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.

--

Roger Long

On Sat, 11 Mar 2006 01:13:04 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

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?

Absolutely nothing wrong with it, traditional in fact for many, many
years. Tape a one or two foot piece of PVC pipe to your backstay
about 6 ft off the deck. Wrap the flag around the pick up stick and
then put it inside the PVC so it doesn't get loose and flap around. I
used to use a mid-size plastic cup to hold the butt end of the pole.

Wayne.B wrote:

On Sat, 11 Mar 2006 01:13:04 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

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?

Absolutely nothing wrong with it, traditional in fact for many, many
years. Tape a one or two foot piece of PVC pipe to your backstay
about 6 ft off the deck. Wrap the flag around the pick up stick and
then put it inside the PVC so it doesn't get loose and flap around. I
used to use a mid-size plastic cup to hold the butt end of the pole.

We have our MOB pole (which Bob made) stowed along the life lines in a
couple of pieces of PVC pipe hung on the lines. Can be deployed in a
single motion.
grandma Rosalie

What are typical MOB pole diameters? We manufacture hooks for rail &
lifelines and a customer had asked if my product would be suitable for this
application. The larger diameter lifeline hooks (model LS1, veiwable at
www.ripnet.com/vtf/prod03.htm) can snap onto 1" up to 1.25" poles. Would
these suit most needs?

Mark

"Rosalie B." wrote in message
...
Wayne.B wrote:

On Sat, 11 Mar 2006 01:13:04 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

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?

Absolutely nothing wrong with it, traditional in fact for many, many
years. Tape a one or two foot piece of PVC pipe to your backstay
about 6 ft off the deck. Wrap the flag around the pick up stick and
then put it inside the PVC so it doesn't get loose and flap around. I
used to use a mid-size plastic cup to hold the butt end of the pole.

We have our MOB pole (which Bob made) stowed along the life lines in a
couple of pieces of PVC pipe hung on the lines. Can be deployed in a
single motion.
grandma Rosalie

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
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.


There's also the issue of how long it takes to deploy and if that's a
distraction. Offshore, in bad conditions, it's probably worth having.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

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.

Just make su

- the flat is at least 6' above the floating WL
- the pole is heavily ballasted. Some MOB Poles that were testing in
Practical Boat Owner tipped over in 20 knot winds.

Evan Gatehouse

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.

Dennis Pogson wrote:

Sorry about the cross-posting. See below!