[C320-list] Crew Overboard!

[Barbara Uhlman]

Thanks for all the tips.  We had very little wind Sunday so threw a strappy cushion in for a MOB drill.  We saved the cushion, but it took two passes.  Bob wanted to make sure I could save him if he went overboard one day! 

Barb Uhlman
Whisper, #1158


--- On Tue, 9/14/10, Chris Burti <clburti at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Chris Burti <clburti at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Crew Overboard!
> To: C320-List at catalina320.com
> Date: Tuesday, September 14, 2010, 10:45 AM
> Dean,
> Can we use this for our next Mainsheet article?
> 
> On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 11:31 AM, Dean Vermeire <dean at vermeire.us>
> wrote:
> >  Hi All,
> >
> > Everybody is fine, so no need to panic.  We had a
> dog, followed by the first
> > mate, go overboard this weekend.  I thought I'd
> describe what happened and
> > how we executed the rescue, just so some can learn
> from what I did right and
> > what I did wrong.  I could also learn from your
> comments.
> >
> > I've told our two beagles, Holly and Noel, to always
> go up the windward
> > side, but Noel must not have been paying attention.
>  As we were sailing on a
> > broad reach in about 12 knots of breeze on beautiful
> Perry Lake, here in
> > Kansas, Noel decided to go up to the foredeck.  When
> she was just past the
> > genoa car, the jib sheet, which had been slack, went
> taught.  The jib sheet
> > pushed the dog overboard.  Actually, she had her hind
> legs on the deck just
> > long enough for me to run up there, but not quite long
> enough for me to grab
> > her.
> >
> > I immediately ran back to the helm with the intention
> of diving in after the
> > dog.  However, my lovely bride was already jumping in
> by that point.  I
> > grabbed the throwable life ring and handed it to my
> 20-year-old daughter.
> >  She threw the life ring to my wife as I turned the
> boat to begin a figure
> > eight to retrieve my wife and dog.  I also handed my
> daughter the throwing
> > bag / heaving line.  She pulled a bunch of line out
> of the pouch, thinking
> > that she was to hang on to the pouch and throw the
> line.  I had her pull the
> > line back in from the water, since it was likely to
> foul the rudder and
> > prop.
> >
> > By this time, my wife had the life ring and the dog.
>  I began maneuvering to
> > pick them up.  My daughter grabbed the boat hook, and
> I released the jib
> > sheet.  Another sailboat, a Venture 22 with an
> outboard motor, started
> > sailing towards my wife.  I don't know why he thought
> he, sailing
> > single-handed, would have a better chance of
> retrieving my wife and dog then
> > we would, with a two aboard and a walk-through
> transom.  None the less, he
> > was in the way, and I yelled at him to clear out.
>  This messed up our
> > approach.  So, I fired up the engine and motored
> upwind to my wife.  Just as
> > we came alongside, I killed the engine, jumped back on
> the transom, and
> > grabbed my wife's hand.  She then grabbed the ladder,
> and I grabbed the dog.
> >  I helped my wife onto the boat and then grabbed the
> wheel.  Successful
> > rescue.
> >
> > I'm glad we were sailing on a lake in Kansas.  Even
> though there was a
> > pretty good breeze with occasional white caps, the
> waves were fairly small.
> >
> > Although things went pretty well with the rescue,
> there are some big
> > mistakes made and some changes I will make.
> >
> > Mistakes:
> > 1.  The dogs did not have their life jackets on.
> > 2.  The humans did not have life jackets or automatic
> inflatable jackets on.
> > 3.  The dogs were able to go up to the foredeck.
> > 4.  We were not paying close attention, since we were
> leisurely sailing
> > downwind.
> > 5.  My daughter had not been instructed on how to use
> the heaving line.
> > 6.  My wife did not take the life ring with her as
> she jumped in to save her
> > dog.
> > 7.  I did not have a secondary throwable close at
> hand.  I should have
> > thrown life jackets, etc.
> > 8.  It took me too long to think about grabbing the
> boat hook.  It was just
> > inside the cabin, standing vertical by the
> companionway stairs, within easy
> > reach of the cockpit.
> > 9.  Sail handling was not good.  Getting at the
> jibsheet and mainsheet was
> > cumbersome.  Dropping the main would have been
> difficult and time consuming.
> > 10.  I should probably have started the engine
> sooner.  If my wife had not
> > been able to get both the lifering and the dog, things
> could have been
> > worse.
> >
> > Things that went right:
> > 1.  We saved the dog and the wife without any
> injury.
> > 2.  I knew what to do.
> > 3.  We had the proper equipment.
> >
> > Things I will change:
> > 1.  I will make the lifering easier to deploy.
> > 2.  I will instruct the crew better on the use of the
> life ring and the
> > heaving line.
> > 3.  I will add another throwable with a connecting
> line, such as a life
> > sling, within reach of the crew.
> > 4.  I will keep the boat hook within reach of the
> helm.
> > 5.  I will put netting from a stanchion to the cabin
> top to prevent dogs
> > from going up to the foredeck!!!
> > 6.  I will put a laminated overboard procedures card
> in the cockpit for
> > guests to read.
> >
> > I'm sure I have already learned more lessons from
> this, but feel free to
> > contribute.
> >
> > Dean Vermeire
> > Moonstruck II (#847)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Chris Burti Farmville, NC
>