Roger Long wrote:
I just looked a nice MOB pole for about enough money to buy an
outboard motor for the dinghy. Sure, for the Transpac and trying to
find someone in 15 foot seas after spending 20 minutes getting the
spinnaker down, that would be the bees knees.

For the kind of conditions likely to be found along the coast in
Maine, what would be wrong with a $40 mooring pick up flag on a
fiberglass pole and a line to the horseshoe life ring? Hamilton sells
ones for fishermen to put on their gill nets that are even higher and
not a lot more expensive.

Assuming the MOB is not unconscious, I would go for a self-assisted midships
recovery, using the vang if it is a rope-tackle type, but if a solid rod
vang possibly clipping on the storm jib at the tack and using a halyard on
the main sheet winch. This would form a rough sling.

People in the water invariably panic and forget that the leg muscles are 3
times stronger on average than the arm muscles. It helps a lot if an ankle
can be wedged behind a stanchion to supply the muscle power, with the crew
(if available) lifting the arms/shoulders.

I once recovered a guy who pitched over the foredeck during a tack whilst
racing. We had completed the tack but our speed was much reduced, and the
guy simply grabbed a stanchion (on the leeeward side) and I sheeted in and
bore away slightly. The wind was quite strong and the boat almost stopped,
the lee rail went under. I then let go everything and luffed up and the guy
was back on board so quickly he claimed not to be wet, and resumed his place
in the cockpit.

OK, we were lucky. Everything went like clockwork, and the boat's hull did
the lifting, but it goes to show that if this all happens during a tack,
when the boat slows, then little or no extra assistance is required. Watch
out for this happening many times during the Americas Cup Races, and see how
quickly they recover the unfortunate crew member,(and hopefully go on to win
the race!).


Dennis.