile ex-lifeguard ready to help the victim, in or out of the water. But the situation seldom sets up so conveniently, so role-playing must remain fluid. For example, the person closest to the overboard gear should launch it, the person nearest the GPS should hit the MOB button and shout that the position has been recorded. Scribbling a lat/long position in the log or on the margin of a chart is also good practice.

Perhaps the most important task of all in a person-overboard recovery is the job of continually spotting the person in the water. If there are enough hands on board, the designated “spotter” should concentrate only on this task. In this high-tech age, spotting can be assisted by night-vision equipment or image-stabilized binoculars. An infrared-reading thermal imaging system can also help in locating a warm spot on a cooler sea surface, although these are extremely expensive. ( FLIR ‘s fixed thermal imaging camera starts around $3,500.) These aids can be used alone or in conjunction with one of the signal-beaming pendants like the ACR OLAS TAG system . 406MHz personal locator beacons (PLBs) are also an option. Ultimately, the best fix of a person in the water remains a visual one, and the crew that stays closer to the victim has a much better chance of completing a successful recovery.

RECOVERY MANEUVERS

At this point, all on board are up to speed on what’s happened and the helmsperson has begun the recovery maneuver. The crew has been assigned key roles, and each member knows what must be done. The ultimate goal of all under-sail recoveries is a well-aligned close reach that brings the boat back to the victim just as the boat speed drops to zero. Racers have an advantage: the more trained hands working together, the better the chances of success. Cruisers face a serious handicap: too many tasks and too few hands. Success of the shorthanded crew will rely greatly on the speed and coordination of the response, as well as close familiarity with the various rescue maneuvers. Another key component is the type of recovery gear onboard. The following observations that emerged from the Chesapeake Bay exercises should also be taken into consideration.

PRODUCT ROUNDUP: LIFESLING

For the shorthanded sailer, the challenge lies in steering the vessel while keeping the victim in sight, and at the same time coping with the sails, recording the MOB’s position, and other steps in the routine. In such cases, the Lifesling can be a valuable aid, helping to streamline the recovery process. This horseshoe-shaped flotation device can be deployed early in the maneuver. Unlike the life ring, spar, or dan buoy deployed immediately, it stays connected to the boat by a safety line.

The Lifesling-assisted rescue allows for less-precise boathandling. It can be used in tack-only type maneuvers, like a figure 8, fast return or deep beam reach, or in those that incorporate a jibe, like a quick stop, with one important proviso: Although the Lifesling2 instructions say “circle the victim until contact is made,” this is misleading. As any waterskier knows, a circular pattern is not an effective way to get the line into the hands of the skier. To bring the rescue line attached to the Lifesling into the hands of the victim, a button-hook approach is much preferred. During testing, the optimum Lifesling delivery always included passing closely by the victim prior to a sharp turn on the final approach. A wide turn that leaves the victim in the center of circle—as many published illustrations suggest—sharply reduces the chance of success.

The Lifesling’s floating polypropylene line should not be coiled into its bag. Beginning at the point furthest from the float, the line should be shoved to the bottom of the container. If a snarl occurs during deployment, it usually can be coaxed out with a couple of tugs. If a tack-to-recover type maneuver is used, the Lifesling is not deployed until the tack has been completed and the return to the victim begun.

If the Lifesling is deployed using a modified quick stop, theres’ a jibe involved and reducing speed becomes imperative. Center the mainsail early, and as the boat bears off, furl or drop the jib. Reducing sail area is key, because once the victim slips on the horseshoe float, dragging them through the water can be fatal. If the jib has already been furled or dropped, turning the boat to windward and dropping the mainsail halyard will stop the boat in its tracks. Once the boat is stopped, the victim can be hauled or winched in, and a ladder, swim step, parbuckle or halyard can be used to bring them back aboard.

The fully-crewed race boat faces a very different challenge. There’s an ample number of able crew available, but the boat will likely need to be quickly slowed down prior to any rescue maneuver. This is especially true of a modern lightweight racer that simply can’t shift from a planing reach to a quick stop turn in a boat length. Consequently, the first part of their recovery maneuver is a counter-intuitive sprint away from the victim. Because of this inevitable and distressing separation, the appeal of locator beacons and direction-finding equipment has gained ground among racers, as has religious use of harnesses and jacklines.

