This is the method practised at the author’s
sailing school: a block is attached to the main
halyard and a retrieval line is run through it,
clipped to the Lifesling, and taken to a primary
winch via a block on deck, giving a 2:1 purchase.
Circle the MOB till they can grab the float.
- Roll up the jib first (ideally while off the
wind).
- Head up and drop the main. Do not start
the engine. Put the gear lever in reverse to
stop the prop spinning.
- Pull in the Lifesling and MOB till they are
as close as possible. Secure the Lifesling
line near the front of the cockpit. Prepare to
retrieve the MOB.
Remember to tack immediately. Keep close
to the victim. It’s astonishing how easy it is
to lose sight of the MOB in any kind of a
seaway. By letting the jib backwind, you will
slow the boat down, and things will be more
controlled. Go too slow however, and you lose
control. Of course, if you have a self-tacking
headsail, you won’t have that problem.
Every boat will behave differently. Even the
same boat will heave-to quite differently with
a 110 percent jib versus a 150 percent genoa.
Masthead rigs with large genoas will not heave-
to very well, and may be hard to gybe from the
hove-to position. Easing the jib out somewhat
is the simple solution.
You must practice this on any boat you are
unfamiliar with to see how the boat heaves-to,
and figure out how to hoist the Lifesling up.
Normal double blocks tend to twist,
creating extra friction. A Spanish Burton
uses single blocks, gives 3:1 purchase
and doesn’t twist under load.
The simplest way to get an
MOB back onboard is to
get the casualty up a bathing
ladder at the stern. But if the
stern is crashing around, try
to rig a ladder on the side. If
that’s not possible, a knotted
“manrope” to haul on and a
couple of loops for the MOB’s
feet will work. Some clothes don’t
drain and can hold loads of water,
making it very hard to climb out.
If this is the case, you might need
to take one of the foot loops to a
winch to haul the MOB out.
