Gotta be a better way to get a person back aboard than rigging a block
and tackle.

Why not attach a swivelling block to the stern rail so that a line can
be quickly put into it with a large carabiner on the end for hooking
to the MOB. The line runs through the swivelling block (which is
permanently mounted) and then to one of your winches (cabin top jib
winch would be easiest for me, jib sheet winches for others), then you
just put your winch handle in and crank away.

Use the same idea but attach the swivel block permanently to the end
of the boom. Then when it is needed, put the line into it (this has
to be an opening style block so the line can be easily put in it) and
run the line to a winch. With this method, you have a better angle of
pull.

Same idea but mount the swivel block high on your backstay, another
turning block on deck to give a fair lead to the winch... Mount the
backstay block and turning block permanently. This enables the MOB to
be hoisted high out of the water.

Using the backstay enables the system to be used when you are "Hove
To" so you dont have to run the engine to stay in place thus
endangering the MOB.

Perhaps simply use the poly line permanently attached to your
LifeSling and place it in the opening blocks after the MOB is in the
LifeSling.

Using a winch is second nature to most of us sailors whereas a block
and tackle, hmmm.

The short answer is, a rail mounted block won't get the MOB over the
lifelines. If he us unconcious or weak he most likely won't be able to
assist himself.

Remember you must be prepared for the heaviest person to go MOB while the
lightest is left to winch him back on board (250+lb and 100 +/- wife).

I don't like the LifeSling and have heard that people who are just
practicing with it (West Marine sponsored class) have a lot of trouble
making the system work.. There has to be a different way.. I only have one
because a 'gung-hoe' surveyor put in down on the recommended equipment list
which my insurance force me to get. (Waste of money for a singlehander)

However the LifeSling instructions require a that the lifting point be 10ft
above the rail (or maybe that was the deck edge) so you can get that
lifeless body inboard over the lifelines. The boom end is the only place on
most boats that will work and then you will have to lift the boom with the
topping lift. If you have ridgid boom vang, your scewed. A halyard is the
only realistic point that might give you the 10 ft.

I believe that the LifeSling also require that the line from the lifting
tackle be lead to a winch.

The whole lifesling system makes a lot of assumptions that aren't there in
the real world.

If you have a lifesling and have never gone through a West Marine course
(designed to sell, guess what??) then at least get it out and rig it up just
once for a good laugh.

Too often, now, I see the life sling bag/mount replacing the throwable
floatation device. ..


--
My opinion and experience. FWIW

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

x-no-archive:yes

I'm adding this exchange to this post as it is titled better.

Of course this won't happen in calm seas. And the trouble with your method is
that while you're winching him up from within the cockpit, he is swinging
helplessly and crashing against the topsides as the boat rolls. If you were to
rig and operate the lifting device just above the MOB, you could not only see
what you were doing, but also control that swinging if need be while operating
the lift with the other.

I should explain better what we do. We do have a life sling which
came with the boat, but have not practiced with it.

Incidentally I read tonight somewhere (magazine probably but don't
remember which one) that the best way to get someone aboard is to have
4 or 5 husky adrenaline fueled crew members who will grab the person
and haul them aboard. And Bob's comment was that it must be a
surfboard or a rowboat because even very strong people rescuing a
little person could not get anyone into our boat using that method
because for one thing, they couldn't reach down to water level to get
him without falling in themselves. Their arms just would not be long
enough.

In a MOB situation, we are doing the drill we learned at Annapolis
sailing school, rounding up with the MOB on the lee side of the boat
and the boat hove to pointing into the wind. So the boat would not be
rolling appreciably.

We use the main halyard - we can do that because we have a behind the
mast roller furling main. We run it via a snatch block to the jib
winches, which are in the center of the boat just a little behind the
mast, and are also near the gate in the lifelines. I can winch my
husband aboard this way even though I'm not very strong. And he can
winch me aboard even though I weigh more than he does.

We also use jacklines if it is at all rough - clipping on before
leaving the cockpit and/or we just don't go out on deck if it is
rough. We also wear auto inflate PFDs 100% of the time when underway
even if it is in the ICW - regardless of the weather and people making
fun.

wrote:

For MOB, we have something rigged up that goes from the mast to the
jib winches and that allows me to winch my husband aboard or vice
versa.


"Steve" wrote:

The short answer is, a rail mounted block won't get the MOB over the
lifelines. If he us unconcious or weak he most likely won't be able to
assist himself.

Remember you must be prepared for the heaviest person to go MOB while the
lightest is left to winch him back on board (250+lb and 100 +/- wife).

