Man Overboard Recovery Procedures - MOB Rescue Guide

Prerequisites

Man overboard (MOB) brings together several earlier lessons on the RYA Competent Crew course. Before this lesson you should:

• Be able to fit and check a lifejacket, and use a harness and tether correctly (personal safety lesson).
• Know where the horseshoe buoy, dan buoy, throwing line, VHF radio and other safety equipment are kept (vessel safety equipment lesson).
• Be able to tie a bowline quickly, including around yourself or another object (ropework lesson).
• Understand the basic points of sailing (close-hauled, close reach, beam reach, broad reach, run), the no-go zone, and what tacking and gybing are. These are covered fully in the sailing lessons; this lesson uses them in outline.
• Meet the course entry requirements (age 16 or over for the standard certificate, medical declaration). Competent Crew does not require you to swim, but the course includes MOB drills as crew, using a dummy or fender.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson you should be able to do the following. The items map to the RYA Competent Crew practical syllabus under Sea Safety and Emergency Procedures ("correct use of lifejackets and personal safety equipment", "man overboard recovery procedures as crew", "distress signalling: VHF radio basics") and to the course requirement to take part in MOB drills.

• RYA syllabus item: use lifejackets, harnesses and tethers correctly, and say how to prevent a fall overboard.
• RYA syllabus item: carry out the immediate actions on seeing someone fall overboard: shout, point, throw flotation, press the MOB button.
• RYA syllabus item: take any crew role (helm, pointer, thrower, spotter, communicator) in an MOB recovery and explain why each matters.
• RYA syllabus item: describe the recovery methods (quick stop, reach-turn-reach, motoring) and why the final approach is made slowly on a close reach.
• RYA syllabus item: use the MOB equipment: horseshoe buoy, dan buoy, throwing line, Lifesling, MOB button and AIS or DSC beacon.
• RYA syllabus item: raise the alarm by VHF, including DSC distress and a Mayday call, in outline.
• RYA syllabus item: help recover a casualty safely, horizontally if possible, and give aftercare for cold water immersion.
• Describe the stages of cold water immersion, and the search procedure if sight of the casualty is lost.
• Recognise the main causes of failure in MOB recoveries and how to avoid them.

Why MOB Is So Serious

A person who falls from a moving yacht faces three threats at once:

1. Cold water shock: in the first one to two minutes, the sudden cold causes a gasp reflex (inhaling water if the head is under), hyperventilation and a surge in heart rate. Most cold-water drownings happen in this phase.
2. Separation: the yacht keeps sailing at 5 or 6 knots, which is about 3 metres a second. In 30 seconds it is about 90 m away. A head in the water among waves is very hard to see from more than a few boat lengths.
3. Incapacity: within 10 to 30 minutes cold muscles stop working (swimming failure, loss of grip), and hypothermia follows. A casualty may be unable to help with their own recovery.

The diagram below summarises the effects of cold water.

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UK sea temperatures are typically 8 to 17 degrees C. Even in summer, a casualty in the water needs to be recovered within minutes. The lesson from this: prevention first (clip on, wear a lifejacket), and if it happens, act immediately and in an organised way.

There is one more truth about MOB: often the person in the water is the skipper, who is the one most often moving about the deck. Everyone aboard must be able to start the recovery.

Prevention: Staying Aboard in the First Place

The best MOB recovery is the one that never happens. RYA instructors teach prevention before recovery, and the syllabus expects you to use personal safety equipment correctly as well as recover a casualty.

Lifejackets

• An automatic gas-inflating lifejacket with a crotch strap (or thigh straps), a spray hood, a light and a whistle is the standard for offshore and coastal sailing. A jacket without a crotch strap can ride up over the head of an unconscious person.
• A buoyancy rating of 150 N is the usual minimum for coastal and offshore sailing, and 275 N is for heavy clothing and rough conditions. Lifejackets are designed to turn an unconscious person face up in the water, within about five seconds.
• Check before every trip. Look at the cylinder (screwed in, not pierced), the indicator (green), the bobbin or hydrostatic capsule (in date) and the straps (not frayed). Service the jacket at least once a year, or as the manufacturer states, and test inflation by mouth, not by firing the cylinder.
• Wear it zipped and tight, adjusted so that it cannot be pulled over your head.

