114 Chapter Three
EMERGENCIES
You are on your own when on the water.
The following sections will show you how
to handle some common occurrences that
can become emergencies. Plan ahead, and
using Table 3-1 as guide brief all aboard
BEFORE LEAVING THE DOCK of their
roles and responsibilities in the event of an
emergency.
Man Overboard!
People fall overboard even when wind and
seas are calm. A fall can be dangerous.
Many people are not in good enough
physical condition to withstand the shock
of being tossed in the water.
Imagine being in the water with no
life jacket, being dragged down by the
weight of water-soaked clothing, and trying
to tread water.
Couple this with the fact that you may
not even be missed from the boat!
Now add the possibility that you
might be the only one capable of handling
the boat to retrieve a person in the water.
Wearing a life jacket can be your
only source of survival. Take precautions.
DON’T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU.
Prevention
If conditions are dangerous or you must
work on deck, use a tether and jackline
(Figure 11-2).
W h i l e
underway, do
not allow passengers
to stand
in small boats or
sit on foredecks,
gunwales, engine
boxes, seat backs,
or transoms.
Deck-gripping
shoes are the best
footwear; bare
feet have poor
traction.
Keep your weight low and close to the
centerline when moving around in a small
boat.
Equip your sailboat with throughbolted
lifeline stanchions. In bad weather,
have crew members wear harnesses and
attach to jack lines (safety lines) (Figure 11-2)
when ondeck. In bad weather, attach crew
members to special safety lines with harnesses.
Watch crew members and frequently
check to assure all hands are accounted for.
It is difficult to find and recover a person lost
overboard, especially in poor visibility or in
rough water.
In the pre-departure briefing, using
Table 3-1 as a guide, thoroughly discuss so
all aboard understand the actions needed in
the event of a man overboard (MOB). See
Appendix A, item 8i, to discuss the actions
by all from initial alarm call, keeping the
person in sight, to recovery and care. Be
sure to practice in calm waters, out of traffic
areas, under normal conditions. Your
throwable floatation aid can simulate a
MOB and makes an excellent teaching aid
to practice the procedures and maneuver
your boat alongside for recovery. Practice
a procedure for recovering someone lost
overboard. Toss a life jacket over the side
while moving. See how long it takes to stop
the boat, turn, and retrieve it. What would
you do if you were alone and fell overboard?
Could you get back on board?
Recovery Procedures
The following procedures are recommended
in man-overboard situations.
• Shout “Man Overboard!” immediately.
Make sure your helmsman hears you.
Press “MOB” (man overboard) key on
GPS if available. (MOB function will
guide you back to the location where the
MOB key was pressed.) Be sure the object
you toss is tied to the boat.
• Assign someone to constantly point at the
person in the water and never let the victim
out of sight.
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Figure 11-2. Jackline and tether
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tether
jackline
Lifesaving Tip:
Attach a “police
type” whistle and
water-proof light to
every life jacket. The
whistle will be useful
in restricted visibility
operations and both
will aid in locating
and recovery of persons
overboard.