We hope it never happens to you, but here’s what to do in a Man Overboard situation.
It’s National Boating Safety Week, so it’s a good time to brush up on those Man Overboard (MOB) drills. A man overboard is ALWAYS an emergency situation and it is very important to locate and recover the overboard person as soon as possible. A man overboard is always dangerous. It doesn’t matter if it happens in a harbor, at the slip, or open seas.
The majority of cases do not involve bad weather, rough seas, or other extenuating circumstances. Additionally, the most common type of man overboard situation happens in relatively calm waters, on a small boat that’s not going very fast, according to the BoatUS Foundation.
Action must be swift.
The United States Coast Guard says that the first few moments of a MOB are the most crucial. The action taken in the first few seconds after a person falls overboard decides the success of the recovery.
An alert crew-member can do much to save the life of someone who might otherwise drown. First actions should be swift and certain.
The instant someone falls overboard, yell “Man overboard!” to alert the crew to the emergency and establish an unceasing visual on the victim. Point and do not look away. If you have enough crew, assign this job to one person and let nothing interfere with that person keeping the victim in sight and pointing at the victim from that first moment on.
If you’re unsure of where the person is or if there is a chance the props could endanger him, stop the boat and ensure that the props don’t injure the victim now or later.
Activate your GPS MOB button if you have one.
Throw MOB gear, life jackets, flotation cushions anything that will help the victim float and help you keep track of him, but not so much as to confuse a search.
Return to and attempt to retrieve the victim. Use the Williamson Turn. Be careful during your approach and proceed with caution.
If the situation is life-threatening, call mayday three times on VHF 16. Then say, “Man overboard,” and give your location, boat description, and the description of the victim. Do this three times in succession. Don’t hesitate to issue a mayday you can always cancel it if you get the person back aboard safely.
Here is a video demonstration of an ideal MOB situation, but remember: every case will be different.
CrewWatcher Man Overboard System is an app-based man overboard (MOB) alarm system that has two components: a smartphone app and a beacon. The alarm will sound automatically when a crew member goes missing, and it provides lat/long coordinates where the MOB occurred, the time of the event, and bearing and distance back to the target. No cell service is required.
One phone or tablet monitors up to five beacons; great for pets, too. MSRP $89.99 per beacon, the man overboard app is free.
Installing a boarding ladder? If you’re an avid cruiser, you’ll need one! Spend time at any yacht club tiki bar and you’re bound to hear the tale of a cruising couple, an impulsive mid-ocean swim, the inability to climb back on board, and the telltale fingernail marks found later on the transom of the unmanned vessel.
In an effort to keep you from becoming the fodder of such sea stories, here’s the scoop on choosing and installing a boarding ladder on your vessel so that you can safely enter and exit the water from the deck or swim platform. Boarding ladders also make it easier to board a dinghy and assist in retrieval of personnel in a crew overboard (COB) situation in calmer waters.
Boarding ladders should be constructed from non-corroding materials such as plastic, aluminum or stainless steel. Aluminum ladders weigh less and are cheaper, whereas stainless steel ladders are stronger and more durable. Boarding ladders can be fixed or portable and come in a variety of styles. However, for the purpose of this article, we’ll concentrate on three types: Swim step ladders, transom ladders and removable ladders.
Swim step ladders These are typically mounted to a power boat’s swim platform. However, installation of a swim platform ladder is an option for smaller vessels (those powered by outboards or I/O drives, for example) that typically don’t have space for a full transom platform. Due to their proximity to the water, both units normally require no more than three steps to meet the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) requirement regarding extension into the water. When not in use the ladders can either fold up onto the swim platform itself or telescope out of the way underneath.
Transom ladders These are hinged units typically found on sailboats. Many ladders are constructed so that they become an integral part of the stern railing or pushpit when raised and secured in place. When lowered, they provide an opening in the stern railing and a means of entering and exiting the water. Transom ladders designed as part of the stern pulpit are generally factory installations, but aftermarket units can often be easily installed depending on the vessel’s transom configuration.
Telescoping swim platform ladder.
Removable ladders These units, as opposed to portable ladders, are attached using permanently mounted brackets. These brackets are typically bolted to the gunwales or deck of a vessel and utilize keyhole slots, cotter pins or some similar arrangement that allow them to be easily installed and removed when not in use. Some units are rigid one-piece units, while others are hinged so that they can be folded up rather than removed when not in use. Others still are telescoping or even accordion-style units, which can be adjusted to facilitate boarding a dinghy or fully extended for water entry or exit.
Mounting considerations ABYC standards state that all boats must have a means of unassisted re-boarding that must be accessible to and deployable by a person in the water. ABYC also calls for each boarding ladder to be able to withstand a vertical downward static load of 400 pounds without permanent deformation in excess of 1/4 inch, and for the top surface of the lowest step to be at least 12 inches below the waterline with the boat in a static floating position. In general, ladders should be located at a spot that makes the vessel easy to board such as the side of a sailboat adjacent to the lifeline. If the ladders are mounted on the stern, they should be installed as far as practical from the propellers.
Installation tips As with any project, the first step is to thoroughly read and understand the manufacturer’s instructions. Next, visualize the installation and do a “dry run” in order to identify and address potential problems beforehand. Does the location you’ve chosen for the ladder meet manufacturer and ABYC recommendations? Are the mounting hardware and backing plates sufficiently robust, and can they be reached on both sides for tightening?
Ladder installation on a swim platform is typically a straightforward affair. For installations that require drilling into the hull, always verify what’s on the other side before drilling in order to avoid collateral damage to equipment, wire runs or Aunt Martha’s picture. You’ll also want to ensure all mounting hardware is properly bedded with a suitable marine-grade sealant, and that when holes are drilled through any cored portions of the hull or deck, the exposed coring is properly sealed to prevent moisture entry.
Even when properly installed, some of the above ladders may fail to meet the ABYC requirement for easy deployment by a person in the water, particularly those that should be removed and stowed while underway. One possible solution is the installation of an emergency boarding ladder. These units, typically some form of rope ladder utilizing rigid steps, are collapsible, lightweight and can be easily installed on most boats. Most are stored in a canvas bag and deployed by a grab rope hanging just above the waterline.
Rope ladders are convenient emergency ladders due to their compactness and flexibility. However, they’re harder to climb than rigid units, making them less than ideal as primary boarding ladders. If installed, it’s always a good idea to test deployment and ease of use in calm waters before they’re actually needed. One trick that can make them easier to board is weighting the lowest rung of the ladder to ensure it fully extends when deployed. Finally, while many cruisers likely plan on using their boarding ladders during a COB recovery situation, preparation should include various scenarios such as recovery of an incapacitated victim. It’s crucial that COB and recovery drills are not only understood by all on board but also practiced on a regular basis. They should also include captain and crew role reversals, to ensure recovery can take place if the captain or crew is incapacitated.
— By Frank Lanier, Southern Boating Magazine December 2016