Harnesses, Tethers and Jackstays

A harness with a tether keeps you attached to the boat. Many lifejackets have an integral harness. A jackstay is a line or webbing strap running along the deck, from the cockpit to the bow, to which you clip your tether, so you can walk the length of the boat while remaining attached.

• Clip on before you leave the cockpit, in the dark, in rough weather, when alone on deck, when you are reefing, or whenever the skipper says "clip on".
• A tether is usually 2 m long, with a short leg of 1 m or less for working in the cockpit or at the mast. A short tether stops you going overboard at all. A long tether, 2 m, lets you fall into the water but keeps you attached to the boat, where a dragged casualty can drown.
• Always clip to a strong point: a jackstay, a padeye or a strong fixture. Never to a guardwire or a stanchion.
• Know how to quick-release your tether under load: most harnesses have a quick-release shackle at the chest, so a person dragged through the water can be freed.

Other Ways to Prevent a Fall

• One hand for yourself and one for the boat. Move low and in the middle of the boat, keeping your weight low, facing the boat and using the handholds.
• Wear boots or deck shoes with non-slip soles, never bare feet or smooth soles.
• Stay out of the bow area in rough weather unless necessary, and never go forward without telling the helm.
• Do not stand on guardwires, and never lean against them. Guardwires keep you from going overboard only if you sit on the deck inside them, not against them.
• Use the heads (toilet), not the side of the boat, particularly at night. Many fatalities have occurred when a sailor went on deck to relieve themselves.
• Reduce sail or alter course early so deck work is not done in a heaving sea.
• Alcohol and sailing do not mix. Alcohol impairs balance and judgement, and increases heat loss.

Cold Water: What Happens to a Casualty

Cold water is the major killer in a MOB incident in UK waters, where sea temperatures range from about 5 to 8 C in winter to 15 to 17 C in summer. The RNLI "Float to Live" guidance and RYA training describe four stages.

Two further points:

• A person who falls in cold water and floats on their back, keeping their airway clear, until the cold shock passes (about a minute), has a far better chance of survival than a person who tries to swim at once.
• Time to rescue matters. The boat's job is to put the casualty alongside within minutes, not within half an hour. That is why a quick, controlled recovery must be practised.

Raising the Alarm: Mayday and DSC

The skipper usually decides when to send a distress call, but the crew must know how. A person in the water in UK waters at any time of year is a Mayday situation unless they are recovered at once. The skipper (or whoever takes charge) should not hesitate to send a call if there is any doubt.

On a VHF radio fitted with DSC (Digital Selective Calling):

1. Lift the cover and press and hold the red DISTRESS button for five seconds. The radio sends an automatic alert on Channel 70 with the boat's MMSI and (if connected to GPS) position.
2. Switch to Channel 16 and send the voice message: "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. This is yacht (name) x3, MMSI (number). Mayday (name). Position (latitude and longitude or bearing and distance from a known point). Man overboard. I require immediate assistance. (Number of persons on board.) Over."
3. Listen for the coastguard's reply. If the casualty is recovered, send a cancelling message: "All stations, all stations, all stations, this is (name). Cancel my Mayday of (time). Out."

If there is no DSC, make the Mayday call by voice on Channel 16 alone.

Remember that the person making the radio call should still follow the "one job" rule: the radio operator is not the helm or the pointer. Once the radio call is made, they can also help with the search, watch for flares and other vessels.

An AIS or DSC lifejacket beacon (a personal AIS MOB transmitter) will, once triggered, put the casualty's position on every AIS display and chartplotter nearby, and some also send a DSC alert from your own radio automatically. That makes a real difference at night, where a head in the water is almost impossible to see.

