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Webmaster's note: This list of materials was put together by Walter Conner and presented to the Catalina Association of Puget Sound (CAPS Fleet1).
----- Original Message -----
From: "Walter Conner" walterconner@comcast.net
To: capsfleet1@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, July 5, 2009 12:23:05 PM
Subject: Man overboard safety equipment
During my recent presentation to the CAPS group, I mentioned that I had been thinking about what would happen if someone fell overboard when sailing in rough weather. It seems the most important factors are:
- Don’t fall overboard ... wear an inflatable life jacket with a safety line for when you need to move around the boat in questionable conditions (I wear a lighter weight inflatable PFD for calm conditions, and a heavy inflatable PFD with harness/safety tether and hydrostatic release for heavier weather). I have a tether anchor point right outside the companionway hatch so you can clip in even before you enter the cockpit area.
- Have a man overboard routine that you have actually practiced (yearly), preferably in heavier weather and with a live person in the water. The
LifeSling system is widely used by Puget Sound sailors and works well especially when a smaller person has to lift a heavier person out of the
water.
- Have several ways to signal rescuers when you are in the water.
I remember a sobering presentation by the Coast Guard at a safety seminar. They showed a video of a rescue in the Strait of Juan de Fuca shot from a rescue helicopter flying at about 1000 ft. It was blowing about 35 to 40 knots and the water was covered by whitecaps and rolling waves (all white rain gear is virtually impossible to spot in these conditions).
The instructor said: “OK, can someone spot the man overboard in the water?” No one could. “OK then, can you spot the bright orange life raft they deployed?” Again, with 40 people now carefully scanning the screen, no one could spot it. “Well, let’s make this easier, can anyone spot the 40 ft. sailboat that the guy fell off of?” Finally, someone in the front row picked it out with a little help from the instructor. The point the instructor was trying to make (and he now had 40 true believers in the room), was that you need to be SEEN to be rescued.
I used to carry some safety gear in the pockets of my rain jacket, but realized that I don’t necessary have that on all the time, especially in warmer weather. What I do have on all the time is my PFD, so I started to think about how to carry the requisite safety gear on the PFD. Most PFD’s aren’t designed with pockets for such gear, and I know that if you modify a Coast Guard approved life jacket by sewing on pockets, straps, etc., they no longer consider it an “approved device.”
So Plan B was to find someway to attach safety gear so it could be transferred from my lighter PFD to my heavier PFD, and in a way that it didn’t hamper my movement about the boat. My solution was a small clip-on pouch that REI sells ( http://www.rei.com/product/787567). It is just the right size to hold my gear and stays fairly securely attached. (I am going to rig a short safety line from the clip to the belt in case it got bumped.) The pouch clips on the left side where its easy to reach for a right-handed person.
On my right side is a Spyderco Rescue Assist 1 knife (http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=304). I really like this knife because 1) it’s stainless and super sharp 2) it can be opened one handed, 3) it has a combo serrated and straight edge blade, 4) there’s no point on the end so you couldn’t stab yourself or your life raft), and 5) it has a open belt clip. If you fell overboard and became entangle in lines, you could quickly unhook this knife and cut the line. The knife is attached to a short piece of cord tied to my PFD so it can’t drop it into the water.
Next, in the BE SEEN category, I have the following safety items in the pouch. (Please not that everything has either a lanyard or a clip so it stays attached to you when you are floating in the water):
- ACR Hot Shot Rescue Mirror with whistle and float (http://www.landfallnavigation.com/sa1700.html)
- ACR Firefly Strobe (http://www.landfallnavigation.com/acrfirefly.html)
- Orion Skyblazer mini flare ( http://www.orionsignals.com/Marine/Products/aerial.html)
- Greatland Red Laser Light ( http://www.greatlandlaser.com/rescue-laser-light.html). They also make a green version that has greater visibility but is much more expensive.
Obviously there are a lot of visual rescue aids on the market that are effective, but these seemed to be the best compromise of what I was able to comfortable carry in the pouch and always have with me if I fell overboard. A cell phone or VHF radio in a waterproof case would be excellent if you can find a way to carry it and use it in the water.
The logic of the various pieces was the signal mirror is highly visible in clear weather, the rescue laser can be seen up to 60 miles out at night by a airplane or rescue boat (it projects a vertical red line in the sky), and the strobe and flare would be good as rescuers approached closer to your location.
Also, someone asked about the kayaks we used in Barkley Sound. They are the 13 ft. Advanced Elements Advanced Frame model (http://www.advancedelements.com/advancedframe.html). There is an option aluminum “keel” tube that provides additional support and better tracking. The kayaks worked superbly in all conditions and were very stable in waves. We worried about how to get in and out of them, but the sugar scoop stern on the Catalina 36 and the boarding ladder made it was fairly easy to get in and out. We also bought their paddles and the spray shield that goes around your waist for rough weather. You can save a substantial amount of money by watching for sales on the web during the off season.
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