[C320-list] Crew Overboard!

[Mike Ott]

Earlier this summer we had a similar situation.  Usually its my wife and I with our 55 lb. basset hound sailing Narragansett Bay.  We have never had any issues before, bassets with their short legs have a nice low center of gravity.  She wears a life-jacket most of the time because bassets don't swim well, those short legs again.
 
We had just left our marina and was motoring out our channel, both my wife and I were busy getting ready to set sail.  The dog was on the bow practicing to be a figurehead.  The channel was busy and neither one of us saw or heard her go over the side (very scary).  I make a habit of routinely looking behind for over-taking power boats when I saw her life-jacket bobbing in the water 3 boat lengths back.  I quickly executed a 180 turn, drifted down on her from windward and snatched her up with a boat hook.
 
We have practiced MOB and I have standing orders which prohibit someone from going into the water after a MOB.  We also throw life rings and anything else that float, plus appoint a lookout to watch the MOB at all times and yell where away the MOB is in relation to the boat as we maneuver for pickup.
 
We never thought we would have a situation, during the day, where we would lose someone without anyone knowing it....live and learn.  The dog now rarely leaves the cockpit until we are anchored or moored.
 
Mike Ott
"Amanda Lu"
#508  

--- On Tue, 9/14/10, Dean Vermeire <dean at vermeire.us> wrote:


From: Dean Vermeire <dean at vermeire.us>
Subject: [C320-list] Crew Overboard!
To: "Catalina 320 List" <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
Date: Tuesday, September 14, 2010, 11:31 AM


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)