MOB Equipment

Horseshoe Buoy and Dan Buoy

A horseshoe buoy (or lifebuoy) is a buoyant ring, usually horseshoe-shaped so a casualty can slip into it, kept in a bracket on the pushpit. It often has a drogue (to stop it blowing away), a light, and a whistle attached.

A dan buoy is a floating pole, about 2 m tall, with a flag on top and weighted at the bottom so it stays upright. It marks the casualty's position so the helm can keep sight of the area even when the person cannot be seen. They are often clipped together so both go over in one action.

The diagram below shows them being deployed. Throw slightly upwind of the casualty so the wind drifts the buoy towards them.

Throwing Line

A throwing line (a rescue throw bag or a heaving line) is a floating line, often 20 to 30 m long, stuffed into a bag that is thrown to the casualty once the boat is close. It gives a physical connection to pull them alongside. The diagram below shows the technique: throw beyond and slightly upwind of the casualty, so the line falls across them, then pull it back to them.

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Hold on to the free end of the line (or stand on it) before throwing. A rescue sling (a horseshoe-shaped buoyant collar on a long floating line, such as a "Lifesling") works in a similar way: the boat circles the casualty, dragging the line until the casualty can grab it.

GPS MOB Button

Chartplotters and many GPS units have an MOB button. Pressing it records the latitude and longitude at that moment and displays the range and bearing back to the spot. The diagram below shows what it does.

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Remember that the casualty drifts with the tide from that position, so the MOB position is where they went in, not necessarily where they are now. The boat and casualty both drift with the tidal stream, which is why steering back towards the casualty (by eye) matters more than steering to the GPS mark once they are in sight. The MOB button is most valuable at night, in poor visibility, or if sight is lost.

AIS and DSC Personal Beacons

An AIS-SART or AIS MOB beacon is a small device, often fitted inside a lifejacket and set off automatically when the jacket inflates. It transmits the casualty's GPS position on AIS, so it appears as a distinctive target on the chartplotter of your own boat and every vessel nearby. Some also send a DSC alert to your own VHF radio. The diagram below shows the principle.

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Unlike a PLB (which alerts shore authorities via satellite), an AIS beacon alerts the vessels nearby, including your own, which are the ones best placed to recover the casualty quickly. Tests must follow the manufacturer's procedure so that a live distress signal is not sent; arrange a live test with the coastguard if one is needed.

Immediate Actions

The first few seconds decide the outcome. The person who sees the fall must do these at once:

1. Shout "Man overboard!" loudly and repeatedly, adding the side if known: "Man overboard, port side!" This alerts the helm and anyone below.
2. Point at the casualty and keep pointing. Do not take your eyes off them for any reason.
3. Throw flotation: the horseshoe and dan buoy, upwind of the casualty, as quickly as possible. Even if it lands short, it marks the area.
4. Press the MOB button on the chartplotter (whoever is nearest, often the helm, can do this).

The diagram below shows the shout and point.

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The pointer is the most important job aboard until the casualty is recovered. A head in the water drops out of sight in the trough of every wave. Once lost, it may never be found. Point with a straight arm so the helm can steer along your arm.

Crew Roles

Once the immediate actions are under way, the skipper (or whoever is in charge, if the skipper is the casualty) gives each person one job. The diagram below shows the standard roles.

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With a small crew, people combine roles, but the pointer should never be given another job. Many skippers send a MAYDAY immediately for any MOB, particularly at night or in rough weather: it costs nothing to cancel and brings other vessels and the RNLI. The skipper decides.

One voice of command. Only the person in charge gives orders. Everyone else acts and confirms aloud: "Dan buoy away!", "MOB button pressed!", "Engine in neutral!"

Recovery Manoeuvres

The aim of every method is to get the boat back to the casualty quickly, under control and stopped alongside them, without running them over. The helm and skipper choose the method; as crew you must know what the helm is doing so you can handle sheets and prepare the recovery.

Quick Stop

The quick stop turns the boat round immediately, keeping it close to the casualty. It suits short-handed crews and works well when sailing upwind or reaching.

