MOB 101

Man Overboard is one of the most important skills to have practiced, disciplined, and ready for any passage or time you step off land. Nothing strike's more fear in a sailor than the shout of "Man Overboard", so we practice until it becomes second nature to retrieve someone from the water.
Picture
Christian and Myron discussing their retrieval off the Los Coronados Islands.

Skills to Learn

  • Use of life-sling and hoist at the dock.
  • Heave To.
  • Use of life-sling in the water.
  • Quick Stop.
  • Pick Up a Crew Member.
  • Be picked up by another Crew Member.
  • Pick up crew with Engine.

DESCRIPTION & Considerations of MOB

When someone goes overboard, the only goal is to get that person back on board as quickly and safely as possible. While we practice MOBs in relatively calm winds and waters with our crew in the water, an unintended MOB is most likely to occur in heavy seas, weather, and winds.

The most important thing to do is to Turn the boat around. At 5kts we travel 507 feet away from the victim in just 60 seconds! At 7kts for 10 minutes, the victim is 1.2 nautical miles away. When we ask what to do when someone falls overboard answer, "Turn the boat around!"

We practice MOB retrieval both under motor and under sail. Be careful whenever a person is in the water when the prop is moving and be mindful of lines in the water, an MOB situation can grow exponentially more serious with flustered crew and sloppy seamanship. 

On Celtic Song we most often utilize the Quick Stop Method in conjunction with a life sling in the water. If enough crew are on board when someone falls overboard we also assign Crew to the following American Sailing Association recommendations:
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Y - T - P - S - C
  • YELL to alert crew.
  • THROW horseshoe buoy or other buoyant material to victim.
  • POINT to keep victim in sight.
  • SET the MOB button on the chart plotter  located just inside the companionway to starboard. That sets a waypoint.
  • CALL  on VHF 16 if you need assistance.

Quick Stop Method

The quick stop method used on Celtic Song follows this procedure.
  1. ​Victim falls overboard. If there are enough crew on board, Helm assigns them to follow Y - T - P - S - C
  2. Head up and tack without releasing the jib sheet. This will backwind the jib and slow the boat.
  3. Bear away on a beam reach for three to four boat lengths.
  4. Jibe and line up a little downwind of the victim. Let the sails luff.
  5. Return to the victim on a close reach with the sail luffing. This is the safety position. Recover the victim on the windward side of the boat. If the victim is capable and sea conditions permit the MOB can board via the swim ladder. In most other cases lead the topping lift to the MOB in the life sling to hoist them up via electric winch. 

Skills in Brief

Use of life-sling and hoist at the dock.
Sheet in MainSheet. Remove Topping lift from boom and bring to midship shrouds.

Lower topping lift shackle to victim in life-sling. Await for shackle to be secured.

With a crew at the shrouds to guide the hoisting of the victim to the deck, place the topping lift line into the electric winch and begin to hoist them up. Whenever using an electric winch, pulse it on and off, do not let it go continuously; this helps prevent a runaway winch.
Heave To
Described in Basic 101
Life-Sling in the Water
Person falls overboard...

Helm begins quick stop method outlined above. Crew throws life sling located on stern pulpit.

Helm begins to circle the victim. Crew sheets in MainSheet for Gybe.

Circle the victim until the lifelong reaches them. Allow the Jib to backwind when coming across the wind, do not change lines.
Quick Stop
Outlined Above.

Tack, leaving jib backwinded in heave-to position; sail past the victim on a beam reach, leaving 3 to 4 boat lengths before turning downwind, jibing and then heading up on a close reach, returning to the victim in the safety position (close reach with your sails luffing).
Pick Up Crew
When not in winter and with a willing Crew member you will perform the above procedures with a person in the water. A wetsuit clad Crew Member will jump from the boat and upon retrieval will provide critiques on the Crew's performance.