MOB .. how hard could it be

[joe_db]

Here is the local wildlife you can see. The younger finback whales thought it was tons-o-fun to charge the guy in the rowboat and then dive under at the last second. The biggest one we saw was close to 90 feet long!

[Mo]

Here is the local wildlife you can see. The younger finback whales thought it was tons-o-fun to charge the guy in the rowboat and then dive under at the last second. The biggest one we saw was close to 90 feet long!

Well, the seals I see everyday. The whales not so much anymore. A while back I had a whale follow the boat near every time I went out...the boys called it " Mo's pet whale". LOL Saw that particular whale just once or twice the next season and it moved on.

The whale started following me the same day as this happened http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsizi...reboat_08-448B The whale was being followed by local whale watching boats and was in the harbor. The whale watching boats only took in reponse to Mayday when the fireboat capsized. I figure the whale was young, about 20-24 feet long, and it came up beside my boat to breath. It kept my boat between those chasing and her. It would go back down and come back and did that for about 2 hours. When I left the harbor for the rest of the year the whale would come right up to the boat, sometimes rubbing against her. She did that day after day until I hauled out end of October. Even took a few people out to experience it and that's when they started calling her "Mo's pet whale". The following summer I was sailing down the coast and the twins, smaller then, were both up forward holding the pulpit on a beautiful day. The whale came alongside, rolled, did few breaches etc just 10 feet away. She was about 30 feet long at that time. That was the last time she came that close.

Last few years I haven't seen whales daily like I'd come accustomed to. Not sure if it was because the water was warmer or if something changed like fish quantities etc that they follow. Maybe this year will be different.

[nyvoyager]

back to the issue of jacklines and tethers, I've never really completely sorted out this important part of sailing in a way I'm comfortable with.

here's my thoughts and your insight is most welcome.
1.usually sail with first mate. she is capable or i sail solo
2. if tethered and i go overboard (solo) and assuming the boat is still sailing...i can't figure out how the heck to get back to the stern ladder. likely the tether will be caught in the lifelines.
3. when going overboard there is a strong likelihood the weather ain't calm. Unclip? maybe if I'm not solo and someone is at the helm.
4. I seem to have taken a view that i'm more comfortable moving forward on the windward side, and clipped to the windward jackline. I suppose the thinking is I'm more likely to fall downhill?
5. i need to figure out a way to shorten my tether so I'm crawling on the deck. maybe just double it with both ends clipped to my harness is the simplest?
6. sailing in local water (Hudson River) i'm confident i can swim to either shore. so that's not a problem other then where the boat ends up
7. if injured when going over all bets are null and void.

Last year heading across the Gulf of Maine in the middle of the night, close hauled, the wind came up and we decided to furl the jib. the furling jammed. In the process of trying to free it (on the leeward side...of course) - i dropped a flashlight in the water and watched it float away. It disappeared in a matter of seconds. That moment gave me reason to pause with one thought only.
Stay on the boat!

[Loki9]

back to the issue of jacklines and tethers, I've never really completely sorted out this important part of sailing in a way I'm comfortable with.

here's my thoughts and your insight is most welcome.
1.usually sail with first mate. she is capable or i sail solo
2. if tethered and i go overboard (solo) and assuming the boat is still sailing...i can't figure out how the heck to get back to the stern ladder. likely the tether will be caught in the lifelines.
When it is rough, solo sailors don't go forward. If they get washed overboard, it will be from the stern.
3. when going overboard there is a strong likelihood the weather ain't calm. Unclip? maybe if I'm not solo and someone is at the helm.
You do what you must, but unclipping has obvious dangers.
4. I seem to have taken a view that i'm more comfortable moving forward on the windward side, and clipped to the windward jackline. I suppose the thinking is I'm more likely to fall downhill?
Sure, but see #2 and #3
5. i need to figure out a way to shorten my tether so I'm crawling on the deck. maybe just double it with both ends clipped to my harness is the simplest?
That works, but you have to worry about the jackline sawing through your tether. Some tethers are made with clips at both ends and another in between, but off center. This provides three operating lengths.
6. sailing in local water (Hudson River) i'm confident i can swim to either shore. so that's not a problem other then where the boat ends up
In full foulies? Without getting run down by another boat? You want to bet your life on that?
7. if injured when going over all bets are null and void.
So being a good swimmer can't be counted on.

As you say, staying on the boat is the best policy.

[nyvoyager]

well..... gentlemen don't generally sail to weather either and I've been forward in hell. ....Sh@t happens.

no full foulies on the Hudson, I'm sailing in decent weather.
Yes I'm confident about my swimming abilities.

The hole for the dip stick is starboard of the distributor..and i sincerely apologize for posting
Fair winds Friend

[Mo]

well..... gentlemen don't generally sail to weather either and I've been forward in hell. ....Sh@t happens.

no full foulies on the Hudson, I'm sailing in decent weather.
Yes I'm confident about my swimming abilities.