1. Immediately on the shout, the helm tacks (heads up through the wind) without releasing the headsail sheet. The headsail backs and the boat slows dramatically, stopping close to the casualty.
2. With the headsail still backed, the helm bears away and lets the boat turn in a tight circle around the casualty, gybing if necessary.
3. The helm brings the boat back towards the casualty and makes the final approach slowly, stopping with the casualty alongside, usually on the leeward side, by the leeward shrouds.

The diagram below shows the quick stop.

Reach-Turn-Reach (Figure-of-Eight)

This traditional method gives more room and more control, and is the one taught for sailing back to a casualty:

1. The helm puts the boat on (or keeps it on) a beam reach, sailing away from the casualty for a few boat lengths (more in strong winds) to gain room to manoeuvre. The crew prepares sheets and recovery gear.
2. The helm tacks (not gybes, which is slower and more dangerous).
3. The boat sails back on a broad reach to a point downwind of the casualty, then heads up so the final approach is on a close reach, aiming to stop with the casualty just to leeward of the bow. The boat then drifts gently down onto the casualty, and its hull gives them some shelter.
4. On the close reach the sheets can be let out to spill wind and slow the boat, and freed completely to stop. Pulled in, they give power if the boat has stalled short.

The two diagrams below show the overall track and the close-reach approach.

Why a close reach? On a close reach you can control your speed by easing or trimming the sails. On a run or broad reach, the sails cannot be emptied of wind, and the boat cannot slow down; it will sail past or over the casualty. If the boat is approaching too fast, the helm can head up into the wind to stop.

Under Engine

Many skippers recover under power, after dropping or furling the sails. If so:

• Check for lines in the water before starting the engine (sheets trailing over the side wrap the propeller).
• Approach slowly, from downwind, so the boat can be stopped by the wind and steered.
• Put the engine into neutral when the casualty is near the bow, and stop it before the casualty is alongside near the stern.

The propeller is a lethal hazard to a person in the water. The diagram below shows the danger.

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Getting the Casualty Back Aboard

Getting alongside is often the easy part. Getting a cold, wet, heavy, exhausted person up the topsides of a yacht is the hard part. A wet adult in clothing and a lifejacket can weigh over 100 kg and may be unable to help.

Where to Bring the Casualty Alongside

The diagram below shows where along the hull the casualty should be: amidships, at the lowest freeboard, away from the bow (which pitches) and the propeller.

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Aim to stop with the casualty close alongside on the leeward side, by the leeward shrouds, so that the boat drifts down towards them rather than away and the heel brings the deck closer to the water. Ease the sheets so that the boat is upright when it stops, which brings the side deck down to its lowest. As soon as you can, get a line on them: the throwing line, a rescue sling, or a bowline round their chest under the arms. Once they are attached, they cannot drift away.

Recovery Methods

Stern ladder or bathing platform. If the casualty is fit and the sea is calm, they can climb the stern ladder, but only with the engine stopped. Many modern yachts have a sugar-scoop stern or stern gate, which makes this much easier. The diagram below shows this.

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Halyard lift. If the casualty cannot climb, lift them with a halyard or the boom and a purchase. Attach a halyard to a lifting strop, rescue sling or bowline around the casualty's chest (under the arms), or to the lifting becket on their lifejacket if it has one, and winch them aboard. A 4:1 tackle (often the mainsheet or a dedicated recovery tackle hoisted on a halyard) makes the load manageable. The diagram below shows the principle.

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Bow approach. In some conditions, a boat that has stopped upwind of the casualty drifts down onto them so they can be brought alongside at the bow and then walked aft along the leeward side, held on a line, to the lowest point for recovery. The diagram below illustrates the idea of using the hull's drift to collect the casualty.