USING THE ENGINE

No extra points are given for rescuing a victim under sail. It’s true that a spinning propeller is dangerous, but far more lethal is the boat that never gets back to the person in the water. Starting the engine, keeping it in neutral, and after checking for lines in the water, using it as needed to help control the final approach, is prudent seamanship. In some shorthanded scenarios, a Lifesling rescue under power may prove to be the best option available. Naturally, the engine needs to be in neutral as the final approach to the victim is made, and as soon as contact is made, the engine should be shut off.

THE FINAL APPROACH

All too often, in the rush to quickly return to the victim, the boat sails right by the person in the water at three knots or more, making rescue both dangerous and unlikely. The helmsperson and sailhandlers work in conjunction to slow down during the final close reach approach to the victim, arriving with about a half-knot of boat speed. On the ocean, the pitching movement can kill forward motion too soon. Conversely, in flat water, the helmsperson must start slowing down much sooner. This is why practice should take place in all conditions in which the vessel will sail. Ideally, a sailboat completes a rescue maneuver by nudging alongside the person in the water, a line secures the contact, and they scurry aboard on a swim step or ladder. More often, however, a rescue Quoit, life ring or boat hook is needed to make contact. A thrown Lifesling or life ring can cover short distances, but if neither is available or the distance is greater, a rescue Quoit like the Marsars 2-in-1 , can be put into action. Weighted at the end with a floating ball, a rescue Quoit is preferred over a one-shot throw rope for this purpose because it can be more easily re-deployed. Regardless of what device you use to make contact, all crewmembers should practice using it.

CIVILIAN SAILORS AND MIDSHIPMEN

Training makes a big difference, and after observing both the USNA midshipmen and members of the Philadelphia Sailing Club execute crew-recovery maneuvers, some important observations can be made.

Both groups quickly learned to cover the requisite aspects (shout, throw, steer, fix) of the recovery drill. The biggest common problem was simultaneously keeping track of vessel movement, true wind direction and the person in the water. Many misjudged the true wind, and attempted to return to the victim on a deep reach, making slowing down impossible. It was interesting to note how quickly some of the sailing club members adjusted to the J/37’s responsive helm. Its ability to turn on a dime surprised sailors accustomed to more traditional sailboats. The bottom line: It takes a familiarity with close-quarters boathandling to place the boat where it belongs in MOB maneuvers.

Another important variable noted was leadership. The best helmsmen displayed both an ability to effectively steer and lead, informing the crew what would happen next, and who should have a lead role in each aspect of the recovery.

One of the key issues stressed by USNA’s Rugg was that the practice conditions were optimum, in broad daylight, flat seas, and fair weather. He also noted that because the participants knew the exercise was a drill, they didn’t experience the usual shock and stress. He emphasized that only through periodic training with a regular crew can you be fully prepared for an actual event.

The Philadelphia Sailing Club members found that the quick stop maneuver—while suited to youthful midshipmen at the Naval Academy and appropriate for many “round-the-buoys” sailors—is not always the best bet for everyone. On one hand, it keeps the crew closer to the person in the water. But it requires an abrupt stop, a jibe, and can be complicated by double-digit speeds, spinnakers and running rigging like backstays and preventers. Shorthanded crews are certainly better off with a Lifesling. Regardless of the recovery process chosen, its vital that all crew members are on the same page and have spent time training together with a specific maneuver.

CONCLUSIONS

We went into this project hoping to find a recovery procedure that could be given a “one size fits all” nod of approval. U.S. Sailing favors the quick stop. For their constituency, sailors aboard fully-crewed, highly maneuverable race boats, it makes a lot of sense. But even the pro racer sees problems when their boat speed approaches that of a planing Boston Whaler. Under such conditions the prospect of an abrupt turn into the wind spells big trouble.

Shorthanded crew cringe at the thought of the quick tack and impending jibe just when their crew number has been reduced by half. Add to this the challenge of coming alongside and nimbly getting hold of your partner before the bow falls off, and the prospect of being lost at sea turns into the potential of being pushed down by the boat. In short, the quick stop has its merits, but it does not rise to the “one size fits all” rescue technique. That’s why U.S. Sailing’s Training Committee includes reach-tack-return (figure 8) maneuvers and under-power Lifesling approaches in their textbooks.

