Saving a crew-member who has fallen overboard requires basic sailing skills, the right tools for the job and the ability to calmly make the right moves in the face of a dire emergency. Last July, the Modern Sailing Academy in Sausalito, California, invited a group of seasoned sailors and journalists to join them in two days and a night of testing boat handling maneuvers and crew-overboard equipment.

In last month's issue of Blue Water Sailing, the maneuvers needed to stop a boat and return to a victim in the water were described and the results of the two days of testing evaluated. In short, the conclusions drawn from the tests were that the boat must be stopped as quickly as possible, that the engine should be used to return to a victim once sails are under control, and the simple Six-Second Stop is the best maneuver in most situations.

This month, we look at what the crew on board should do to attach the victim to the boat with a line, to provide buoyancy and, finally, to hoist or lift the victim back onto the boat.

Flotation Devices

The tests run by the Modern Sailing Academy and numerous other on-the-water tests have shown that providing flotation to a victim in the water as soon as he or she falls overboard is the single most important ingredient in a successful recovery. If the victim is injured or being dragged down by sea boots and foul weather gear, flotation will make the difference between life and death. A victim wearing personal flotation is much more likely to survive than one who is not.

There are several ways to deliver flotation to a victim, and whichever device you choose, it must be deployed instantly. A boat sailing at six knots is moving away from the victim at 10 feet per second. Hesitate for 10 seconds and the victim will be 100 feet away -too far for a flotation device to be deployed with any hope of success. Because of the need for quick deployment, the simplest device will be a standard cockpit cushion, which can be thrown frisbee-style 50 feet downwind with some accuracy. However, cushions are too light to be successfully thrown up wind.

Naturally, a flotation device thrown immediately must not be attached to the boat with a line unless the boat has already been stopped or it will drag the victim behind the boat and could easily cause a drowning. That means a Lifesling (which does not throw well anyway) or other flotation with tethers attached should not be used until the boat is close to the victim, stopped and ready to per form the rescue.

Three devices designed to get flotation into the water and near the victim as quickly as possible have been brought to the market, one by Forespar and two from Survival Technologies. Although not tested in the San Francisco program,Blue Water Sailing performed independent tests in Rhode Island.

Already a leader in the field of horseshoe flotation rings, Dan buoys and man-overboard strobes, Forespar offers quick-release launchers for the ring and buoy. The Horseshoe Launching Device is a plastic unit that fits on the stern rail, holding the horseshoe, line and strobe. The Dan buoy can be mounted either vertically, horizontally or in a stern tube. Pull a lanyard and the unit drops off the stern, pulling the Dan buoy with it. In a less expensive model, the ring is held in a canvas launching pack on the stern rail, which can be deployed with the pull of a lanyard.

While the Forespar systems address the need for instant deployment, in tests we had repeated trouble getting the horseshoe and pole away quickly and cleanly and had the pole get hung up on the lifelines as it was pulled over the side. A stern tube for the pole is the best way to ensure a clean release, but the addition of a tube will boost the price considerably. With a standard safety package and pole, the canvas device retails for approximately $525, while the plastic launcher and equipment costs $540.

Survival Technologies has taken a different route to the same destination. The MOM 8 (Man-Overboard Module) and the MOM 9 are the most sophisticated pieces of crew overboard flotation available. Both units are to be permanently mounted on a stern rail, within reach of the helmsman in an aft-cockpit boat. Deployed with the pull of a pin, the devices fall freely into the water and immediately inflate. Both devices have eight-foot inflatable Dan buoys with lights on top, sea anchors and a flotation device. The MOM 8 supplies an inflatable horseshoe ring, equipped with hoisting straps. The MOM 9 deploys a seven-foot yellow raft large enough for one person.

On the water, once the "man overboard" call has been made, it takes an alert helmsman or crew less than five seconds to pull the pin and jettison the rescue flotation into the sea. The Dan buoy and ring of the MOM 8 inflate within three seconds. The raft in the MOM 9 becomes fully inflated in less than five seconds. However, if the crew can not reach the device and pull the pin within five to 10 seconds, it will be too late to deploy it. So, the presence of mind of the crew or helmsman is as vital to the rescue operation as any device.

