2 Pro Man OVERBOARD! What would you do?

Vernon · Sep 19, 2021

Man Overboard!!!! This is a shituation us cruisers hope that we'll never have to face. Training for this possibility though is very important so I walk Marie through it step-by-step. This was very much "basic training" with perfect conditions and pretty unrealistic but still... Next time we'll step it up a bit but until then we'd love to hear from you, your personal experiences, constructive criticisms or any valuable tips. Thanks and Enjoi

eEridani · Sep 19, 2021

When I was sailing tried to get the SO to be more involved in knowing some of the basics ... deploy flotation, get the sails down fast or at least release the sheets, deploy the dingy, get the engine running ... KEEP THE EYES ON THE PERSON OVERBOARD.

Then, after a few times practicing decided the best option was inflatable vests, jacklines and tethers at all times before stepping into the cockpit. And, if the worst should happen, drowning isn't the worst way to die.

ps: my cat once ran out on the foredeck during some semi rough seas - Pacific Coast - no clue how he did it, but he made in back into the cockpit. He stood out there scared to death for the longest time, no way I was going out to fetch him, SO was below sleeping, but I was feeling pretty bad he'd be swept away, then all of a sudden I think he realized his peril and ran back around the dodger into the cockpit, amazingly, not even wet.

Here he is the next day ...

Phantomrain.org · Sep 19, 2021

One of the most important things you can do for anyone in any survival situation is not only provide the Floatation device but get them Water , this provides those that are in panic , a chance to breathe as the window of time for Rescue can expand .

Think about how important 1 canteen of water is to the solider let alone someone caught in the sea. That can make the difference between life and death and change the mental part of surviving as well.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain and Land on the Water.

eEridani · Sep 19, 2021

You can drink sea water for a while if you expect rescue. Hydration is usually the least of your worries: hypothermia is #1, floatation #2.

In 50f seawater ... you have an about an hour before you start having problems. At that point, I don't know many people that can tread water five days or while sleeping. Then, if you went overboard in typical Northeast Pacific weather (west coast of the US, Oregon, Washington), in 20 foot seas, trust me, getting a sailboat back to a person overboard is not gonna happen easily, and you will not be able to see where they went if they don't have a personal strobe attached to their vest.

There was a mantra I used -- taken from someone else -- the only time to leave a sailboat floating in the ocean is to step UP into a life boat. Anything else is pretty much suicide.

howardK · Sep 20, 2021

The scariest thing is if it happens at night. In that case start the engine, drop/furl the sails and do a williamson turn. This maneuver will bring you right back to the spot of the overboard

http://shipwebpages.geodatapub.com/wp-content/uploads/Williamson-Turn-new-1.pdf

Smooth Rhythm · Sep 20, 2021

Thanks for sharing!

kshaw · Sep 20, 2021

Vernon said:
To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Man Overboard!!!! This is a shituation us cruisers hope that we'll never have to face. Training for this possibility though is very important so I walk Marie through it step-by-step. This was very much "basic training" with perfect conditions and pretty unrealistic but still... Next time we'll step it up a bit but until then we'd love to hear from you, your personal experiences, constructive criticisms or any valuable tips. Thanks and Enjoi

I think about this everytime I fly my Piper Warrior over Lake Michigan. I take inflatable life vests and a floatable portable emergency locator beacon but I am still taking a risk.