On Tue, 29 Nov 2005 23:30:58 -0500, "Matthew Carmel"
wrote:

I have developed a device for practicing day or night time crew overboard
recovery drills. Details may be found at www.cobtarget.com



We tie a heavy bucket under a fender and lob that in. The fender
floats and the bucket stops it drifting with the wind. Its as low in
the water as a crew's head, but you can get hold of it with a boat
hook - pretty much like a person really!

Simple and made from gear you probably already have on the boat. Why
carry and pay for extra stuff you don't really need?

Another fun exercise is to get a volunteer diver with a wet suit or
dry suit to jump overboard (have a rib standing by just in case)
pretend they are unconscious and then practice getting them back onto
the boat without their assistance. Very sobering.