Does anyone ever do man not-overboard practice?

[GHA]

Comes up quite often in posts & blogs, "Then we did a few hours of man overboard drills before setting off..."
But can't remember ever seeing anyone say "then we spent a few hours out on the water practicing, having a good think about it & looking at how to ensure we all stay on the boat.."

Imho you should only spend time/money at "disaster recovery" stuff after doing everything practical & realistic to ensure the disaster doesn't happen in the first place. People seem very quick to leap straight past that part...

Interesting podcast here, actually the whole series going though the RYA sea survival book from cover to cover is interesting >
#112 | Safety at Sea | How to AVOID MOB Situations

Personally solo I use a lightweight climbing harness & grillion device to shorten the lanyard instantly, over the side = dead, little point thinking otherwise solo..

Good idea imo to practice clipping off often, not so much just for the practice but to make it no big deal so it's pretty much instinctive & no great decision to make if the weather gets up a bit.

 

[Roberto]

When alone, I find that looking outside the boat as if one was on the roof of a skyscraper helps, somehow

 

[GHA]

When alone, I find that looking outside the boat as if one was on the roof of a skyscraper helps, somehow

After a lifetime of working at height on live events, not falling off does come quite naturally Which is very useful & easy to forget most people don't have that instinct or are familiar with using fall arrest / prevention devices .
Even more reason to continually put in some practice staying on the boat!

 

[RunAgroundHard]

How do you practise staying onboard?

 

[SimpleSailor]

Comes up quite often in posts & blogs, "Then we did a few hours of man overboard drills before setting off..."
But can't remember ever seeing anyone say "then we spent a few hours out on the water practicing, having a good think about it & looking at how to ensure we all stay on the boat.."

Imho you should only spend time/money at "disaster recovery" stuff after doing everything practical & realistic to ensure the disaster doesn't happen in the first place. People seem very quick to leap straight past that part...

Interesting podcast here, actually the whole series going though the RYA sea survival book from cover to cover is interesting >
#112 | Safety at Sea | How to AVOID MOB Situations

Personally solo I use a lightweight climbing harness & grillion device to shorten the lanyard instantly, over the side = dead, little point thinking otherwise solo..

Good idea imo to practice clipping off often, not so much just for the practice but to make it no big deal so it's pretty much instinctive & no great decision to make if the weather gets up a bit.

In my view "Man Overboard" exercises are to practice the safe the recovery of a casualty. You can take all the precautions in the world but if it happens you want to get them back!

 

[Mark-1]

How do you practise staying onboard?

Drink like it's going put of fashion when you're moored up and then when you're sober the boat seems stable, and moving around feels safe and easy.

 

[reallycoliholic]

I believe that boaters in the Med call mob practice, "going for a swim"

 

[Airscrew]

Yes.
100%
When only 2pob, I check that my wife can, without help:
stop the boat, free the sheets, start the engine, reverse back, throw the LB, drop the ladder.

Failing that, remember where the life policy is

 

[srm]

When doing skippered charters my briefing was simple:
"You do not fall overboard. The sea temperature is 10C"
We then issued harnesses and tethers and practised use.

 

[GHA]

How do you practise staying onboard?

Make a start. Think about it.. Look at what you do now & see if it can be better.
Do something.

 

[GHA]

In my view "Man Overboard" exercises are to practice the safe the recovery of a casualty. You can take all the precautions in the world but if it happens you want to get them back!

In the first post, this was the point, nothing about not practicing MOB drills >
"Imho you should only spend time/money at "disaster recovery" stuff after doing everything practical & realistic to ensure the disaster doesn't happen in the first place. People seem very quick to leap straight past that part..."

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Make a start. Think about it.. Look at what you do now & see if it can be better.
Do something.

I was kinda hoping that folks would explain how they practised not falling in, which is why I asked the question.

However, missed the podcast link, so tbat is good.

 

[GHA]

I was kinda hoping that folks would explain how they practised not falling in, which is why I asked the question.

However, missed the podcast link, so tbat is good.

Clip off is pretty much it really, see how short you can get the lanyards & still get around, try several lanyards, try stuff & see what works

 

[srm]

I was kinda hoping that folks would explain how they practised not falling in

See post #10 above.
Each crew member had their own harness for the duration so that it was adjusted to fit them.
Where possible I rig jackstays inboard and use short tethers so I can not go over the lifeline. If jackstay is on side deck as is usual always work on uphill side and use short tether, better still two tethers with second secured inboard, though it slows movement. I always use short second tether on the mast when working there as I prefer to reef at the mast.
A friend sailing solo was washed out of his cockpit and held by harness and tether. Lifeboat crew found his boat motoring in circles, towing his body.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

See post #10 above.