Constructed of heavy materials and well engineered, the rescue devices from Survival Technologies are the best solutions to the problem of getting flotation to a victim immediately. In night emergencies, the light on the top of the Dan buoy will make a critical difference as it can be seen reliably from a mile away. At nearly $600, the MOM 8 is expensive. But for those who want to take the step up from a throwable cockpit cushion or the horseshoe and Dan buoy, the MOM 8 is the way to go. The MOM 9 costs close to $1,000. We consider it a commercial-grade device that will appeal to voyagers who are heading into high latitudes where hypothermia will be an important consideration.

For those who want to keep their sailing simple and inexpensive, standard foam- or kapok- filled throwable cockpit cushions will fit the bill in most circumstances. But those who often sail through the night and venture into heavy weather should consider the benefits of the MOM units.Blue Water Sailing highly recommends them both

Heaving Lines & Tethers

Once the boat has been stopped near the victim, a heaving line or tether should be used to make contact and secure the victim to the boat. Several dedicated heaving lines are available from Forespar, West Marine and Survival Technologies.

A simple heaving line is nothing more than a length (70 to 75 feet) of polypropylene line in a throwable sack, which is equipped with throwing handles. While this is low-tech equipment, it is important that the bag have enough heft to permit a good throw of 50 feet or more. We like the West Marine heaving line because it does the job at the most reasonable price ($32.95).

For $10 more, the Survival Technologies heaving line gives you another five feet of line and shackle that is used to form a loop at the victim's end of the line. This little addition is an excellent idea as it allows the victim to put the line around his chest. Even if we opted for the West line, we'd add a shackle at the line's end so a victim's harness could be formed.

A simple tether does not provide buoyancy, nor does it include a way to haul or hoist the victim back onto the boat. If you have already deployed a Lifesling or one of the buoyancy devices discussed above, then an attachment point will be in place for a halyard or block and tackle hoist.

Another approach is to use a heaving line with its own buoyancy device in the bag that is thrown. This is a particularly good idea when no buoyancy was deployed at the outset or in cold climates where hypothermia is a danger.

Two devices are available that combine a tether with flotation. A new product to the market, the Rescue Sling, combines a 70-foot polypropylene tether with a water activated inflatable horseshoe. The device is stored in a rail container similar to that for a Lifesling. Designed for throwing, it has handles on the top and a compact shape. Attaining accurate throws of 50 feet or more is not difficult with an easy underarm or sidearm throw. The horseshoe inflates within three seconds of hitting the water, providing the victim with buoyancy, a tether and a whistle. We like the Rescue Sling ($149) and consider it an excellent lifesaving tool.

But the Rescue Sling is not alone in this category. Survival Technologies introduced the throwable flotation collar some years ago and their Techfloat sets the standard for these devices. The sack containing the polypropylene line and the deflated horseshoe has just the right heft for throwing. It is easy to hurl the bag 50 feet with accuracy. Once in the water, the horseshoe inflates in two seconds and provides the victim with 25 pounds of buoyancy. A top piece of equipment and a good value at $119, we recommend the Techfloat for offshore and coastal sailing.

The last tether to discuss is the Lifesling. Used in combination with a Quick-Stop maneuver and the LifeSling Circle, this lifesaving device has had more research done on it, more experts examine it and more people actually test it than any other. The flotation device provides ample buoyancy and doubles as a lifting harness. Simple and easy to use, the Lifesling ($149.95) should be on every offshore boat. That said, however, the Lifesling does not replace either a deployable flotation device like the MOM ~ or a throwable device like the Rescue Sling.

In a crew-overboard rescue, getting a wet, hypothermic and possibly injured person back on deck may be the most difficult task. During the San Francisco tests, this question was at the top of everyone's list. Of particular concern was how to get an unconscious or seriously injured person back aboard. In fact, after numerous attempts to retrieve a diver playing at being an unconscious victim, it was conceded that a crew member rendered unconscious while being knocked overboard had little or no chance of being rescued alive, even if he was wearing a personal flotation device. Moreover, a person suffering a serious injury has only a slightly better chance of surviving if weather conditions are less than perfect. The only solution was to put a swimmer in the water to help the victim, a decision that puts two, instead of one, crew members at risk.

The more successful tests had the victim actively trying to save himself. In real life, a person in the water not suffering serious harm will take a very serious interest in his own rescue, clawing his way back aboard with every ounce of strength.

