It’s one of the scariest things that can happen to the pleasure boater – someone falls overboard while you’re out sailing. It can happen quickly, and sometimes, you won’t even know how it happened. It just happened.
Before you even launch your boat, make sure that you have a man overboard plan and you've practiced the drill
In fact, there are stories of a group that was heading offshore at night actually not even know that one of their crew members were overboard for 1/2 hour after they fell overboard. This is one of the rare survival stories, but the man leaned over the gunwale to check the bilges on his boat as his friend was at the helm. He accidentally fell overboard at around 10 p.m. on their way out to the offshore fishing grounds, and no one saw him or discovered he was missing until they were far away from him.
The man did not have a life jacket and floated around in the ocean through the entire evening. Another pleasure boater found the man the following morning at around 10 a.m., and he actually survived. This man is the exception, and not the rule, though.
A person can fall overboard at any time, so it’s important that you have a plan for how you will retrieve the person, and who will do what in case a person falls overboard. All crew members must know this procedure, because any one member of the crew could fall overboard. If you have a regular crew that you are on the water with, be sure that they are all practiced in the man overboard procedures.
What To Do
If the person falls overboard and they’re still in sight, immediately turn the boat around (do a 180 degree turn) to get them. If the seas are rough or the person overboard has traveled out of sight, a Williamson Turn is in order. To perform a Williamson Turn, navigate 60 degrees to starboard hard. As you reduce speed, begin making your turn to port as you navigate 180 degrees from your initial heading. Once you’ve reached the 180 degree mark, you’re now back on your original course. The person who fell overboard should be ahead of you.
While you’re turning the boat and bringing it around, begin preparing for the rescue. Ready a rope to throw to the person, as well as throwable flotation, if appropriate. Be sure that you put a PFD on (if you’re not already wearing one), as during the rescue effort, you don’t want to fall overboard also.
Which Side Are You On?
Once you have located the person and are approaching them, decide which side to approach them. You want to approach on the upwind side of them so the boat drifts towards, not away from them. Of course, if you approach too close upwind, the boat will run the person in the water over, so be conservative and approach upwind, then throw a rope to the person so they can be safely brought aboard.
If there’s a stiff wind and you’re concerned about drifting onto the person in the water, bring your stern into the wind. Throw the person a line and pull them alongside to a safe place for recovery.
Once you get alongside the person, ensure that the propeller is not turning when you’re alongside the person in the water.
An Ounce Of Prevention
Clearly, preventative measures are important. Be sure that you do all that you can to make sure that crew members will not fall overboard. You should have guardrails installed, and non-skid paint or stick-on strips should be on any areas that are slippery. Wer protective clothing and a life jacket that is fitted with reflective tape, and a light if possible.
Practice your man overboard drill regularly. Use a fender or bucket as your casualty. If it ever happens, you’ll be prepared.
Important Things To Remember:
- Most people that are lost at sea are not recovered, so immediate action is necessary
- Practice your man overboard drill. Be sure that roles are assigned to everyone aboard, so they know who will fill what role.
- If someone falls overboard, immediately begin readying for rescue; don’t wait until they are alongside the boat to get a line and throwable ready.