The figure 8 and its tack-to-return cousins eliminate the jibe and are easier to accomplish, especially in heavier winds, but there are several inherent pitfalls. The most significant is the initial necessity to sail away from the victim. It’s tough enough to minimize this dangerous separation in optimal conditions. However, in 20-knot winds at 0300, keeping the separation distance to just a few boat lengths is impossible. A two-minute spinnaker takedown can leave a victim a quarter-mile away.

Each iteration refers to sailing off just a couple of boat lengths, but in real life, a windy, dark, storm-tossed night at sea can tally up more boat lengths of separation than desired. Losing sight of the person in the water is a big deal and the helmsperson must be ready to execute the tack in a timely fashion.

A key moment during the “tack-only” maneuvers occurs when the vessel is head-to-wind, midway through the tack, and the victim’s location is noted. At this point, the helmsperson can carefully note the true wind. The most common problem in all types of recoveries is found in the final approach when a helmsperson has not maneuvered far enough downwind and must approach on a beam reach that eliminates the ability to de-power the boat.

The fast return and the deep beam reach, with all sails up, may be fine in lighter winds and flat water, but not in heavier conditions. This is why Volvo Ocean racers and many other high-velocity ocean racing programs use electronic beacon technology.

Vessel design plays a big role. The long keel, high directional stability of a classic cruiser means it won’t spin on a dime, nor will it bleed off boat speed quickly. The deep high-aspect ratio foils of a modern race boat deliver the nimbleness needed for the final approach, and can accelerate and decelerate quickly. However, the easy-to-steer race boat may have luff-tape sails that are hard to douse and harder to keep from going over the side. The bottom line is that each boat differs and how a rescue maneuver is implemented must take underbody design and deck layout into consideration.

Ultimately, sailors need to test each of the alternatives, not just on a light-air Sunday afternoon, but at sea in varying conditions and at night. A fender lashed to a milk crate with a strobe tethered to the makeshift Oscar can play the role of a person in the water. After these sea trials, settle on the technique that best fits the handling characteristics of your boat and the skills of your crew. Let each person take a turn at different responsibilities, except of course, the “victim” who is sent below to think about what it would be like in the water. Finally, recognize that preventing an overboard incident is the only alternative that comes with a back-on-board guarantee.

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Safeguarding Sailors via Passage Guardian

Tim, glad to find you at PS. Your insight is so appreciated. PS is the place for knowledge and candor, not readily available from other sources. Hope you have found a long term cruise with PS. But, please don’t neglect Lady K.

Starting the motor for the increased maneuverability power provides should be a first choice and should have been mentioned earlier in the article. Drop the sails and motor. Perhaps if you are in a race and value finishing over your crew member’s life, then the under sail techniques that make up the majority of the article may be useful. Otherwise the positive control engine power offers has advantages.

The Lifesling or similar is your best choice because it connects the MOB to the boat with a rope at a distance. Every boat should have one. The article’s instructions are dead on. The instructions printed on the Lifesling cover are not. The button hook (right angle) turn will bring the rope to the victim.

As noted, wearing your PFD is bound to increase the chances of rescue. Adding a water activated strobe costs only $20.

Wearing a handheld VHF may also be useful. The person in the water can alert below deck crew and direct the boat. It is much easier to see a boat than a person’s head.

Most of us sail near land where the resources of the Coast Guard and harbormasters are quickly available. The sooner help is summoned, the less the casualty will drift away from a known location. If contact is lost, a immediate Mayday is warranted. It can always be cancelled if recovery is made.

Getting crew back on the boat can be challenging. Swim ladders may become dangerous in rough seas. The Lifesling block and tackle or a halyard to a winch used midship may be safer.

Really? No discussion of PREVENTION. Nor immediately heaving to?

For most husband and wife cruising crews a crew overboard is very unlikely to be recovered, dead or alive, so prevention must be absolutely front and centre and to not include it is giving false hope. As such a sailor, my wife and I both understand this viscerally and begin every passage with a discussion of the importance of NOT FALLING OVERBOARD.

Second, immediately heaving to is also something we practice. We very seldom fly a spinnaker and certainly never in true winds much over about 12 knots. We do sail under poled out headsail and end-boom preventer often and the boat heaves to very well with both set. It also heaves to very well in power reaching configuration, and very quickly. The boat is a 1970’s design fibreglass 47’ fin keel masthead cutter weighing 13 ton. One of us can heave it to within a boatlength of the other throwing a fender overboard and yelling man overboard! When someone does fall off a boat you need to IMMEDIATELY stop sailing away from them, hence the critical nature of the immediate heave to.

