Question 1

Post-incident, you discover the skipper was not clipped on when they went to the bow at 0200. Which combination of failures led to this MOB?

Accepted Answer

Normalisation of deviance (not clipping on had "never been a problem before"); inadequate pre-watch briefing; no watch handover check for tether attachment; solo watch at night without a buddy-check rule Most MOB fatalities on yachts involve experienced sailors who "just nipped forward" without clipping on. Normalisation of deviance is the key human factor: the risk was always there, but repeated safe trips without clipping on normalised the behaviour. System fixes: ALWAYS ON rule at night and in Force 4+; check tether before every deck excursion; buddy-check on handover.

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.