By far the simplest and surest way to get a person back onto the boat is with a block and tackle on the end of a halyard, the system developed for use with the Lifesling. But it can be used with a standard horseshoe equipped with hoisting rings, with the Techfloat, MOM 8 horseshoe or with the Rescue Sling. The block-and-tackle system is attached to the victim's sling and the main halyard, hoisted 10 feet off the deck, and then the victim is hoisted to the deck with a tackle. It takes longer to read about it than to do it, even in rough weather. A standard block and tackle can be purchased with a Lifesling. Even if you opt for the Techfloat or Rescue Sling, we suggest you buy the block and tackle.

An innovative system for getting a person in the water back aboard quickly and easily has been developed by the Modern Sailing Academy. Called The Elevator, all that is required is a length of genoa sheet, led aft around a stern cleat and then forward outside the lifelines to a cockpit winch, leaving enough line hanging down for the victim to get his feet on it. Once the victim is balanced on the sheet, the sheet is cranked in and the victim is elevated to deck level.

Of the patented devices, a new and interesting invention was brought to the tests by David Epstein. Trying to solve the problem of a smaller person hoisting a large one aboard, he developed a stainless-steel crane that mounts permanently around one of the cap shrouds to a height of six feet off the deck and is braced to the mast to hold it firmly in place. From the vertical piece, a crane arm extends over the water and from it hangs a T-bar chair on a block and tackle. The T-bar is lowered on the tackle, the victim sits on it and is then hoisted back aboard. The device works well, particularly with a victim who can do little more than hold on to a bar. But, the T-bar is heavy, complicated and, we believe it will be too expensive for most sailors. Blue Water Sailing will keep an eye on this new product as it evolves.

Two of the devices brought to the tests were designed to retrieve an injured sailor from the water. Both of these are based upon the old technique of scooping up a victim in a loose head sail rigged along the side of the boat. This method appears in seamanship texts from before the Second World War. The method was little more than theory then and remains so today.

In the tests, the American-made Easy Lift and the British-made TriBuckle were repeatedly tested. The first problem for each was the lack of weights on the sail; it was difficult to get the sail to sink far enough for the victim to get into it. When the wind kicked up, the sail tended to float skyward, making it hard to manage.

Victims who could help themselves were able to crawl into the sails and could hold on as they were rolled up the topsides to deck level. Often they ended up facing the wrong way once hoisted to deck level and had to wrench their bodies awkwardly to get a grip on a stanchion. Squeezing a large victim under the lifelines was next to impossible.

Test swimmers who played unconscious or injured victims could not be coaxed into the sail without putting a person into the water. Once in the sail and half way hoisted, they tended to fall out again. Had we been rescuing real victims, we would have lost three-quarters of them.

The only viable use for the TriBuckle or Easy Lift is with injured victims. Yet, to get the person immobilized in the sail and back aboard, it is necessary to hoist from all three corners instead of just from the head of the sail. Rolling an injured victim up the topsides in the sail simply r doesn't work. More experimentation may develop better ways to use these devices.

The last piece of gear tested in San Francisco is called a Jason's Cradle. A metal and plastic contraption that is hung from the deck and down the topsides is designed to hoist a victim in much the same fashion as the Easy Lift or Tri-Buckle. The cradle is three feet wide, which is not wide enough for a person to lie across while being hoisted or rolled up the side of the boat. Suffering the same deficiencies as the Easy Lift and the Tri-Buckle, the Jason's Cradle also has negative buoyancy when not attached to the boat and costs more than $700. While Blue Water Sailing goes to some lenght to give a new product the benefit of a doubt, we could not get the device to work after repeated attempts with an experienced crew. The concept may have merit in much larger version for commercial craft, particulary if it could be climbed like ladder. But in its present form it has no place on an ocean-sailing sailboat.

Conclusion

A crew overboard emergency should be avoided at all costs. Safety harnesses should be worn and harness tethers should be clipped at all times, particularly when the weather is nasty. But a skipper needs to be prepared for an emergency with appropriate equipment and planning. It is vitally important for each crew member to know the crew-overboard drill, to understand the equipment and to be comfortable performing boat handling and gear handling tasks. The lives of family and friends could depend upon it.