Question 1

The skipper is alongside but exhausted and unable to climb the transom ladder. It is 0200, Force 5. You are solo. How do you get them back on board?

Accepted Answer

Use a Lifesling or MOB recovery sling looped under their arms; take the line to a cockpit winch and haul; a block and tackle through the mainsheet system can assist; lower the swim ladder and talk them through it A wet, exhausted person in a lifejacket weighs ~100kg in the water. Solo recovery requires mechanical advantage. A Lifesling recovers the arms-free casualty; a cockpit winch provides lifting power. If the casualty can assist: swim ladder first. A spinnaker halyard and block and tackle is a valid last resort. Do not jump in — you now have two MOBs. Maintain contact with the casualty at all times.

Question 2

It is 0200 hrs. You are alone on watch, Beaufort 5, 2m swell. You hear a splash and the tether clip sounds behind you. The skipper is no longer at the helm. What is your FIRST action?

Accepted Answer

Shout "MAN OVERBOARD!", throw the horseshoe lifebuoy and danbuoy overboard immediately, and press the GPS MOB button The first 30 seconds are critical. Throw the lifebuoy to the casualty AND mark the position (GPS MOB) simultaneously. Then shout to wake the rest of the crew. In Force 5 at night you will lose a person in the water in under 60 seconds visually — equipment in the water first, radio later. The fatal error here is going below first.

Question 3

You have thrown the lifebuoy. You can just see the skipper's lifejacket light in the water. The danbuoy has not inflated. What do you do while manoeuvring?

Accepted Answer

Fix your eyes on the casualty's light and do NOT look away — point one arm at them continuously, even as you steer The pointer role is the single most important action after the initial response. Once you look away you will very likely lose the person in the dark and swell. The GPS MOB marks where they went in, NOT where the current has taken them. Visual contact takes absolute priority — even at the cost of sail trim.