Your throwable type 4

Here's mine.* So what type is best in your mind?

She might be a bit difficult to throw.

Oh, the Lifesling you mean. Same as we have.

lifeslings are great...but anything attached can be difficult to get on target quickly. I also like to have just some standard cushions handy and get them over so instant flotation is available and you get several attempts at getting close...the lifsling can then be drug into position as the situation unfolds.

Our*sea trial, gone horribly wrong

We have a lifesling also, although if I go over the side while the boat is moving, I believe the chances of getting back on again are pretty slim. I have recently seen a baton which is easier to throw and auto inflates when it hits the water. it might at least give someone in the water something to hang onto while the lifesling is delpoyed, the boat turned around to circle whoever is overboard etc. Just try to be extra careful especially coming down from the flying bridge in any kind of seas.
Steve W

We have a Life-sling on the boat deck and a 24" throw-able life ring by each pilot house door.*

We*did a*man overboard drill one time when a big cushion went over the side.* That was an eye opener.* It's amazing how fast you lose site of an object when you are trying*to turn the boat around in any kind of sea.* We learned that one person keeps visual contact with*the object/person in the water and does nothing else till*the object/person*is*along side the boat.*


-- Edited by Larry M on Monday 7th of November 2011 06:50:00 AM

Larry M wrote:"We learned that one person keeps visual contact with*the object/person in the water and does nothing else till*the object/person*is*along side the boat."

Click to expand...

*When I did my Yachtmasters, we were told that is the most important thing to do of the whole lot.

Next came someone else if available throwing the life-ring over....then came bringing the vessel slowly round....

"Eyes on", exactly right!! *Also don't forget to punch the man overboard button on your plotter or GPS if you have one. *Even in small chop it is surprising how quickly that bobbing head becomes invisible.

LB

STCW ... in this case it means SHOUT THROW CALL WATCH.

Shout man overboard

Throw a lifering, a cushion, anything within reach that will float

Call mayday, let the world know you have a serious emergency. A person in the water may only have a very short survival time, don't waste it by trying to do everything alone.

Watch keep your arm outstretched and finger pointing at the man overboard or the object you threw in the water. Don't take your eyes off that spot.

And yes - hit the man overboad button(s) all GPS plotters have. Easy to forget that one in the heat of the moment. Especially important at night.

I'm surprised so many of*us have a Lifesling.* See'em mostly on sailboats but not much on powerboats.

Lifeslings are the most popular throwable device up here. Almost every sailboat and powerboat--- including ours---has one. Sometimes two.

Depending...it may be quicker to return to the PIW if you just chop the throttle and back down...obviously being careful to not back over the person...this technique is good if short on crew because it's usually in the turn where you lose sight of the person.* It's not an often thought of proceedure because most "rescue experts" are thinking ship or sailboat.* I spent a lot of time in those "expert"circles arguing the merits of all methods and lots of time flying searching for MOBs.

We keep the track line feature on the Chartplotter turned on while running. Very handy for retuning down your course. *

My son decided he could dip some salt water while we were traveling at 8 knots. *The bucket and my nice new line with brass snap swivle attached ended up in our wake. (lucky for him he wasn't attached too!) *Probably took him 30 seconds to come tell me and we were able to use the plotter to return down the track line and find the bucket and rope floating just on the surface. *

It doesn't account for a fast tidal current, but it's actually a good test for a man overboard drill. *Try it sometime, you will be surprised how accurately you can retrace your course.

What about a Scharnow or a Wiliiamson turn. to get back to go.

I also saw a device that was just a sling made of webbing with two loops in it. It was hung from the stern cleatand left to trail in the water or just looped by the stearn cleat.*If you did fall overboard you could put your foot in the strap to climb back aboard. I liked the idea in place of a boarding ladder. As it doesn't take up space and is always available.

SD


-- Edited by skipperdude on Tuesday 8th of November 2011 02:06:58 PM

Look closely at avatar pict.* One full sized life ring hangs on chrome/brass hook affixed to each side of bridge; 75' of fully accessible, quick release, 3/8 yellow floating line attached.


-- Edited by Art on Tuesday 8th of November 2011 04:02:47 PM

We also have a lifesling and 24" throwable.*We use the MOB button on anchor deployment and the boom is rigged with a snap shackle for lowering the outboard. *From time to time we discuss how these would be used in a MOB and as a result, we are reinforcing our knowledge of these tools.

Kathy went off the dink this year and we made a loop with the painter for her to use as a step to get back into the boat. *It was a sobering reminder that it is impossible at our age to get out of the water, even with one person still on board, without a plan.

cheers,

I'm*trusting the stern ladder for getting aboard from the water.

My Monk had a very nice stern ladder the problem was that when not in use it was folded and latched in the up position, that latch is about 3-4 feet up against the transom. If I went in the water while alone on the boat there would be no way to reach it. In water soaked maybe cold clothing getting up on the swim platrform might be doable but maybe not, I haven't tried it. Also, when the dinghy was in place the ladder could not be folded down because the dinghy blocked it.
I did replace the original ladder with a Windline brand ladder that is attached to the underside of the swim platfrom and slides up under it out of the way but easily deployed from the water.
Steve W.

Steve wrote:
.....I did replace the original ladder with a Windline brand ladder that is attached to the underside of the swim platfrom and slides up under it out of the way but easily deployed from the water.
Steve W.

Click to expand...

I think that's what I need to do.* My ladder is not ideal, and folds down like your original one.* Reachable from the water in our case, but not easy to climb, and gets in the way on the platform.* I like these ones which slide in under when not in use and telescope out to a good depth under water when extended.

Peter B wrote:*I like these ones which slide in under when not in use and telescope out to a good depth under water when extended.

Click to expand...

*

A friend of mine is a commercial as well as recreational diver.

He had his arm broken trying to get back aboard.

The wind came up while underwater and the swim step hit him as the waves caused it to rise and fall.

*A swim step can be dangerous in some instances.

Now he always make sure the dink is in the water when he dives. Easyer to get into the dink if it ever happened again.

SD

Steve wrote:
*I have recently seen a baton which is easier to throw and auto inflates when it hits the water.

*

*

http://www.ultimatepassage.com/cgi-bin/up/30614.html

This is a handy tool for an MOB situation.....

Click to expand...

*