Let's Talk "Man Overboard"
- Thread starter Cacia
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almitywife
Vegemite Mod
that depends Catherine... what gear does he have and is it better than what i currently own 
as someone that would only be a passenger, i guess other than watching him and making sure the captain knows to turn around, i would be donig my best to clear the area so that he can be accessed without tripping over crap all over the boat and do as im told to assist
as someone that would only be a passenger, i guess other than watching him and making sure the captain knows to turn around, i would be donig my best to clear the area so that he can be accessed without tripping over crap all over the boat and do as im told to assist
DennisS
Contributor
Throw anything that floats over and point at the person with an extended arm and open vertical hand, it's easier to make out than a finger. Everyone on the boat except the driver should be pointing, it's really easy to lose someone in a fair size sea. If one person loses them they can follow the point and pick the person up again. We would do man overboard drills once a month with a dummy and an orange life vest, it's easy to lose sight for a minute or two when the boat is turning.
I've seen two man overboards in a period of about 20 years. The ships were bigger than 200 ft. When the alarm is sounded and "this is not a drill" comes over the PA the adrenaline flows. The ship swings around, returns to the point doing a Williamson turn and deploys the inflatable. Best time to pickup was 7 minutes, worst was 10, typical time in a drill was 14.
I've seen two man overboards in a period of about 20 years. The ships were bigger than 200 ft. When the alarm is sounded and "this is not a drill" comes over the PA the adrenaline flows. The ship swings around, returns to the point doing a Williamson turn and deploys the inflatable. Best time to pickup was 7 minutes, worst was 10, typical time in a drill was 14.
If we're talking kids, teens, etc., recommend having an object that floats attached to a line that you can throw (like a life ring).
Assuming you can throw a float to their general vicinity, IMHO its still faster/more efficient to haul them to the boat than to maneuver the boat over to them...especially in any kind of seas...
Assuming you can throw a float to their general vicinity, IMHO its still faster/more efficient to haul them to the boat than to maneuver the boat over to them...especially in any kind of seas...
sea nmf
Contributor
Why do you ask, C? Did something happen that you don't want to talk about?
FredT
Guest
That depends a lot on ship and sea size.
Smallish boat rough seas, toss an EPIRB with dive flag and bucket attached as soon as practical after the person is missed. This marks the water mass for use in an air search if that becomes necessary. Eyeballs, point and manouver as necessary to pick up person if possible. If air search or additional help is necessary the EPIRB track over time defines drift, which greatly narrows search area. If visual contact is lost for over 10 seconds for ANY reason be screaming for help on the radio to re-inforce EPIRB message. Your horizon on a small boat is REALLY short so it's easier to loose contact in even a moderate sea than if driving a larger vessel. If you are the smuck overboard swim to the EPIRB flag if you can see it.
Mid size boat to small ship. IBID on EPIRB and eyeball actions. It's easier to keep eye contact even though the turn radius is larger since you are generally above the wave crests.
Large ship, Toss a ring marker and scream for help if you see them going over. Ship's crew immediately starts what SHOULD be a familiar drill. IBID eyeball and point unless your crew position has you involved in the drill in other ways. Special rules apply to seismic and fishing fleets due to the stuff hung off the stern. Seismic sound source air guns are right nasty if you're in the water near them when activated.
Smallish boat rough seas, toss an EPIRB with dive flag and bucket attached as soon as practical after the person is missed. This marks the water mass for use in an air search if that becomes necessary. Eyeballs, point and manouver as necessary to pick up person if possible. If air search or additional help is necessary the EPIRB track over time defines drift, which greatly narrows search area. If visual contact is lost for over 10 seconds for ANY reason be screaming for help on the radio to re-inforce EPIRB message. Your horizon on a small boat is REALLY short so it's easier to loose contact in even a moderate sea than if driving a larger vessel. If you are the smuck overboard swim to the EPIRB flag if you can see it.
Mid size boat to small ship. IBID on EPIRB and eyeball actions. It's easier to keep eye contact even though the turn radius is larger since you are generally above the wave crests.
Large ship, Toss a ring marker and scream for help if you see them going over. Ship's crew immediately starts what SHOULD be a familiar drill. IBID eyeball and point unless your crew position has you involved in the drill in other ways. Special rules apply to seismic and fishing fleets due to the stuff hung off the stern. Seismic sound source air guns are right nasty if you're in the water near them when activated.
LeadTurn_SD
Contributor
Short answer: Don't fall overboard at night. Encourage / urge the buddy system for passengers and crew on deck at night.
Long Answer: Man overboard at night is obviously the worst. Most vessels, large or small, are often not fully prepared for a Man Overboard at night or in low-light conditions. By prepared I mean ready to immediately drop a life ring or float with a strobe light into the water to help mark the location of the swimmer. The good news is that almost all vessels now have GPS as part of their equipment, and you can easily "retrace your steps" with great accuracy.
Anyway, at night, as in daylight, if you see the person fall in, yell "Man Overboard, Starboard/Port side!!", throw anything that will float (for the person to grab AND to help mark the spot) and point at the person in the water. The boat driver should instantly hit the "man overboard" button on the GPS, and if he has one at hand should drop a floating strobe light into the water.
I've participated in and conducted "big ship" man overboard drills in the days before GPS both day and night as a young Merchant Marine Officer. We used "dummies" with life jackets on them, and at night the life jacket had a strobe light or chem light (bright white strobe is better than the chem lights).
My experience is that at night, without a lighted float and GPS to help you, you will be very lucky to find the victim if you lose visual contact with them. And on a very dark night you will lose visual contact within moments.
On a big ship you do the Williamson Turn as mentioned by DennisS, and if performed properly you end up steaming right back up your own wake to the person in the water. This makes good sense on large vessels due to their low maneuverability and long stopping distances. On anything other than a very large liveaboard however I'd say skip the Williamson, just full stop then tight 180. Most dive boats will "spin" in close to their own length, so this is what should be done. A Williamson Turn just carries you away from the victim as your perform it, and if it is not performed correctly you can be worse off than just stopping and spinning around.
Just wondering... What's a Williamson Turn?
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