See post number 12.

I am 30 minutes into the pod cast, which has good ideas, especially about not compromising on clipping on. I often compromise about clipping on and allow others to do so as well.

Attainable Adventure Cruising (AAC), or www.morganscloud.com (a subscription service) has excellent articles on jackstay design and installation; on occasion when mentioned on here, AAC advise has been rubbished.

Hence, me wondering what others have to say on practising staying onboard.

I recommend you listen to the pod cast, if you have not already done so.

 

[colind3782]

How do you practise staying onboard?

Pour a gin and visualise

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Pour a gin and visualise

Kind of makes the thread pointless then.

 

[GHA]

I often compromise about clipping on and allow others to do so as well.

I should up the game a bit as well, added "get harness prepped & ready" to the "Before leaving" checksheet & think I should randomly just wear it now & then even, or maybe more so, in completely benign conditions. Logic being not to practice clipping off so much as to train the brain into seeing wearing it as a totally normal part of being on passage instead of somehow linking it with heavy weather.
Also, imho, all these systems & practices should not be classed as some kind of "this is how it's done" but rather as constantly evolving things which can and should be given a bit of thought along the way to see if there's a better way. "The way it's done!" should only exist for the there & then and be thrown out if and when something better comes along.

 

[Rappey]

It would seem the reality of trying to get someone back on board is not even close to practicing it therefore is it really worth practicing as there are so many variables.
I came across an article where a decent sized yacht threw a crewmate overboard to test mob drill. Can't remember the exact time but it was something like 35 mins to get him back onboard with a fit experienced crew in the solent. The conclusion was dont fall overboard at sea, you will die.

 

[thinwater]

The OP worded the question strangely, but in fact he makes an excellent point. If you fall off the roof of a tall building the recovery plan involves black clothes and flowers. My climbing partner would occasionally comment, in full seriousness, that "this would be a good time not to fall." Mountaineering, like ocean sailing, is not like gym climbing or dinghy sailing in the harbor. Your first belay should always be not falling. This is instinctive to experienced climbers; good movement skills and a plan.

Leave the cockpit frequently while sailing. Every day. There is no other way to learn all of the handholds, the motion of the boat, and to stay comfortable moving about the deck. Pilots and climbers that don't fly or climb frequently become unsafe. Use the opportunity to inspect gear and enjoy the view.

Practice using tethers in both fair and moderate weather. Reef. Change sails.

• If anything snags or can catch on a sheet during a tack, fix it. Learn how to get to every location easily. If the tether is in the way you are doing it wrong or it is rigged wrong. Fix it while the weather is nice and the sun is up.
• Can you go over the rail anywhere if clipped short? Move the jackline as needed.
• There may be a place where a jackline cannot keep you on board. Have good holds for both hands and focus on what you are doing.
• Have good, short clip points at all work stations, like the mast or back of the cockpit. Most sailors fall off when they are working at a fixed point and are not focused on holding on. Very few sailors fall off when moving on deck. Instead, they are focused on reefing or a problem with lowering a sail, for example. Or perhaps they are landing a big fish, securing the dinghy underway, or fooling with an outboard. Falls out of the back of the cockpit are common even in fair weather.
• Practice clipping and unclipping. You will occasionally need to clip around something when you planned poorly.
• Leave the tether on while you sail, even if not clipped. Does it bother you? Hint: wrap the long tether behind your back when not in active use).
• Be up front during a tack or jibe. This teaches you to keep you tether under the sheets!
• Don't clip the spare tether to your harness when not in use; that negates the quick release (or even one-clip release) function--clip it to the main clip or the other tether.
• Good shoes. Not all gym shoes/Crocs/sandals are equal. Let's skip the barefoot debate.
• Gloves. In wet weather gloves will give a much safer grip on shrouds and stainless. You won't be injured or let go when it hurts.

Inspect all of the handholds. If you can any way possibly damamge them, they suck. Add more where needed. The lifelines are never primary hand holds.

Watch other crew members move on deck. Are they well coordinated? Do they have situational awareness? How do they react to a bump? Some people are safe and relaxed on deck, some never move well and perhaps should never leave the cockpit unless the boat is anchored. Are you SURE there is no circumstance when they will need to?

The OP was right. There is a lot to learn about not falling off. One of my greatest fears is simply tripping over my own feet and falling out of the back of the cockpit like an idiot. I'm not worried about falling off when I'm paying attention.