What to do if you fall off the boat....
Let's assume that you fall off the boat, and someone sees you and tosses
you a line. What do you do to get yourself attached to the line (and
boat) as quickly as possible? Here's one thing you should know how to
do.
Tie a bowline
- Assuming that you are right-handed, grasp the line with the left hand
about six feet from the free end; this will take all load off the last
six feet of line.
- Pass the slack end around behind your body and grasp
the line about six or eight inches from the end with the right hand
palm up.
- Put your right wrist across the top of the line between the
body and the left hand. Leave a gap between the body and the
wrist. The palm of the right hand is now down and the line forms a
closed loop around the body.
- Push the right hand down and curl it over and around the line so
that the closed right hand is forced back to pass inside the loop next
to the body. The palm is now up and a loop is formed around the
wrist. Keep this loop loose. The end of the line in the right hand is
now leading away from the body parallel with the line coming from the
left hand.
- Pass the end of the line around behind the line coming from
the left hand.
- Flip the end of the line toward the body with the
fingers and catch it with the thumb.
- Change the grip on the end so that the right hand now only holds
the very end of the line caught by the thumb.
- While holding tight to this end, withdraw the right hand
from the loop.
A bowline has been tied around the body using only one hand. With a little practice this knot can be made in less than 5
seconds.
How do I recover a COB/MOB?
If you're sailing... the Figure 8
The primary Crew Over Board (COB)/Man Over Board (MOB) recovery
technique I teach is the Figure Eight (also known as the Quick
Turn). We may discuss other methods or even try them, but the standard
technique is the Figure Eight. There are a number of reasons
why. Primarily, it teaches boat and sail control. It also works
remarkably well when the person in the water stays within sight of the
boat. It's not perfect, has some major drawbacks, and takes a few
seconds longer, but over all, it's very effective in most inshore
situations, especially if the wind is up.
The first three steps - no matter the technique!
Step 1. YELL Man Overboard! This is essential since it alerts other
crew members and it gives some assurance to the victim that people
know s/he has fallen off the boat.
Step 2. THROW anything that floats. Even if the victim is
unconscious, this is a good idea. The person in the water may
become conscious after a few seconds and it will help the
helmsperson locate the person in the water, much as a trail of
breadcrumbs would lead someone back to where they started. In a
real emergency you would certainly do this. During practice, we
simulate this. Remember that even your hat will float for a time.
Step 3. POINT to the person in the water and don't stop pointing
or talking. This allows the helmsperson to concentrate on controlling
the boat, while getting a clear idea of the location of the person in
the water. It also gives the person in the water some reassurance. Don't
forget that you, your crew, and the person in the water will be in
panic mode no matter how many times you've practiced. Everyone needs
to hear what's going on.
Maneuvering the boat
Step 4. Turn to a BEAM REACH. If you're on a close haul when the
going to a beam reach, the mainsail will need to be eased. If you're
on a run, it will need to be tightened. Don't be too concerned about
perfect sail trim. You don't need to sail efficiently. All you have to
do is be able to maneuver. Don't bother too much with the jib. It is not
essential to the recovery. Sail on a beam reach approximately 5 to
7 boat lengths or about 10 to 15 seconds, depending on wind
speed -- the higher the wind, the less time you need -- the boat stops
faster in higher wind.
There is nothing wrong with counting out loud. This gives you and
your crew time to get ready to control the boat. Tell your crew to
trim the main, to remain calm, and assure them that everything will be ok.
Your task is to reduce panic for everyone including yourself. Note
that this is part of Step 4. You need to immediately move the boat to a
beam reach and sail away from the victim.
Step 5. TACK all the way around to a BROAD REACH. Your task
is to get below the victim, so that you can use the wind to slow and
eventually stop the boat next to the victim. You don't need to be too
formal about setting up the tack. This is an emergency situation.
Don't be overly concerned with sail trim on the new tack. Be sure not
to jibe the boat! You're going to be sailing down wind, and the last
thing you want to do is make the situation more complicated or
dangerous!
Step 6. HEAD UP to the victim at about a CLOSE REACH position.
It's essential to be in a position to either slow the boat by easing
sails or to increase speed to reach the victim. If you put the boat on
a tight close haul course, you may not reach the victim and now have
no way of heading up. If you're on a deep close reach, you may not be
able to let the sails out far enough to completely spill the
wind. Your object is to stop the boat next to the victim.
Step 7. STOP the boat WINDWARD to the victim. This has several
advantages over putting the boat on the leeward side.
- The boat protects the victim from the wind and waves.
- The freeboard of the boat is lower on the leeward side, so it will
be easier to reach the victim and attach them to the boat.
- The boat tends to drift toward the victim, rather than away from
him or her.
- The boat drifts faster than the person in the water; thus, it will
overtake them.
The downside to the leeward side is that the jib sheets will be
whipping around. This creates a hazard for the victim and for the
crew. You can overcome this by keeping the person in the water
abaft (behind) the spreaders. Note that the boat must be nearly
completely stopped in order to retrieve the victim.