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Lift Horizontally

A casualty who has been in cold water for more than a few minutes should be lifted horizontally if at all possible. The water pressure on their legs has been supporting their circulation; lifting them vertically lets blood pool in the legs, causing a drop in blood pressure that can lead to collapse or cardiac arrest ("post-rescue collapse"). A second strop under the knees, or a parbuckle (a sail or net rolled under the casualty to roll them up the side), keeps them horizontal. Once aboard, keep them lying down.

Aftercare

Once the casualty is aboard, the emergency is not over. The diagram below shows the sequence.

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1. Keep them lying down and handle gently.
2. Get them out of the wind and below if possible.
3. Remove wet clothing, dry them, and put on dry layers. Wrap in a sleeping bag or blankets, with a hat. A survival bag or space blanket helps.
4. Warm, sweet drinks if fully conscious and able to swallow. No alcohol, which increases heat loss.
5. Monitor for hypothermia: shivering, confusion, slurred speech, drowsiness. A casualty who stops shivering while still cold is getting worse.
6. Anyone who has inhaled water may develop breathing problems hours later ("secondary drowning"). Get medical advice. The skipper may call the coastguard on VHF for advice or evacuation.
7. If a MAYDAY was sent, cancel or update it.

Special Circumstances

Night and Poor Visibility

A casualty is very hard to see at night. In addition to the immediate actions:

• Switch on the deck lights and the cockpit lights, to help the crew see. If you have a searchlight or torch, give it to the pointer.
• Throw the lifebuoy with its light and the dan buoy with its light. Many lifebuoys have a self-igniting light that comes on when the buoy hits the water.
• The chartplotter MOB button is essential, because it records the position when you lost the casualty.
• A lifejacket light and whistle let the casualty signal. Everyone aboard should know how the casualty's own light and whistle work.
• Use flares (a parachute flare lights up the whole area, a hand flare shows your position to the casualty) only when the skipper says so, and keep them clear of the sails.
• Turn the boat slowly: it is easy to lose sense of position in the dark. Use the GPS range and bearing to the MOB mark.

Rough Weather

In strong winds and high seas it is much harder to manoeuvre and to recover. Principles:

• The quick stop may be the best choice, because it keeps the boat close, but the boat may be hard to control with the headsail backed. If so, the helm may need to roll away and furl the sail.
• Drop or furl sail before the final approach if there is a risk of being overpowered.
• Use the engine for the final approach, with the sails dropped or furled, if the engine is reliable.
• Prepare the recovery gear early, before the boat reaches the casualty.
• Be aware that waves may lift the boat on top of the casualty. Aim to stop with the casualty just to leeward, so the boat drifts towards them, not away; in big seas keep a little distance so the hull is not thrown onto them.

Short-Handed and Skipper Overboard

If there are only two crew aboard and one goes overboard, the remaining crew must be able to bring the boat back alone. Equally, if the skipper falls overboard, the crew need to know how to stop the boat, call for help and recover them. Every crew member should know:

• How to stop the boat (tack or gybe, or turn into the wind, release the sheets and let the sails flap).
• How to start and stop the engine, and how to put it in neutral.
• How to use the VHF and send a Mayday.
• How to use the GPS MOB button.
• How to raise the alarm by shouting.

The skipper should brief the crew at the start of each trip on what to do in a MOB situation. Many skippers also run a MOB drill on the first day.

The Lifesling and Other Recovery Aids

A Lifesling is a buoyant horse-collar on a long floating line, stowed on the pushpit. The boat sails a circle round the casualty, trailing the line, and the casualty grabs the line or the collar. The crew then pull in the line until the casualty is alongside, and use the halyard or the mainsheet purchase to lift the casualty. It is the recognised rescue aid for short-handed crews, because the boat is under way and does not have to stop alongside the casualty precisely. The photograph below shows a Lifesling stowed on a yacht's pushpit.

