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Man overboard, the first thirty seconds
A person in the water is hard to see after two minutes, even in a calm sea. So it is not the elegance of the manoeuvre that decides the outcome but what happens in the first thirty seconds.
The first moves
Shout, so everyone knows what has happened. Press the MOB button on the plotter. Throw flotation, even if it looks far off: it marks the spot and it floats.
The lookout
One person points at the casualty with an outstretched arm and does nothing else. No winching, no radio, no helping. Once you break that line of sight, the spot is usually gone.
The manoeuvre
Quick stop or the figure of eight, either works. More important than the choice is that the crew knows one of them and has practised it on a fender once a year. Approach from leeward with the way off the boat.
The recovery
This is the part almost everyone underestimates. A wet adult weighs well over a hundred kilos and can rarely help. If they cannot reach a bathing ladder you need the main halyard, a tackle or a recovery sling, and those have to be ready beforehand.
Person overboard on a sailing boat: the job of a man overboard manoeuvre
Any man overboard manoeuvre has three jobs to do: get the boat back close to the casualty quickly, stop there with almost no way on, and keep the person safely alongside. Whether that works depends less on which manoeuvre you choose than on how well the crew knows their own boat in changing winds.
There is a difference between sight and position. While someone can still see the person, you steer by eye. Only once visual contact is lost does the stored position on the plotter become your main tool. The two support each other; one never replaces the other.
Short-handed crews face the hardest version. If one of a couple goes over the side, the person left aboard has to shout, throw, helm and recover all at once. Agree before the season who does what if the other one ends up in the water.
MOB procedure step by step: alarm, flotation, position
The first actions are the same whatever manoeuvre follows. Anything missed here is hard to recover, because the boat keeps moving away every second.
The MOB button on the plotter or on the VHF stores the position with a time stamp. A DSC radio connected to GPS can also send a distress alert, which passes the position to coast stations and nearby vessels. A personal locator on the lifejacket that alerts via AIS or DSC puts the casualty on the screen as well.
- Shout clearly: man overboard, and give the side, for example starboard side.
- Throw a lifebuoy, horseshoe or dan buoy with a light towards the casualty straight away.
- Name one person as spotter, who points and calls and does nothing else.
- Press the MOB button on the plotter and send a DSC distress alert if needed.
- Start the manoeuvre, and only start the engine once you are sure no lines are trailing.
- In poor visibility, at night or in a seaway, send a Mayday on channel 16 early.
Quick stop and the Q-turn compared
With the quick stop you head up at once and tack without releasing the headsail sheet, so the jib stays backed and the boat keeps turning in a tight circle near the casualty. You then bear away, run downwind past the person, gybe and come back on a close reach. The boat hardly moves away and the crew has little sheet work to do.
The Q-turn, common in German-speaking sailing schools, follows a similar idea. You tack first, run off on a broad reach for a short distance, gybe and approach on a beam to close reach. The track on the plotter looks like the letter Q, which gives it its name. Under spinnaker or gennaker either manoeuvre is harder, because the downwind sail has to come down first.
Which suits you depends on the boat. Heavy long-keeled yachts turn slowly and need more room, light fin-keelers stop quickly but also drift faster. Try both in moderate wind with a fender and then pick one for your crew.
Approach and recovery after the MOB manoeuvre
The final phase decides it. Aim to stop with the casualty level with the shrouds, sheets eased and almost no way on. Under power, go into neutral as soon as the person is close, so the propeller cannot cause injury. Throw a line or a throwing bag before the boat is right alongside.
Depending on the boat, recovery uses a bathing ladder, a recovery sling, a tackle on the boom or the main halyard on a winch. Someone who has been in cold water for a while should come out as close to horizontal as possible, using a recovery net or two strops under back and knees. A vertical lift can put severe strain on the circulation.
If the recovery does not work straight away, secure the person alongside with a line so they cannot drift off, and call for help on the radio. A casualty tied to the boat is better than a second approach in which you lose them again.
Cold water and hypothermia after a fall overboard
The first danger in the water is not the cold itself but cold shock: gasping, uncontrolled breathing, a racing pulse. A lifejacket keeps the head clear during this phase. After that, strength and dexterity fade long before core temperature drops much, which is why a person in the water often cannot hold on to a line.
Once aboard, lay the casualty down below, remove wet clothing gently, wrap them in blankets or a survival bag and warm the trunk first. No rubbing of arms and legs, no alcohol, no hot shower. If they are drowsy or confused, or were in the water for long, get medical advice over the radio.
The best protection is not going in at all: jackstays on deck, a harness with a short tether, a lifejacket with a light and spray hood. At night and in a seaway, clip on, even for a quick job at the mast.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the quick stop and the Q-turn?
Both start with a tack. In the quick stop the headsail stays backed and the boat circles tightly round the casualty. In the Q-turn the boat runs off after the tack, gybes and then approaches. The quick stop keeps you closer; many crews find the Q-turn easier to steer.
Should I start the engine straight away?
Only once you are sure no sheet, halyard or line is in the water. A rope round the propeller leaves you unable to manoeuvre. Go into neutral when you are near the casualty.
What does the MOB button on the plotter actually do?
It stores the current position and shows bearing and distance back to it. That helps once you lose sight. Remember that the person drifts with wind and tide, so the stored spot is only where the search starts.
When should I send a Mayday?
As soon as you lose sight of the casualty, the recovery fails, or darkness, cold or sea state make things worse. Early is better than late; a distress call can always be cancelled.
How often should the crew practise?
At least at the start of each season and with every new crew, ideally using a fender with a bucket tied to it. Practise the recovery too, not just the approach.
Why does the spotter matter so much?
A head in the water disappears behind even small waves. Someone pointing without a break gives the helm a direction and saves a search.
What this has to do with insurance
This is where boat insurance ends and personal accident cover begins. Liability covers what you do to others, not what happens to you and your crew. Anyone who regularly sails with guests should know that gap and decide deliberately whether to leave it open.