I appreciate race boats doing 15-20 knots with an assy aren’t necessarily thinking about heaving to immediately, but their assy ceases to matter the moment a crew member is overboard. Getting the boat stopped as quickly as possible is the critical job and they have enough crew to get the kite off however they can, intact or in pieces, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is stopping the boat as quickly as possible. Even modern raceboats will heave to under main alone and crews are well advised to practise this.

Good article. We have been discussing this as we have been sailing this summer. This has prompted us to take some time and go through a resue dill in the next few days. But, one thing that I do not think was stressed enough . Do not leave the boat . Period . I beleive that should be the mantra of all cruising sailors . I sail with my young family, 4 and 7 , and partner mostly . We sail all year long in the Pacific Northwest. Mostly benign weather , but sometimes quite lonely in the off season . We have strong permanently rigged 5000 lb jacklines made of uv resistant webbing There are two permanent attached lanyards attached to the jacklines with prussic hitches on each side of the cabin top running forward from the cockpit to the bow . Two more in the cockpit . Everyone wears crotchstrapped harness lifejackets at all time when under way . Kids are always tethered when under way and wear lifejackets whenever near water . Adults tethered whenever in anything less then perfect calm conditions when they are leaving the cockpit . Yes we have all sort of equipment . A Handy Billy that is normally our boom vang that can be shifted in less then a minute to hoist someone out of the water . An overboard pole , strobes in the life vests etcetera. But first and foremost , no one goes overboard . If its dark, put on a lanyard . If its rainy or windy or a bit of a sea or the winds coming up , put on a lanyard . And use proper 5000 lb rated mountaineering carabiners. The sailing quick release shackles are , in my opinion, dangerous and not rated for the stresses that can be encountered. I have read of several times when sailing shackles have let loose . Never heard of a double action rated carabiner breaking or being disconnected . I was trained in industrial safety , including fall restraint , arrest and rescue. It is better to be prepared then to worry . Thanks again for the article.

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Man Overboard Drill

by Stuart Batley | Boat Handling , Emergencies , Preparation

How to respond to crew overboard under sail

• Keep the MOB in sight

• Tack into the heave-to position, do not adjust the headsail sheets

• If under spinnaker, alter course to windward and haul sail down immediately

• Throw buoyancy to the MOB

• Mark MOB with dan buoy

• If within earshot of MOB reassure them you are manoeuvring into recovery position• Steer onto a beam/broad reach and sail away• Sail for about 5 or 6 boat lengths• Tack, aiming the leeward side of the yacht at the MOB

• Let out the headsail and mainsail sheets until the main flaps

• Keep the angle of approach as a close reach, so the sails can be powered and de-powered under full control

• Use one sail only in breezy conditions

• Approach the MOB slowly. Don’t be tempted to approach too quickly

• Pick up the MOB to leeward, aft of the mast

• In light conditions, approach MOB to windward and drift down towards casualty so they can be recovered on leeward side

(taken from the  Safe Skipper app  for iPhone, iPad & Android)

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Man overboard: tactics that really work for couples

• Toby Heppell
• June 12, 2020

The YM team get wet to see how well the MOB process works for shorthanded sailing. Here are our findings...

A man overboard is one of the biggest fears for most sailors. Are you prepared for a shorthanded retrieval? Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Even close to shore this can be a potentially fatal situation, which is why MOB manoeuvres are included in many training courses and exam situations.

Though many examiners for Yachtmaster have their own areas they like to focus on in an exam – the syllabus being too wide-ranging to cover everything in a single exam setting – MOB always features.

It’s also a good demonstration of boat-handling ability as well as a key safety manoeuvre.

Many of the suggested steps to get back to an MOB, however, assume more than one crew left aboard, which is of little use to the vast majority of us who spend our time sailing two-up.

We decided to test the MOB process on a relatively calm day in the Solent. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

The question is, what happens when there is just one person left on board?

Is it possible to carry out the whole procedure to the letter, or are there non-essential or even dangerously distracting elements that should be omitted from your man overboard procedure if it’s just you on the boat?

We decided to spend a day on the water interrogating the MOB process from incident to having the casualty safely alongside.