If you miss the approach or can't stop the boat, don't panic. Start at
Step 3 and do it again.
Step 8. ATTACH the victim to the boat. The primary goal of a crew
recovery is to attach the person in the water to the boat. You have
lines and halyards available. Use them! The secondary goal is to get
them out of the water. For the purposes of teaching, we have no
viable and safe method of simulating an actual person in the water. Therefore,
we can't really practice bringing someone back onto the boat.
If you're sailing... the LifeSling® Buttonhook
This method was developed in the San Francisco Bay. It's a
modification of the Lifesling®-type recovery and reduces the amount of
time it takes to make contact with the person in the water.
It's unclear who first thought of this technique. The earliest mention
of it comes from the US Sailing Passage Making book, Copyright
©2000. Several other publications, mostly local to the San
Francisco Bay, mention the technique.
The diagram I created is based on the US Sailing publication but is
dissimilar in several respects.
As with all overboard recovery techniques, the first three steps are
the same. Yell, Throw, Point.
- Sail on a close haul, deploy the LifeSling®, and ensure that it is
trailing out properly. The US Sailing Passage Making book recommends sailing on a close
reach, which I think is not optimal, since it means sailing further
away laterally from the person in the water. The closer to the wind
you keep the boat means that you.re more in line with the victim with
respect to the wind.
- Tack onto a deep broad reach (which is basically a reciprocal
course) and ease the main appropriately. Take care not to jibe the
boat. The jib can be furled, tacked, or left alone, since the point is
to take speed off.
- Stay between the LifeSling® line and the person in the water,
keeping the person to windward. Be sure not to run over the trailing LifeSling® line.
- Sail close to the person in the water, keeping them to windward of
the boat.
- Tack around the person in the water. Do not run them over,
and do not attempt to snag them with a boat hook even if you are "within reach."
- Head up to close haul. The US Sailing Passage Making book recommends tacking to a close
reach, but this reduces the "buttonhook" effect.
- Ease all sheets (as appropriate) to slow and stop the boat, and
allow the boat to drift with the sails eased.
- Slowly pull in (or winch) the LifeSling® line and hoist the person
aboard on the leeward side if possible. Be sure the person is securely fastened to the boat, and drop or
furl all sails and secure the boom to reduce the chance of injury. You
don't need to wait until the horseshoe portion of the LifeSling®
reaches the person in the water. Pulling in the line increases the
likelihood that the horseshoe will come in contact with the
person. The boat will offer some protection to the person in the water
and the leeward side has less freeboard.
If you're motoring...
The engine is a useful tool in your arsenal for recovering someone
who has fallen off the boat. While it is not the primary means of
recovery, it should not be ignored -- you may need it. Note that this
is not something that usually taught because it's difficult to
mitigate the risks of using an engine when there are objects in the
water, but it should be discussed.
Steps 1, 2, and 3 are IDENTICAL to the under-sail recovery: Yell, Throw,
Point.
Step 4. Motor away. The main point here is that you don't want to
have the prop moving next to the person in the water. If you're
sailing and decide to use the engine, sail away then start the
engine. If you're already motoring, keep the stern away from the
person in the water. For example, if the COB is starboard, turn the
boat slightly starboard to keep the prop away from him/her.
Step 5. Get CONTROL. At a safe distance, get all stray lines out of
the water. Don't forget to give specific instructions and explanations
to your crew!
Step 6. START the engine. Don't forget the basics about how to
start the engine. For inboard engines, for example, be sure water is
flowing out of the back. For outboards, make sure the engine is in the
water and the gas is flowing. The slower you go when starting the
engine, the more likely that it'll be done correctly.
Step 7. Head into the wind and DROP the sails. This should be
done as quickly as possible and as neatly as possible. As usual, the
jib should come down first, followed by the main. Don't bother about
flaking the sails nicely or removing jib sheets. If possible, tie up
the jib on the bow with the slack in the jib sheets. Stuff the main into
itself on the boom and tie it off as best as possible with the sail ties.
Step 8. TURN DOWN WIND and go DOWN WIND of the victim.
You want to be moving as slowly as possible and still make headway.
If you attempt to run downwind to the victim, it will be very
difficult to stop the boat, even with the engine in reverse.
Step 9. HEAD UP and stop the boat. Keep the victim near the
FORWARD QUARTER on the LEEWARD side. As usual, you want
to protect the victim from wind and waves. You want to keep the
victim away from the stern of the boat when the prop is moving.
Step 10. PUT THE ENGINE IN NEUTRAL or TURN IT OFF! It is
essential that the prop not be moving when you get near the victim.
Are you sure that the engine is in neutral? If not, turn off the
engine as soon as contact is made with the person in the
water. Remember that a "neutral" prop can still move if the boat is
moving or if there's a current running.
Attach the victim to the boat and get them aboard. Use the same
methods as previously described to recover the victim.