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Image: [Dennis van Zuijlekom](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lifesling_Overboard_Rescue_System_(7651305256).jpg), [CC BY-SA 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/), via [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lifesling_Overboard_Rescue_System_(7651305256).jpg)

Using Boat Equipment to Recover

If the casualty cannot help, you need a purchase that lets one or two people lift 100 kg or more. Options:

• A recovery tackle (a 4:1 or 6:1 block and tackle) hung from the boom or a halyard.
• A halyard led to a winch, clipped to a sling, harness or lifejacket lifting point.
• A boarding ladder or stern step for a fit casualty.
• A rolled sail or a rescue net (parbuckle) on the lowest part of the side deck: attach one edge to the deck and let the other trail in the water. Float the casualty into it and haul on the deck edge, rolling the casualty up the side.
• A dinghy lowered alongside, if the yacht has one, from which the casualty can be lifted aboard.

Practise with a person in a harness in harbour so you know the equipment works and how long it takes.

Searching When Sight Is Lost

If the pointer loses sight of the casualty, the boat must search systematically. Do not rush around.

1. The helm returns to the MOB position shown by the chartplotter or the dan buoy.
2. The casualty will have drifted with the tidal stream and the wind since falling in. In a tidal stream of 2 knots, in 15 minutes the casualty has moved half a mile. The tide is the most important factor.
3. The skipper estimates the drift: a person in the water drifts with the tidal stream, plus a little leeway downwind (up to about a knot in strong wind). Search down tide and downwind of the MOB position.
4. Use an expanding square or a sector search pattern: sail a series of legs, turning 90 degrees at the end of each and lengthening the leg after every second turn, so that the track spirals outwards from the MOB position. Keep a good lookout, with every crew member looking in a different direction.
5. Call the coastguard early, so that lifeboats and helicopters can help. Give them the time of the incident, the MOB position, the tide, the casualty's description and clothing.

Debriefing and Reporting

After any MOB incident or drill, the skipper should lead a short debrief:

• What went well and what went wrong?
• How long did it take to turn, to get alongside, and to recover?
• Did the casualty get a line, and was the recovery horizontal?
• Were roles clear? Did the pointer keep sight?
• Is any equipment missing, damaged, or hard to reach?

Reporting: in the UK, notify the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) if a casualty is seriously injured or dies. Informing the coastguard that the incident is over is part of the Mayday cancellation.

Mental well-being matters too. Recovering a casualty can be frightening for everyone involved, and people may feel shock or guilt afterwards. Talk about it, and make sure that the casualty gets medical checks even if they feel fine.

What the RYA Instructor Expects

Competent Crew MOB is assessed in practice, usually with a fender or a dummy as the casualty, and by questioning. The instructor expects you to:

• Shout and point immediately without being told.
• Throw the horseshoe and dan buoy upwind of the casualty, and know where they are stowed.
• Know the five roles and fill any one when asked.
• Press the MOB button or know who does.
• Explain the recovery method the skipper uses (quick stop, reach-turn-reach or motoring) and why the final approach is slow.
• Handle sheets as asked during the manoeuvre, and prepare recovery gear.
• Help recover a casualty (a person in a harness or a dummy) horizontally, using the tackle or halyard.
• Explain the aftercare for a cold casualty.

Instructors also look at attitude. They want a crew member who calls the alarm without hesitation, who does not leave their post, who does not panic, and who follows the skipper's lead.

Worked Example

A Full MOB Drill: Beam Reach, Force 4

The yacht is on a beam reach in Force 4. During a training drill, the instructor throws a fender with a bucket attached ("Bob") over the leeward side. The diagram below sets out the sequence.

1. You see it go and shout "Man overboard, port side!" You point at Bob and keep pointing.
2. Your crewmate throws the horseshoe and dan buoy over, just upwind of Bob. The helm presses the MOB button.
3. The skipper assigns roles: you remain pointer; one crew prepares the throwing line and the halyard for lifting; another watches for other boats.
4. The helm holds the beam reach for about three boat lengths, then calls "Ready about!" and tacks. You keep pointing, moving across the cockpit to keep a clear view.
5. The boat comes back on a broad reach to a point downwind of Bob, then heads up to a close reach. At two boat lengths out, the helm calls "Ease the sheets" and the boat slows.
6. The boat stops with Bob alongside to leeward, by the leeward shrouds. The helm confirms the engine is off (it was never started under sail). The throwing line is passed and Bob is secured with a bowline under the "arms."
7. A halyard is clipped to the bowline and the crew winch Bob up and over the guardwires, as horizontally as possible, with two people guiding.
8. Debrief: how long did it take, did the pointer ever lose sight, was the approach too fast?