Of course once an MOB is alongside there is still work to be done to recover them fully back onboard, which we will address in another article, but for the purposes of this article we are going to examine the boathandling procedure and techniques that are often overlooked by shorthanded crews.

AIS/MOB options: It is worth considering an AIS MOB beacon on your lifejacket if you are sailing shorthanded. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Ahead of the day, the key areas we were interested in were: the speed in which we were able to return to the casualty; distance between the casualty and the boat at any given time; and suggested actions that might hinder returning to the casualty if needing to return to them singlehanded.

Most of us will be familiar with the basic steps suggested to get back to a MOB, to sail away on a beam reach and return to the casualty on a close reach, controlling the sails and raising the alarm at the same time.

However, as each step of the process is laid out in so much detail, we wondered if this level of detail is in itself a hindrance, being overcomplicated for a situation that is, by its nature, fluid and stressful for a single sailor left on board.

When in the midst of a manuoeuvre to return to a casualty, there is a lot of information that needs to be remembered in a time of high stress.

We wondered if there were any steps that could be dropped or simplified to make things more intuitive for a lone crew member.

Starting point

To ensure we were using a robust man overboard procedure that most sailors will find familiar, we turned to the RYA recommended method for Yachtmaster candidates.

Pointing at the MOB is one of the key processes of MOB recovery. Credit: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

This broadly breaks down into two sets of instructions; one for the skipper of the yacht and one for the remaining crew, as follows:

MOB process – Skipper

• Sheet in the mainsail and heave-to in order to take the way off your boat.
• Pass buoyancy to the casualty and mark with a dan buoy.
• Instruct a crewmember to point at MOB.
• Retrieve any warps from the water and start the engine.
• Furl or drop the headsail.
• Make ready the throwing line.
• Manoeuvre the boat downwind of the MOB, keeping the MOB in sight.
• Approach the MOB into the wind, so that the mainsail is de-powered.
• Pick up the MOB on the leeward side, aft of the mast.

MOB process – Crew

• Shout ‘man overboard’ to alert crew.
• Press the MOB button on the GPS.
• Throw a life buoy and dan buoy to the MOB. Mark the MOB with a buoyant smoke flare.
• Allocate a crewmember to point at the MOB in the water.
• Send a DSC distress alert and a Mayday.
• Keep pointing; don’t lose sight of the MOB.
• If the motor has been started,
• Prepare a throwing line.
• The skipper will bring the boat alongside the MOB, with the boat pointing into the wind and the propeller stopped.
• Get a line around the MOB and get them aboard.

Even a cursory glance at this list of processes reveals it would be nigh-on impossible for a single person to perform them all.