I don't like the LifeSling and have heard that people who are just
practicing with it (West Marine sponsored class) have a lot of trouble
making the system work.. There has to be a different way.. I only have one
because a 'gung-hoe' surveyor put in down on the recommended equipment list
which my insurance force me to get. (Waste of money for a singlehander)

However the LifeSling instructions require a that the lifting point be 10ft
above the rail (or maybe that was the deck edge) so you can get that
lifeless body inboard over the lifelines. The boom end is the only place on
most boats that will work and then you will have to lift the boom with the
topping lift. If you have ridgid boom vang, your scewed. A halyard is the
only realistic point that might give you the 10 ft.

I believe that the LifeSling also require that the line from the lifting
tackle be lead to a winch.

The whole lifesling system makes a lot of assumptions that aren't there in
the real world.

If you have a lifesling and have never gone through a West Marine course
(designed to sell, guess what??) then at least get it out and rig it up just
once for a good laugh.

Too often, now, I see the life sling bag/mount replacing the throwable
floatation device. ..

We are currently using the throwable floatation devices to sit on.

grandma Rosalie

S/V RosalieAnn, Leonardtown, MD
CSY 44 WO #156
http://home.mindspring.com/~gmbeasley/id2.html

On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 14:46:21 -0700, "Steve" wrote:


I don't like the LifeSling and have heard that people who are just
practicing with it (West Marine sponsored class) have a lot of trouble
making the system work.. There has to be a different way.. I only have one
because a 'gung-hoe' surveyor put in down on the recommended equipment list
which my insurance force me to get. (Waste of money for a singlehander)

We have used it in a real MOB situation (me). Worked exactly as it was
supposed to. I weigh 200 lbs, my wife 110.

Nothing is foolproof in all situations, but the Lifesling is a
well-designed piece of gear for a cruising couple, IMHO.

But, for a singlehander????
Rodney Myrvaagnes Opionated old geezer

Faith-based economics: It's deja voodoo all over again

Rodney Myrvaagnes wrote in message . ..
On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 14:46:21 -0700, "Steve" wrote:


I don't like the LifeSling and have heard that people who are just
practicing with it (West Marine sponsored class) have a lot of trouble
making the system work.. There has to be a different way.. I only have one
because a 'gung-hoe' surveyor put in down on the recommended equipment list
which my insurance force me to get. (Waste of money for a singlehander)

We have used it in a real MOB situation (me). Worked exactly as it was
supposed to. I weigh 200 lbs, my wife 110.

Nothing is foolproof in all situations, but the Lifesling is a
well-designed piece of gear for a cruising couple, IMHO.

But, for a singlehander????
Rodney Myrvaagnes Opionated old geezer

Faith-based economics: It's deja voodoo all over again

The problem of getting th MOB over the lifelines is most of the reason
why I now favor installing the opening block up on he backstay (see my
first post).

This is one of those questions that is very dependent on the boat size
and rigging.

Assuming we're talking sailboats, for now:

On larger boats -- say over 35' or so, there is almost always a spare
jib or spin halyard available, which will do the job well assuming the
rigger was smart enough to leave the line long enough, and there's
some way to use one of the winches.

On smaller boats it get iffy, as there often isn't a spare halyard. I
agree that blocks and tackles are for the birds -- self tailing
winches are much better, but in either case you need a hardpoint to
hang the block and tackle or turning block. The rail is too low, a
ring on the backstay will be difficult to attach, and the end of the
boom is hard to control (and on a smaller boat will tend to pull the
boat over rather than the MOB up). Anything that you want to use has
to be rigged high enough to get the MOB out of the water, which means
it probably has to be permanently rigged, on both sides.

Probably the best thing is to add another tang to the front of the
mast and rig a line that would look like a pole lift that could easily
be taken to either side and the other end back to a winch. Don't worry
that the line is amidships on the mast -- it's high enough so the
angle is OK and it will certainly get the MOB out and up, even if
dragged over the topsides.

Also don't worry about the mast strength. A rough rule of thumb is
that the shrouds have to be strong enough to lift the boat, so on
anything down to the 15' range, the mast will do just fine.

This also means that you have to have a loop in the LifeSling painter
that is close enough to the LifeSling so it doesn't hit the blaock on
the mast when the MOB is on deck and far enough away so you can attach
the halyard to it easily. While all of us and our guests can tie a
quick loop in a line (can't we?), having it there in adavnace means
just one less thing to do.

BTW, we carried a line that went from a winch forward to the partners,
up to a turning block, back to a swivel block at the boom end and
then, when not in use, went forward again to a cleat near the
gooseneck. It was used primarily as a jibe preventer (take the end
forward on either side and tie it to the shrouds or the bow cleat),
but could also be used to hoist things out of the dinghy or the water
(usually a halyard would do this just as well), and was also used to
steady the boom in port (the main sheet pulled down at one end of the
traveler and this line tied off to the rail farther outboard on the
same side).

