Question 1

After landing at Cherbourg, the skipper and crew are safe. Should you report the MOB incident and if so to whom?

Accepted Answer

Yes — report to HM Coastguard to close the SAR incident; the MAIB should be notified if there was any injury or if the vessel was in danger (Section 94 duty to report). Insurers should also be informed Always close out a SAR incident with the Coastguard — failure to do so wastes SAR resources searching for a vessel already safely in port. MAIB notification is required under the Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2012 for reportable accidents involving non-commercial vessels that result in injury or loss of life. Near-miss reporting is voluntary but strongly encouraged and helps prevent future fatalities.

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.