• 1. Starting point
• 2. Finding a process that works

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Guides Handbook at the RYA Shop Logbook at the RYA Shop Man-Over-Board (MOB) RYA Day Skipper , Coastal Skipper & Yachtmaster ™ Man-Over-Board drill for sail cruising. It’s also good to know that if one of your crew fell overboard you would know what to do: Ultimately the reason we go boating is to have fun; enjoying the freedom and exhilaration that getting out on the water provides is always the bottom line. As with any sport, however, sailing is not without its risks. It doesn’t pay to dwell too much on these things otherwise, frankly, you’d never get out of bed. Once in a while though, it pays to be prepared.   And this brings us on to man overboard: It’s not really a subject you want to ponder as you step aboard your boat for a day’s sailing. On the other hand, in the highly unlikely event of finding yourself in the water with your boat sailing away, it would be nice to think your crew could rescue you. Sailing isn’t a hugely dangerous sport, and you don’t want to scare your crew, but it pays to discuss Man Overboard. If you have a regular drill in place, then you could buy yourself valuable time should the unthinkable ever happen. This is the accepted RYA Yachtmaster™ crew drill in the event of a Man Overboard:   The skipper will bring the boat alongside the MOB, with the boat pointing into the wind and the propeller stopped.     So that’s the crew briefed, now comes the tricky bit: actually pulling off the manoeuvre. A good method of practicing is by throwing a fender overboard weighted down with a bucket or a coil of rope. Just make sure the crew don’t lose sight of the fender! If you’ve got a motor, and it works, you’re going to want to use it in an emergency, so let’s deal with that scenario first:     So that’s the crew briefed, now comes the tricky bit: actually pulling off the manoeuvre. A good method of practicing is by throwing a fender overboard weighted down with a bucket or a coil of rope. Just make sure the crew don’t lose sight of the fender!   Now comes the really tricky bit! There’s a definite art to coaxing your boat gently into the breeze and coming to a standstill alongside your target. Getting it right is a great feeling. Even if you weren’t concerned about safety, it’s a trick that’s well worth mastering and the fact is that a man overboard situation is EXACTLY the time when your motor will decide not to start, so it’s in your interests to get this one nailed down.   If your boat has a bathing platform on the transom, then you might be able to get them back aboard via the ladder. It is worth bearing in mind that in rough conditions this will be a dangerous place to attempt to recover a MOB, as there is a risk of being drawn under the stern. This is set on the side of the boat with the foot attached to the gunwale. The head is attached either to a handybilly (block and tackle) or straight to the halyard.   These are purpose built for the job. Again, you could use the halyard or, if your boat doesn’t have a solid kicker, the boom and mainsheet. Excerpts taken from To find out more about safety at sea, you can pick up a copy by going to the Articles and content courtesy of the RYA.   See the original articles at www.RYA.org.uk Back To Top All Rights Reserved 2013 - 1st ScotSail Training Ltd Trading As 'ScotSail' ® | Largs Yacht Haven, KA30 8EZ | 0845 834 0335 | TemPerfect | Links Need Current Inventory and Pricing? 206 284 1947 GET A QUOTE Blog & News Deep Dive , Videos Man Overboard (MOB) Drill Survival suits on! The crew of the Erla-N takes us along on their man overboard drill! Watch as they practice signaling, marking the location, turning the vessel, preparing a rescue swimmer, deploying a sling, and using the boat’s hydraulic system to lift the MOB and rescue swimmer. Brrrr! Watch: Erla-N 2021 Man Overboard Drill What is a Man Overboard Drill? Man overboard (MOB) drills are a critical element of vessel safety and are designed to prepare the crew to jump into action quickly in the event of a crew member falling overboard. The drills ensure that everyone on deck knows best practices and has rehearsed their assigned role. In the icy waters of the Bering Sea, every second counts and preparedness saves critical seconds and minutes in the rescue effort. What are the Typical Steps in a Man Overboard Drill? Wear personal flotation devices : wearing PFDs dramatically reduces deaths associated with falls into cold water. Sound the alarm (signaling) : the crew yells “Man overboard!!” to alert the captain, crew, and nearby vessels that there is a man overboard (MOB). Communicate position of MOB: post a lookout to continually point at the victim, track their location, and keep visual contact with the MOB throughout the recovery effort. Mark the MOB location and deploy flotation devices : throw in buoys and life rings and input the spot into GPS as well. Turn the vessel : return to the location where the crewman went into the water. Prepare a rescue swimmer: help the rescue crewmen get into an immersion suit with a detachable tether. Carefully approach the MOB : continue to maintain visual contract, keeping the boat at a safe distance depending on conditions. Deploy a rescue device : throw a life ring, lower a sling, ladder, or other boarding devices to help the MOB get back over the rail. Use a hauler: use a hydraulic hauler to help lift the MOB out of the water. Get help: If necessary, alert the Coast Guard to assist with the rescue or to provide medical attention to the victim. What should You Do to Survive a Fall into Cold Water? To help better understand the effects of cold-water immersion on the body, Dr. Giesbriecht (also known as “Dr. Popsicle”), developed the 1-10-1 principle . 