Crew Overboard

Crew (“Man”) Overboard (MOB) is fortunately relatively rare, but chances are that in your boating career, it will happen. MOB means that someone has fallen off the vessel and (hopefully) is bobbing in the water as the vessel motors away. It can be life-threatening. MOB is a high-stress event, especially for the person in the water, and often the crew will panic. Even at five knots the distance between the MOB and the vessel increases rapidly. And given waves, it is very easy to lose sight of the person. Distance plus the coldness of the water increases the chance that you might not be able to recover the person (your friend, child, or other family member)  alive. MOB is serious.

How not to fall overboard

Given that balance is a common theme and the ground (boat) underneath the feet is moving, it is a good idea to train your crew to always be hanging onto something solid during your crew briefing. Additional tips are: stay low and centered, avoid moving around fast, stay seated as much as possible, and maintain 3 points of contact with the boat – two feet and 1 arm, two arms and one foot, an arm – a foot – and a butt check. Note that two butt checks count only as one.

Crew Overboard – Man Overboard

Every skipper must have a plan and practice for this eventuality. On every outing, the skipper should brief the crew on following the skipper’s command and remain calm in that eventuality. Next time you’re out, simply throw a PFD overboard and try to recover it. You’ll find that recovery is not that easy. Skippers should train spouses or regular boat buddies on the procedure to recover themselves should the skipper fall overboard.

Boats should be adequately prepared with the appropriate equipment ready to be put to use the instant an MOB happens. An MOM (Man Overboard Module) is a safety device readied to deploy and packed with equipment to assist in the quick recovery of a person who has fallen overboard. It is designed to be deployed rapidly in an emergency to mark the location of the person in the water and to provide flotation support until they can be rescued.

While MOB can occur in many scenarios, it is commonly the result of someone slipping on a wet deck, equipment failure, or just not paying attention as the vessel lurches. Fast and rehearsed action is essential and can avert a real tragedy.

The key to increasing the chances of recovering your friend/family member alive is practice-practice-practice. Why would you not? There is a reason emergency services conduct safety drills. And besides, practicing is actually fun.

As you read this, imagine performing an MOB recovery at night in a high waves situation. That adds some seriousness to the situation – it is easy to think “if I have an MOB it is as easy as turning the boat around and driving back to them”. It is not that easy. And some forethought with the learnings here can make a critical difference.

The first order is to pull the throttles back to neutral and to then appoint a crew member to keep a watch on the MOB at all times. You must say these words to the appointed watch crew member:

“No matter what happens on the boat, no matter what else is happening, no matter what anyone says, DO NOT take your eyes off the MOB even for an instant. If you do, we could lose him/her.”

Simultaneously, you must deploy to the MOB some temporary flotation as well as a flag marker if available. Next, get a position fix. (Most GPS systems have a MOB button. Activate it immediately.) Now you must initiate a plan for recovery.

A Tall Pole with a Life Ring Makes it Easier to Spot Your MOB

It is also vital that you gain control and the attention of the remaining crew. Use the names of people when issuing orders and make the orders specific. For example, instead of “Someone get a throw line,” say “John, in the port aft lazarette, there is a long white throw line. Get it out now, please.”

This MOB Type IV Life RIng Also Has a Line Attached to Haul in your MOB

If a child is involved and you determine it is prudent for someone to jump in, be certain that individual (often a parent) has adequate flotation to prevent a second major problem. However, concentrate on getting the boat back to the MOB position first as fast as possible.

There are many suggested strategies for recovering an MOB. Every helmsperson, vessel owner, and/or person in charge should have practiced various procedures that they can become confident with.

The biggest thing to remember as the captain and leader of the crew is to keep your crew calm. Give complete and non-confusing orders and remain calm. Your crew will pick up on your confidence and follow you if they see you’re in control.

Quick MOB List

• Announce MOB,
• Assign Spotter,
• Select MOB button on your chart plotter;
• Deploy MOM or throwable Type IV PFD and other debris to help with spotting,
• Use radio or sound signals to alert other nearby vessels if necessary.

Recovery

It is your call as the skipper of the vessel as to which recovery method you feel is the safest based on the conditions and your experience.

It is obvious that you will turn the boat to go back to the person and once you find them, you now have the problem of getting them back onboard. With calm seas, it’s probably not an issue unless the person is very heavy and you don’t have a swim platform. You might have a ladder but what if they are unable to help themselves? If the person is unable to help themselves the first order is to get a flotation device on them as well as a sling for lifting. You’ll next need to determine the best mechanical advantage available. A dinghy davit is probably the best.If you own a boat, preplanning and installing a mechanical lifting device is a good idea.

When maneuvering to the MOB, several precautions should be taken.

• Be especially careful of momentum in approaching the MOB. Maintain steerage.
• Be aware of the propeller when close to the MOB. Preferably, turn off the engine.
• In larger waves, it is possibly better to have the boat side-to the waves if bringing the person in over the transom.

A Final Note

At some point in your boating lifestyle, it is inevitable that you will have an MOB situation. Always maintain a plan in your head. If you own a boat, ensure you have retrieval equipment. It is also a good idea to permanently stow a change of clothes and a blanket on your boat.