Tips and Recommendations For MOB Recover Into Boat

[Aja]

All interesting. Have you considered what impact any your of waves or swell would have affected any type of alongside lift.

This is not a criticism but genuine query as I know my wife would try but probably fail in recovering me.

Donald

[marisca]

As a, mostly, single-handed sailor, I have no illusions about my fate should I go overboard. Apart from full oilies and rough weather I seldom don lifejacket and tether mainly 'cos both of them seem to conspire to hinder my movement around the boat by catching on cleats and generally getting in the way. As a proponent of steering wheel spikes rather than seat belts as road safety aids I reckon scuttling around on deck naked (from a safety point of view) focuses the mind wonderfully. On the other hand kitting the boat out with MOB sensors, PLB, and all the other paraphernalia seems pointless at my age - I already resent liferaft, flares, EPIRB, etc., all of which need expensive support. I just hope someone catches the boat before she gets wrecked. As for the occasional crew, they have the choice to wear the supplied, in-date, tested LJs and tethers if they are happier - foredeck in windy races gets the choice of LJ or buoyancy aid.

[marisca]

I haven't tried rescuing a living human but have played with an RNLI dummy. It was arm-wrenchingly heavy, demonstrated the need for skill in stopping the boat alongside, but with my boat's low freeboard, relatively easy to roll aboard using the spinnaker halyard. With only one person onboard very difficult or almost impossible - it needs two at least. Volvo and other fully crewed ocean racers have a dedicated swimmer on each watch kitted to go overboard to attach and help a MOB. The only times I've had to get out the water I was conscious and had an inflated dinghy (easier to get into than a liferaft) or a stern ladder and usually voluntary.