1 Minute to get your breathing under control 10 Minutes of meaningful movement 1 hour before you become unconscious due to hypothermia Due to the cold shock response, the initial fall into cold water can literally take your breath away. To survive these first few minutes, it is critical to stay calm, avoid panic, and use the first minute in the water to control your breathing. To prevent the hyperventilation that is common with a fall into cold water, breath out through pursed lips. Over the next 10 minutes, you will begin to lose muscle control due to cold incapacitation.  It is important to use this time to plan and act before you are unable to do so. Get as much of your body out of the water as possible and keep your head above water with a floatation device if available. It generally will take about an hour before you become unconscious due to hypothermia. What is an Immersion Suit? The youngest member of the F/V Erla-N demonstrates how to don an immersion suit quickly: Immersion Suit Drill Sometimes called a survival suit, an immersion suit is a waterproof dry suit that offers protection for commercial fisherman in the case of assisting in a rescue or needing to abandon their vessel while at sea. Donned in the case of an emergency, the suits typically includes an inflatable pillow that helps to keep the wearer’s head above water as well as other features that improve survival and rescue odds. Why are Personal Flotation Devices (PFD) So Important? Being able to stay afloat is critical to being able to survive a fall overboard. This is particularly true in cold water conditions where cold incapacitation (the loss of the ability to coordinate the movements needed to swim) generally leads to death before hypothermia. Wearing a life jacket or other personal flotation device allows the victim to stay afloat long after cold incapacitation has set in. This additional time is often the critical factor in rescue. Man Overboard Drill and Cold Water Safety Resources: Video: “Man Overboard Prevention and Recovery” The CDC has prepared an excellent overview on preventing and reacting to falls overboard: Commercial Fishing Safety: Falls Overboard Cold Water Safety in Alaska Video: 1-10-1 Cold Water Principle US Army Tips for Surviving a Fall into Cold Water Join the Crew! Subscribe to Keyport’s YouTube Channel or follow us on Instagram for to see future man overboard drills and dispatches from the Golden King crab fishing grounds. 112 IMAGES Sailing SV Delos- Man Overboard Drill How To Sail: Man Overboard Drill DVIDS Seaman Jason Brothers throws a line during a man overboard drill Stock Man Overboard Drill DVIDS VIDEO Rescue boat X Man Overboard drill(MOB) Man overboard rescue boat may 2024 bbc direction RESCUING MAN OVERBOARD DRILL / SURVIVAL CRAFT AND RESCUE BOAT ( SCRB ) TRAINING Man overboard safety drill 2024 Man Overboard Drill on The Boss COMMENTS Man Overboard: Practice Techniques Shout "Man Overboard!". Delegate a crewmember to keep eyes on the MOB and press the MOB button on the GPS. Deploy the Lifesling immediately before you sail past the MOB. Ease the genoa or asym sheet if needed to maintain 2-3 knots. Gybe over so you end up half a boat length downwind of the MOB. Handling Emergencies: Man Overboard Keep the person overboard in sight. Throw him a life ring or some other type of buoyant device. Get the crew prepared for the recovery, return on a close reach, and stop the boat to windward of him and close enough to retrieve him. Bring him back on board. Sailors have developed several techniques for returning to a man overboard (MOB) and in ... How To Sail: Man Overboard Drill New to sailing? We created this comprehensive basic sailing video series just for you! We know how difficult it is to find solid answers to your questions re... Man Overboard Recovery Procedure Although we should keep in mind that every situation is different, man overboard procedures are often broken down into the following areas: Initial Reaction on Board. Safety Turning the Boat Around and Returning to the 'Person in the Water' (PIW) (though I prefer the term "swimmer") Approaching and Rescuing the PIW. 1. Initial Reaction ... Man overboard: How to react and safely recover your crewmate Immediate man overboard actions. Call out 'Man Overboard' to alert the rest of the crew. Drop a lifebuoy/danbuoy/jonbuoy. Get a crew member to point at the person in the water (where the ... How To Do A Man Overboard Drill Like this video, subscribe and visit our website for the full Man Overboard Drill procedure here: https://sailingbritican.com/man-overboard-procedure/ Also, ... Man Overboard Drill: Essential Safety Training for All Sailors Short answer: Man overboard drill A man overboard drill is a simulated emergency exercise conducted on boats and ships to practice the rapid rescue of a person who has fallen overboard. It involves specific procedures, such as sounding an alarm, activating rescue equipment, and coordinating crew members' actions to minimize response time and ensure a Man Overboard Drill with a real person in the water! Man Overboard! How long would it