MOB Drills

[tonymac]

Many of us on here are fully supportive of and engage in good practice both in keeping ourselves and our passengers safe while on the water. I note in many threads the support given to those who encourage us to practice our MOB drills. Of course this is very necessary and especially in our type of boats. But what do YOU use to conduct this practice drill?

Lets see some photos and hear your stories. It would be of great service to us all and especially to the newer members of our type of boating.

So lets hear it then - what do you use for MOB drill training?

[Hightower]

I tie a bucket to a Bouy and chuck that into the water for my MOB training. I've always wanted an element of surprising my crew, but a bucket and bouy are a bit of a give away when you don't normally carry them.

[250kts]

Large white fender (70cm in length), with two lead dive weights attached so that it floats upright and about half submerged. It then drifts with the movement of the water and not so much the wind.
Will try to take a picture when out over the weekend
Steve

[Simon B]

25 litre container almost full of sea water with a small marker buoy on it. Simulates tide rode object quite well, using something with more windage is not representative of how a diver or MOB would be in the water.

[Doug Stormforce]

There is no need to make up anything fancy or carry any extra kit. Use whatever is on board. A fender tied to a coiled warp usually does the trick. Fender does not need to be especially large. Line needs to be sinking (not floating) to act as a sea anchor.

As already said don't use a fender on its own as it will blow across the surface.

[martini]

On my PBA the instructor used 2x 2l water bottles tied together, one full of water for ballast, the other empty as a marker.

He sneakily dropped it over the side near Hythe marina then told me about it after being moored up at Universal marina for nearly half hour
Apparently you're not expected to find it, it's just an exercise in the procedure.
Gave him a bit of a shock when I handed it back to him

[boristhebold]

I use a white fender with a small length of chain attached, similar to what a specific training company use, last summer I practised it on three different days. And was glad as shortly after one day I picked up a cannoist from the water who had swomped his canoe and was drifting out to see off Lulworth Cove.

[Rogue Wave]

I agree with Dougie,

I practice MOB drills ever time I take people out, I even used to do it when I drove for Sabre and the customers loved it.

I go through the drill once with me at the helm and everybody on the crew doing different jobs then we go through it with everyone of the crew at the wheel taking the opprtunity then to explain wheree the kill chord is and that it is to be removed once the wet person is alongside the boat but before recovery.

I've been in a few times when I was learning how to get a Rib into EV mode(Enhanced Velocity) and the one thing i recall is that the water is hard as well as cold and it always steals your Killchord and it can disorientate you, allowance needs to be made for this when communicating.with the person in't water

I teach the Williamson turn with the emphasis on the very slow speed approach to casualty, but if I'm not happy with the boat handling I also teach them to lob out the Perrybouy on a rope and circle around the swimmer AT A DISTANCE OF 5 METRES This brings the rope/bouy to the wet person.

Recovery if possible from the transom (killchord removed first) if the casualty is unconcious /injured the it's gotta be from the side and I deflate a couple of tube sections if it helped.

One last point during the drills empasise that anyone who goes in is not too move towards the boat until told to do so by the helm, reinforce this when someone is in the water, You don't want anybody swimming into your prop!

Happy new year

[tim griffin]

Fender and chain on the rib fender and warp on the Motor Cruiser anything that slows down the rate of drift is ideal.
Tim

[alystra]

Divers and open water swimmers. There is a difference when it comes to recovery. The divers can usually help themselves, the swimmers have difficulty and need assistance because they are cold or exhausted. Surprisingly difficult to get them aboard if you're singlehanded - man overboard drills using a buoy don't help with this bit.

I've tried rolling them in while horizontal and getting them in by 'dunking' vertically and getting their trunk aboard. The legs come separately - though hopefully still attached to the rest.

Both ways are difficult, both have worked. The secret is not to let go of any bit of a MOB you manage to get hold of - tie them on, be it arm, leg, wrist or head. Then you can use both hands to get a bit more aboard until you've got the lot.

It was Hogmanay, it's now New Year. Happy New Year.