Night, Force 5: Skipper Overboard

You are one of three crew on a 10 m yacht on a night passage, close-hauled in Force 5. The skipper goes forward to check the headsail and, clipped to a long tether, is thrown off balance by a wave and goes over the side. Only you, in the cockpit, saw it.

1. You shout "Man overboard, starboard side!" at once, loudly enough to wake the off-watch crew, and point at the head in the water. The tether is still clipped on, so the skipper is being dragged alongside; you shout "Heave to!" and the helm tacks without releasing the headsail sheet, which stops the boat.
2. The helm presses the MOB button. The second crew throws the horseshoe with its light and the dan buoy, and switches on the deck lights.
3. You keep pointing, and ask the second crew to bring the searchlight so you can keep the light on the skipper.
4. The communicator, who has just come on deck, sends a DSC distress alert and a Mayday on Channel 16. The coastguard acknowledges.
5. With the boat now stopped, the skipper is close alongside, still attached. You pass the Lifesling to them and clip the end to a cleat. The helm starts the engine only when the line is clear, and puts it in neutral.
6. The skipper is too cold to climb. The crew clip a halyard to the harness and take it round a winch. Two crew guide the lift over the lowest part of the guardwires, with the skipper horizontal.
7. Below, the crew remove the wet clothes, wrap the skipper in a sleeping bag and give a warm drink. The helm tells the coastguard the casualty is recovered, accepts their advice to head for the nearest port, and cancels the Mayday only when told it is safe to do so.
8. Afterwards the crew debrief: the skipper was clipped on, but the tether was too long. They agree to use the short leg forward of the mast from now on.

Common Mistakes

The diagrams below show the five most common errors, followed by how to avoid them.

Losing Sight of the Casualty

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The pointer is distracted by sheets, the radio or the chaos. Fix: the pointer does nothing else. If they tire or have to move, they hand over explicitly to a backup pointer, who confirms "I have them."

Throwing Flotation Downwind

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Buoys and lines blow downwind faster than a person in the water drifts. Fix: throw upwind of the casualty.

Approaching Too Fast

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The boat overshoots or hits the casualty, typically because the approach was on a broad reach or run. Fix: final approach on a close reach, easing sheets to slow down, or slowly under engine.

Silence and Confusion

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Either no one says anything (and the helm does not know there is an MOB) or everyone shouts at once. Fix: shout the alarm loudly; then one person commands and everyone else acts and confirms briefly.

Other Mistakes

• Engine running near the casualty. Neutral then stop before they are near the stern.
• Lines trailing in the water when the engine is started. Check before starting.
• Lifting the casualty vertically after prolonged immersion. Lift horizontally where possible.
• Not getting a line on the casualty once alongside: they drift off as the boat moves.
• Leaning out to grab the casualty without being clipped on. The rescuer becomes a second casualty.
• Clipping on to guardwires or stanchions instead of a jackstay or strong point.
• Sending the Mayday too late. If in doubt, call early and cancel if not needed.
• Searching at the MOB position instead of down tide and downwind, where the casualty has drifted.
• Wearing a lifejacket without a crotch strap or one that has not been serviced.