take you to pick up someone out of the water after they fell overboard? Watch this live Man Overboard Drill on our Fountaine... Navigate Safely: Essential Man Overboard Procedures for Sailors Basics of Man Overboard Drill. The fundamental drill involves a coordinated response from the crew to mark the location of the person overboard, deploy life-saving devices, and execute a rescue operation. Training in this basic drill is essential for all sailors. ... RYA Man Overboard Procedure in Sailing. The Royal Yachting Association (RYA ... Man Overboard Procedure: How to React and Save Lives Practicing man overboard drills regularly is essential to ensure that crew members are well-prepared and capable of handling high-pressure situations efficiently. ... Key Components of the Man Overboard Procedure. Sailing across vast oceans and exploring uncharted territories is an adrenaline-fueled adventure that captures the hearts of many ... Man Overboard Under Sail, Figure-Eight Maneuver Better Technique - Move to Beam Reach. The solution is to, upon hearing the cry, "man overboard!" is turning the sailboat immediately to a beam reach. At this point, press the MOB button on the GPS, assign a spotter to not take their eyes off the person, and throw the Type IV throwable cushion. Also, prepare lines, boat hook, flares, and ... Man Overboard Maneuver Resources The next step is to practice, practice, practice. Practice until every sailor is comfortable performing the drill. As you practice, rotate roles and make sure multiple crew are comfortable at the helm for the maneuver. This is especially important if you're shorthanded sailing with only one other sailor. Man overboard maneuvers are no good if ... Man Overboard Techniques Man Overboard. he purpose of the man overboard drill is to help you and your crew practice the maneuvers that you will need to do in the event of a real man overboard situation. With practice, you will be able react quickly and do the right things the first time. This can make the difference between a successful rescue and an unsuccessful one. PDF Man-Overboard Retrieval Techniques And in May 2008, Practical Sailor Technical Editor and marine safety expert Ralph Naranjo compared a variety of electronic man-overboard becons and alarms. This update focuses on a key element to a safe recovery: seamanship. Our findings— some of which contradict or amend current thought on the subject—are based on analysis of a series of ... Person-Overboard Retrieval Techniques The boat is a 1970's design fibreglass 47' fin keel masthead cutter weighing 13 ton. One of us can heave it to within a boatlength of the other throwing a fender overboard and yelling man overboard! When someone does fall off a boat you need to IMMEDIATELY stop sailing away from them, hence the critical nature of the immediate heave to. Man Overboard Drill by Stuart Batley | Boat Handling, Emergencies, Preparation. How to respond to crew overboard under sail. • Keep the MOB in sight. • Tack into the heave-to position, do not adjust the headsail sheets. • If under spinnaker, alter course to windward and haul sail down immediately. • Throw buoyancy to the MOB. • Mark MOB with dan buoy ... Man Overboard! Understanding the Drill SOS: Man Overboard Drill Demystified • Learn the essential steps and techniques for a man overboard drill to ensure safety at sea. Watch now to stay prepared... Man overboard rescue turn For Sailing ships, the quick turn is the traditional response to a man overboard emergency on a sailboat. Despite other approaches, it is still a robust strategy and can be the best method, depending on the situation. ... [clarification needed] and drill matrix to conduct man overboard and Williamson turn drill every three months. A Williamson ... Man overboard: tactics that really work for couples Manoeuvre the boat downwind of the MOB, keeping the MOB in sight. Approach the MOB into the wind, so that the mainsail is de-powered. Pick up the MOB on the leeward side, aft of the mast. MOB process - Crew. Shout 'man overboard' to alert crew. Press the MOB button on the GPS. Throw a life buoy and dan buoy to the MOB. Article This is the accepted RYA Yachtmaster™ crew drill in the event of a Man Overboard: - Shout 'man overboard' to alert the crew. - Press the MOB button on the GPS. - Throw a life buoy and dan buoy to the MOB. Mark the MOB with a smoke-flare. - Allocate a crewmember to point at the MOB in the water. - Send a DSC distress alert and a Mayday. Man Overboard (MOB) Drill Survival suits on! The crew of the Erla-N takes us along on their man overboard drill! Watch as they practice signaling, marking the location, turning the vessel, preparing a rescue swimmer, deploying a sling, and using the boat's hydraulic system to lift the MOB and rescue swimmer. Brrrr! Watch: Erla-N 2021 Man Overboard Drill What PDF Standard Operating Procedure Man Overboard (MOB) is an extremely serious and potentially fatal event that response crews could experience during exercises, drills, and spill responses. A well-trained Captain and crew have a far greater chance of succeeding at recovering the person alive. It is vital that drills are conducted Man Overboard Drill & Sailing Off Anchor: Episode 50 The Man Overboard Drill (also known as a Crew Overboard Drill). I was invited out on a friend's boat for some tips and to improve my sailing skills. Andy Wri... catamaran gulet motorboat powerboat riverboat sailboat trimaran yacht