Going overboard is a huge concern anywhere you are sailing, but in our area the threat is compounded by cold water, swift currents, the potential for limited visibility and rough seas. In the event of a crew/passenger overboard emergency, swift, deliberate action must be taken to rescue the overboard individual. For brevity’s sake, we will refer to overboard individuals as “swimmers” in this document.

The most immediate threats to “swimmers” in the San Francisco Bay and surrounding coastal waters include:

• Drowning
• Hypothermia
• Shock
• Boat/Ship Strike
• Loss At Sea
• Predation

For each of these threats, recovery time is of the essence. Having said that, it is important to remain methodical and not to rush in a panicked manner.

Prevention

The number one way to prevent COB emergencies is to stay in the boat!

• When above deck and outside of the cockpit, always have at least one hand gripping a handrail or other suitable hold.
• Do not leave the cockpit without suitable footwear with enough traction to grip the deck.
• In adverse conditions, always wear a harness with a tether short enough to ensure you can not fall over the rail of the vessel. Clip in to appropriate anchor points or the jack line, if deployed. Do not clip in to the lifelines or stanchions. Favor attachment points further inboard, which will prevent you from falling over the rail should you lose your footing.
• Never leave the cockpit when nobody else is above deck to spot you.
• Always be mindful of the boom. If the boom swings unexpectedly and you are not clear of it, you are extremely likely to be injured and may very well end up in the water.

Emergency Procedure

• Whoever first sees the person go overboard must alert the other crew and passengers to the situation by yelling “Overboard!” That person is now designated the spotter, and their sole responsibility is to continually track the swimmer’s position by extending their arm and pointing in the direction of the swimmer while calling out the swimmer’s clock-based bearing relative to the bow of the boat (such that 12 o’clock is dead ahead and 6 o’clock is directly behind the boat) and the estimated distance to the swimmer in terms of boat lengths. They are not to take their eyes off the swimmer until the recovery procedure is complete and the swimmer is safely aboard. If the skipper is the person who first spotted the swimmer, a different person should be designated the spotter so that the skipper may coordinate the recovery maneuver.
• Upon hearing the overboard alert, the helmsperson is to activate the MOB button on the chart plotter and to be ready to perform the recovery maneuver prescribed by the person currently in command of the vessel.
• Immediately toss the throwable floatation device toward the swimmer along with any other available floating items. This serves 2 purposes: Increased visibility of the likely position of the swimmer as they are affected by current and additional floatation.
• An available person shall issue a mayday call, following Marine VHF procedures.

The appropriate recovery maneuver shall be determined based on the current situation:

• If under sail with crew available to perform a tack, a figure 8 maneuver shall be performed.
• If motoring without sails set, the vessel shall circle around to approach the swimmer while heading into the wind, being sure to shift to neutral before reaching the swimmer to prevent the propeller from causing injury.
• If under sail but without crew capable of performing a figure 8 maneuver, all sheets are to be released to allow the sails to luff, and the helmsperson shall start the engine and circle back as described above. Depending on the conditions, this may introduce a lot of chaos with the sails as they flap around wildly. This is expected and preferable to attempting a figure 8 without a confident crew.

Basics of the Figure 8 Maneuver

1. Put the boat on a beam reach, adjusting sail trim as needed
2. Continue on the beam reach for a count of 8 seconds and signal intent to tack to the crew
3. Tack through the wind following through all the way to a broad reach. Continue on this point of sail until the swimmer is at a relative bearing of 2 o’clock
4. Head up to a close reach ensuring the swimmer remains on the leeward side of the boat at a relative bearing of approximately 11 o’clock.
5. As you near the swimmer, ease the head sail sheets and work the main sheet to control approach speed. Ease the main sheet completely to de-power the vessel.

Retrieving the Swimmer

Available persons shall assist with the retrieval of the swimmer. This can be a challenging feat, especially if the swimmer is unconscious, in shock, or injured. Tools that may help include:

• Swim Ladders – Festina Lente’s built in swim ladder is directly behind the helm. The bench backrest must be flipped down and the bench flipped up towards the starboard to access the ladder and its latches. The dinghy may interfere with lowering the ladder. An auxiliary ladder can be found in the foremost lockers below deck where the life vests are. This ladder can be hung over the side of the boat and may be a more expedient option.
• The Lifesling can be deployed from the starboard quarter
• A line can be used between a cleat and a winch to help hoist the swimmer up as they stand upon the line.
• A spare halyard with a large loop on the end can be used to lasso the swimmer and hoist them aboard.
• A boat hook may be used to draw the swimmer in toward the boat so that rescuers can obtain a better hold. The boat hook is unlikely to be able to bear the full weight of a swimmer and should not be used to hoist or lever the swimmer into the boat.

The swimmer is likely to be very cold and possibly in shock and / or injured. Take action to dry the swimmer off and to restore warmth. Towels and blankets are available in the closet locker forward of the stove and aft of the port salon bench.