Summary

• Prevention first: clip on, wear a lifejacket.
• Immediate actions: shout "Man overboard!", point and keep pointing, throw the horseshoe and dan buoy upwind of the casualty, press the MOB button.
• Assign roles: helm, pointer, thrower, spotter, communicator. One voice of command; the pointer does nothing else. Consider a MAYDAY early.
• Quick stop keeps the boat close; reach-turn-reach gives room and control. Final approach on a close reach, so speed can be controlled, or slowly under engine.
• Stop with the casualty alongside amidships, on the leeward side so the boat drifts down towards them; get a line on them; engine in neutral and stopped; check for lines in the water.
• Lift with a halyard and tackle, horizontally if they have been in cold water. Use the stern ladder only if they are able and the engine is off.
• Aftercare: horizontal, dry, warm, sweet drinks, monitor for hypothermia and breathing problems, get medical advice.
• Prevention: lifejacket with crotch strap, harness clipped to a jackstay or strong point (never a guardwire), short tether, one hand for yourself.
• Cold water has four stages: cold shock (first minutes), swim failure, hypothermia, post-rescue collapse. Floating on the back through the first minute saves lives.
• Raise the alarm early: DSC distress button held five seconds, then a Mayday on Channel 16. A Lifesling helps a short-handed crew. If sight is lost, search down tide and downwind of the MOB position.

Check Your Understanding

1. What are the four immediate actions when someone falls overboard?

Answer: Shout "Man overboard!" (with the side); point at the casualty and keep pointing; throw the horseshoe buoy and dan buoy; press the MOB button on the GPS or chartplotter.

1. Why is the pointer's job so important, and what should they never do?

Answer: A head in the water quickly disappears among waves; if sight is lost the casualty may not be found. The pointer must never look away or take on another job; they hand over explicitly to a backup if needed.

1. Where should flotation be thrown relative to the casualty, and why?

Answer: Slightly upwind of them, because the buoy drifts downwind faster than the person, so it will blow down towards them.

1. Yacht speed is 6 knots. Roughly how far away is the casualty after 30 seconds if the boat does nothing?

Answer: 6 knots is about 3 m per second, so about 90 m, which is why immediate action and flotation matter.

1. Describe the quick stop.

Answer: The helm tacks immediately without releasing the headsail sheet, so the headsail backs and the boat slows and stops near the casualty; the boat then turns in a tight circle around them and makes a slow final approach.

1. In the reach-turn-reach method, why is the final approach made on a close reach?

Answer: On a close reach the sails can be eased to spill wind and slow or stop the boat, or trimmed to regain speed. On a broad reach or run the boat cannot slow down and will overrun the casualty.

1. What must be done with the engine during the final approach and recovery, and what must be checked before starting it?

Answer: Put it in neutral as the casualty nears the boat and stop it before they are near the stern, because the propeller can kill. Before starting it, check no sheets or lines are trailing in the water.

1. Where along the hull should the casualty be recovered, and why?

Answer: Amidships, where the freeboard is lowest, on the leeward side so the boat drifts down towards the casualty, and away from the pitching bow and the propeller.

1. Why should a casualty who has been in cold water be lifted horizontally?

Answer: Lifting vertically lets blood pool in the legs once water pressure is removed, causing a drop in blood pressure that can lead to collapse or cardiac arrest.

1. List four aftercare actions for a recovered casualty.

Answer: Any four of: keep them lying down; get them out of the wind; remove wet clothing and dry them; dress in dry layers and wrap in a sleeping bag with a hat; give warm sweet (non-alcoholic) drinks if fully conscious; monitor for hypothermia and breathing problems; seek medical advice via the coastguard.

1. Describe the four stages of cold water immersion and the risk at each stage.

Answer: Cold shock in the first one to three minutes (gasping, high heart rate, risk of inhaling water); swim failure within up to 30 minutes (muscles weaken, the casualty cannot grip or swim); hypothermia after that (confusion, loss of consciousness); and post-rescue collapse during or after recovery, when the water pressure is removed and blood pressure falls. This is why a floating casualty needs to be recovered quickly and lifted horizontally.

1. How do you send a DSC distress alert, and what do you do next?

Answer: Lift the cover and hold the red DISTRESS button for five seconds, so the radio transmits the boat's MMSI and position on Channel 70. Then switch to Channel 16 and send the voice Mayday: Mayday three times, this is (name) three times, MMSI, Mayday name, position, man overboard, assistance required, number aboard, over.