The hole for the dip stick is starboard of the distributor..and i sincerely apologize for posting
Fair winds Friend

Your take on things makes sense NY. Circumstances may dictate a slight deviation from a plan at times, but the main thing is to have a plan or procedure that is working for you.

[Mo]

MO
Thanks
I believe that the Bay of Fundy has some of the highest tides in the world.
The MacArthur Inchon, Korea landing is often compared to the bay of Fundy tide levels.
I think it is 40 or more feet. I am told that it is because Nova Scotia
and Cape Cod form a Resonant bowl of sorts and the related time
constants accentuate the tides.

Best Regards

Art

Pic for ya Art!!

[Mo]

Worth a read.

Hi guys. Just had this one come in on Facebook and thought it worthy of posting here. There's something to be learned and although not perfect, there are things to be aware of, learn and consider. All the best.

http://www.pbo.co.uk/seamanship/is-it-safe-to-use-a-tether-25125

[BadaBing]

Related to the video
If I were the skipper of the power boat I'd have considered tossing a line to the victims and towing them into more sheltered water to do the rescue even if it were one or two at a time. One more good comber and the rescue boat will need rescuing. Dallying around in the surf zone seems risky to me both for the vessel and victims.

Unrelated to the video
When was the last time any of us actually practiced MOB, particularly under sail (jibe, reach, heave-to)? I confess it's been a helluva long time for me.

I practice it every time my or Katherine's hat blows overboard. OR when off shore and something odd (?) catches one of our eyes and we turn back to investigate.

[BadaBing]

Many years ago, when I took the Coast Guard Safe Boating course, they showed us a movie (old even then) which I think was titled "Black Friday." It showed a bunch of boats (some of them small commercial fishing boats) trying to enter Manasquan Inlet on the New Jersey coast. One after another, they hit the jetty, capsized, etc.

It was enough to make you nauseated (not nauseous ).

Bill

edit: Just found it!

[YOUTUBE]5kZPgHWuuQg[/YOUTUBE]

JUst came across this film further back in the thread. Thanks for posting it. NJ Inlets, (My home waters) Funny I call Mamasquan one of my inlets of refuge if the weather turns to crap while headed to Sandy Hook. However, that inlet, as well as Barnegate, have and continue to be constantly improved. New wide jetties built back between 197? and the mid 1980s. A never ending dredging project.

There is a new move out now. "The Finest Hours" The story was originally punished in a book called "Two Tankers Down". I shudder to think how Hollywood trashed the real story. (Dont they always?)
The real hero in the story is the CGRB36 The rescue boat used by the UCCG at tyhe time. Its the same little rescue boat shown in this vid. It only serious drawback was how vastly under powered it was and that its speed was hampered by its lack of power. Still a fantastic lifeboat, made more so by the skill and bravery of the men who operated them.

[Mo]

MOB War...

I practice it every time my or Katherine's hat blows overboard. OR when off shore and something odd (?) catches one of our eyes and we turn back to investigate.

Same here. If something goes off the boat MOB drill. Summer 2015 year my wife and I did one in about 18 kts for my hat. I called it, she got the pole...boat turned, sails still up. Last words I said to her..."we'll be heading downwind, I want you to stay on the Stb side of the bow, stay low because the jib will flap when I let go the sheet..I'll lay the boat right there".

So I bring the boat with the hat slightly to my port, I'm going to dump the boat up wind and have that hat in the lee...easy pickup. She decides to change sides and I'm yelling to her to get back...she points where it is...I know where it is. I bring the boat, swing, boat decelerates and she's on the wrong side. I reach over and pick up my hat with my hand.

So she comes back and proceeds to tell me what I did wrong. I LOSE IT with her. Told her you do what I say, not what you think....and she came back at me. It turned into a war at sea and I was still pissed when I got it DIRECTLY back to the dock...get off my boat. She was not talking to me after I said "what if that was one of the kids"..."there's one captain on this boat and do what you are told". She didn't come on the boat for a week.

I don't know if that will ever happen again but I can tell you there is no negotiation on that type of thing. I know the boat, I know what it can do, I know how it handles, I know how long it will take to decelerate and depending on conditions I know we might get one chance....someone doesn't come aboard, lounge around then all of a sudden are dictating how the MOB is going to happen...

PS: when I first learned to sail the wife and I had a few blow ups...thought we were past that stuff happening. It had been a long time since we had a fight (verbal) like that but I rode it to set the point. I was actually p'd right off because I thought I had her up to snuff...just a bit windier and faster and she figured she'd change the approach. Nothing else was different except I had to yell to speak to her on the bow...and she heard me in plenty of time to get back to her position, and of course once I turned the boat up the flapping sails make a racket...3 seconds I had my hat in my hands dumped the boat to stb and hardened up the main....by this time I was getting an earful.

