Man overboard alarm, the one topic and situation sure to create some emotions is discussing how to avoid and how to react in a manoverboard situation when sailing offshore. There is the subject of jackstays and how they should be rigged. The subject of harnesses and about the tethers that are connected to them.
Manoverboard accidents just keep happening, and there are so many valuable lessons to take away from the findings made by many fatality inquiries. The next stories also came within the demanding and rigorous round the world yacht races. Sure they are pushing the envelope in these races but the lessons are applicable to us humble cruising types.
In November 2017, Simon Speirs was one of the crew members on board the GREAT Britain and went overboard 1500 nm west of Fremantle in Australia during Leg 3 of the Clipper Race. The MAIB report in the UK makes very informative and interesting reading and well worth the effort so the Simons death was not in vain. This occurred on a boat that had suffered some damage in foul weather, and also had some injured crew. They were busy doing a sail change when they got hit by a large wave, then experienced an accidental gybe and the tethered crewman went overboard. Once back on board another crew member went overboard but was tethered, and eventually the tether parted and efforts to recover him were too late, and he could not be revived. With improving weather conditions, Simon reportedly made the decision to wear foul weather jacket and sallopettes on deck, and not his dry-suit, and perhaps this would have made the difference. He was subsequently buried at sea.
The subsequent inquiry and investigation uncovered a flaw in the tether hook design which showed that when twisted to a certain angle it would bend. This reduced the hook to just 10% of its design load. This was the explanation as to why Simon Speirs was able to detach after his safety line snagged on a cleat and twisting the load onto the hook. The MAIB found that the ‘combined effect of Simon’s tether length and the hooking point location resulted in him being dragged alongside the yacht, preventing his recovery. It was also stated that they had previously issued a Safety Bulletin regarding the dangers of the lateral loading of tether hooks. They also had recommended “that the method used to anchor the end of the tether to the yacht should be arranged to ensure that the tether hook cannot become entangled with deck fittings or other equipment”. After reading this I subsequently inspected all my tethers and hooks and have since replaced them all. I read the term “freak failure” of a tether safety clip and I hate the word freak, however this was not freak but a hidden failure mode. The MAIB report made three recommendations to Clipper Ventures, but none apparently about the safety clip, which is somewhat surprising
Comments from the family were also ones I thought quite valid and not really explored. Sailing in these races is extremely challenging both mentally and physically. The crew were required to do repairs, maintenance and due to a consistent leak were pumping water out. Simon was a watch leader and also was a designated sail repairer. They said that in one instance he spent 20 hours out of 24 repairing torn sails in cramped conditions below. The crew were extremely fatigued and as many of us know whether afloat or ashore fatigue is a killer, to ones self and to others on board. This is a cautionary tale for cruising yachts, many already know what sustained effort with no sleep, minimal nourishment and perpetual motion can do.
In 2013 a New Zealand sailor died after falling overboard, no harness and no life jacket. Out day sailing near Marlborough Sounds, the yacht was hit with a large wave and he went over the side. His companion was unable to save him despite several attempts to winch him back on board. A rescue helicopter winched him up but couldn’t revive him. There are many more incidents that could be described.
The recent 2024 ARC Rally across the Atlantic resulted in a man overboard fatality. The Swedish crew member was lost overboard from the Volvo Open 70 racing yacht Ocean Breeze. The search was coordinated in the Atlantic Ocean by Marine Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) Norfolk in the USA. One of the points was that that the casualty was wearing an automatically inflatable lifejacket with a personal AIS beacon attached, so questions will be asked as why they couldn’t find him. My own jacket has a PLB installed and new rules require an AIS unit. Yachts in this ARC division must comply with the World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations for Category 1 and the World Cruising Club safety equipment requirements. Make sure you stay on board and no one goes overboard.
The April 2016, with Sarah Young was washed while sailing from Qingdao to Seattle. She was reported as in the process of tidying the cockpit at night after reefing the mainsail in 35 - 40 knots of wind, when she was knocked from her position by a wave. She fell back toward the guard wire and was swept under it by another wave. She was not tethered onto the yacht at this time. The boat immediately executed its man overboard drill but was hampered by the severe conditions and lack of direct visual observation. Her body was recovered on board over an hour later after homing in on her AIS signal.
In the UK the MAIB found that of the 308 man-overboard occurrences that were reported to the MAIB between 2015 and 2023, 40 per cent resulted in a fatality. The MAIB also stated that on average, a boat crew have less than 11 minutes to recover someone who has fallen overboard into cold water before they become unresponsive. This time window decreases as the water becomes colder or as the sea state becomes rougher. In some cases, a crew had just 4 or 5 minutes to coordinate a complex recovery under extreme pressure. The Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, sia dthat a man overboard recovery can be “exceptionally challenging at the best of times, but the recovery becomes much harder if the casualty is unconscious or unresponsive.”
1. The mainsheet traveler is a major danger zone and one investigation report suggests that this zone be clearly marked on deck.
2. Ensure that you are always tethered at all times on deck and in the cockpit. Work out a process to handle transition from one deck zone to another zone. The reality is that no person remains tethered all the time how does one move safely around the boat.
3. A major question for anyone on the foredeck is about the wearing of auto-inflating lifejackets while engaged in very wet or even underwater conditions when working forward. Do you retain the auto-inflate mechanism and have the situation where the jacket automatically inflates every time a serious wave submerges the person. This then degrades the auto inflate if they have an MOB situation.
4. Make sure you are properly dressed before turning to on deck. Make sure your safety harness is on when you enter the cockpit.
5. Make sure you understand the MOB function, like DSC radio you must depress the button for 5 seconds. In many cases also activating the DSC function on the radio is also a good idea as it is a Mayday situation.
6. Make sure if you are moving around the boat your sailing partner or crew know what and where you are going.
7. Do you have a proper documented procedure for MOB recovery. Have you practiced this and everyone knows what they need to do.