Jim Woodward
www.mvFintry.com


(Parallax) wrote in message . com...
Gotta be a better way to get a person back aboard than rigging a block
and tackle.

Why not attach a swivelling block to the stern rail so that a line can
be quickly put into it with a large carabiner on the end for hooking
to the MOB. The line runs through the swivelling block (which is
permanently mounted) and then to one of your winches (cabin top jib
winch would be easiest for me, jib sheet winches for others), then you
just put your winch handle in and crank away.

Use the same idea but attach the swivel block permanently to the end
of the boom. Then when it is needed, put the line into it (this has
to be an opening style block so the line can be easily put in it) and
run the line to a winch. With this method, you have a better angle of
pull.

Same idea but mount the swivel block high on your backstay, another
turning block on deck to give a fair lead to the winch... Mount the
backstay block and turning block permanently. This enables the MOB to
be hoisted high out of the water.

Using the backstay enables the system to be used when you are "Hove
To" so you dont have to run the engine to stay in place thus
endangering the MOB.

Perhaps simply use the poly line permanently attached to your
LifeSling and place it in the opening blocks after the MOB is in the
LifeSling.

Using a winch is second nature to most of us sailors whereas a block
and tackle, hmmm.

The primaries on a medium size boat will most likely be sufficient to hoist
250# by the average size crew member. Say size 40 or even better size 44
selftailing.

However, it would be a mistake to abandon the use of a block and tackle if
the winch is smaller that this.

If anyone is in doubt, just rig up a halyard directly to a 200+ person on
deck and ask the wife to take it to the winch and grind away. I think you
will then agree that some additional purchase, if not required, would make
the job a lot easier..

It seems like some are afraid of the tangle mess often found in a stowed
block and tackle. There are proper ways to store this gear.


--
My opinion and experience. FWIW

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 00:45:52 -0400, Rodney Myrvaagnes
wrote:


We have used it in a real MOB situation (me). Worked exactly as it was
supposed to. I weigh 200 lbs, my wife 110.

Nothing is foolproof in all situations, but the Lifesling is a
well-designed piece of gear for a cruising couple, IMHO.

But, for a singlehander????
Rodney Myrvaagnes

Hmmm...a climbing net always deployed?
A gantry and a sling and one way hauling line?

I recall what a shock it was, getting out of cold water, fully
clothed: you are heavy; very,very heavy.
I doubt I could even haul myself out of a swim pool with an eight inch
freeboard, in swim trunks, without a determined effort, now.

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

how about lowering the mainsail, removing the slugs from the track as
you lower. Put the head of the main overboard with the halyard
attached. Float the MOB into the sail and hoist up with the halyard.

Brian Whatcott wrote:
On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 00:45:52 -0400, Rodney Myrvaagnes
wrote:



We have used it in a real MOB situation (me). Worked exactly as it was
supposed to. I weigh 200 lbs, my wife 110.

Nothing is foolproof in all situations, but the Lifesling is a
well-designed piece of gear for a cruising couple, IMHO.

But, for a singlehander????
Rodney Myrvaagnes


Hmmm...a climbing net always deployed?
A gantry and a sling and one way hauling line?

I recall what a shock it was, getting out of cold water, fully
clothed: you are heavy; very,very heavy.
I doubt I could even haul myself out of a swim pool with an eight inch
freeboard, in swim trunks, without a determined effort, now.

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

My thoughts were addressing Rodney's concerns for a single hander.
There are those who are always safety-lined, topside.

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 18:37:50 -0400, Kelton Joyner
wrote:

how about lowering the mainsail, removing the slugs from the track as
you lower. Put the head of the main overboard with the halyard
attached. Float the MOB into the sail and hoist up with the halyard.

Brian Whatcott wrote:
On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 00:45:52 -0400, Rodney Myrvaagnes
wrote:



We have used it in a real MOB situation (me). Worked exactly as it was
supposed to. I weigh 200 lbs, my wife 110.

Nothing is foolproof in all situations, but the Lifesling is a
well-designed piece of gear for a cruising couple, IMHO.

But, for a singlehander????
Rodney Myrvaagnes


Hmmm...a climbing net always deployed?
A gantry and a sling and one way hauling line?

I recall what a shock it was, getting out of cold water, fully
clothed: you are heavy; very,very heavy.
I doubt I could even haul myself out of a swim pool with an eight inch
freeboard, in swim trunks, without a determined effort, now.

Brian Whatcott Altus OK