[BadaBing]

Your completly correct, ONLY ONE CAPT. on a vessel.
We do ot.of.mitual comsemt planing when there are.optioms. BUT when it.comes.to on the spot, at the moment, decisions only (sorry domt.wqnt.to seem like a control freek) only my voice counts.
Unintentionally I reimforce.this.every time we take a guest sailimg..It.part of my welcome to the boat orientation. Most of these folks have not sailed.before so I am givimg.them a little intro on what to expect and terms.to grasp. Forward.and Aft always mean the same, also Starboard and Port, then why.Where to life jackets.are, etc.
I little about.why sailboats "lean"'ome way or the.other amd the big.heavy hunk of lead that keeps.the boat from.tippimg.over. Whar is a boom.and why you domt.want to experience it. Avoiding fingers in winches actually "dont touch a line (rope) umless I tell you to.
And finally, this.is a must, "if you hear the tone.of mynvoice change or.I make.what seems.a.commamd, DO IT, its not time for questions or.discuession. "Then I say something.to the effect "Katherine, do you agree?" To which she always afferms with something like "the louder and more.bark like the faster you should.act" Anyone who knows Katherine, knows she normally has a mimd.of.her own, when they hear, from her, in her words that Orders must.be followed it speaks.volumes..And reinforces it.to her as well

[JOHN COOKSON]

I've have a couple of divorced women on my boat as crew (at different times - a few years apart) that when they were married owned a sail boat along with their husband and were used to being co captains.
Boy, did it ever come as a shock to them that on my boat they were no longer co captains. They were crew. I may consult as to their preferences but the final decision is mine. Always. Always.
One of them realized what the story was and we did a lot of good sailing together. The other one didn't quite grasp the concept that she was no longer co captain and after a couple of day sails together said she was no longer interested. So long. Have a good life.
BTW, IMO women make good sailors. Men try to brut strength it out. Women tend to think it out a bit more.
Maybe we need a thread along these lines. It would probably melt my computer down.

TRUE GRIT

[ndutton]

I have no issue soliciting the opinion of crew who I deem to be worthy of consideration but on board my boat it's understood since I bear the liability, I make the decisions. There are two people I sail with whose opinions merit careful consideration. One is a childhood friend who learned to sail right beside me under the tutelage of my Dad. He has owned various sailboats in his adult life (one of them a Catalina 30 coincidentally) and is a veteran of two Transpac races. Our experiences are diverse and similar at the same time and because of that we make a pretty good team. The other is forum member Thatch. Whether on his boat or mine, we each respect who is skipper and who is crew but when Tom has an opinion (same as on the forum) it's a good idea to pay attention. Having the best information makes for the best decisions and good decisions make a good skipper.

[BadaBing]

John.
No doubt that many woman make better captains than men. Could be that some men domt belomg in charge in lifebat all, could be that mamy women are good or even great leaders.

One fun lesson is to pock.a drill, or a hairy inlet, and hand tje helm over to the wanna be captain, be it man or woman, than watch the attitudes change.
On small difficulty we face on my boat is.that when things grow intense I get quite. Thisndrives my wife nuts. Im mot doing it to drive her nuts but because all of my attention is shifting to the issue at hand (this applies to on land life as well)
Therenare or have been ocassions when she shouts "your not tellimg.me.what to do" response? "Which n I need it you will know"

Back in 1972 i introduced Katherine to skiing..I was anpretty good skier..She had never had ski boots on. Out on the flats by the lodge I attemptednto give her some.instructions. using very short skis as was the learning practice back then
.First obkection, Why are our skis so little and why cant I habe ski poles? Everyone else has long skis.and poles. I tried to explain but it did not seem to sink in that short skis are easier to move around ln amd speed up the learning curve ln weight transfer. Blank stare.
After a frustr a ting half hoir on the flats.by the lodge, and having become.weary of hearing "I dlmt want tl ""hop"" I want to ski" ect. I toom.het to the top.of the bumny slope.at Jack Frost Mlumtain (hill) ski resort.
Now she had already fallen a half.dozen time , onvioisly my fault, before we got.to the lift..I thi k they valled the lift in use back then a pimmel chair (?) which is a misnomer because you dont sit on it but place the round disk between you legs and stand as the lift tows hou up the hill
Try though I may, and the lift attendent as well, she has a fine time.of attempting to sit and being drug up the hill..By the time.we made it tl the top, must.have been about 500 yards, she almost.had it.down.

"Honey, this is very important, you comtrol our speed, you want to clntrol your speed, by truning across the hill, you turn by a slight hop to take the weight off your heels and twisting, ever so slightly your heals.right- to go left or.left- to go right. Lets try it here right now to see if you understand. "I DONT WANT TO HOP, I GOT.IT! I want to Ski! LEAVE ME ALONE, KNOCK IT OFF! ..........."

So wanting to comtinue in her good graces I bid.her love and and took a lovely trip down.the bunny slope, hopimg.she would.see that I spent.most.of the time.crossing slope
When I reached the. bottom.I turned around.to see.her first dramatic "widexworld.ofmsports" crash
After about a jalf.hour.she made.it.to the.bottom
.I skied.over to her to see howmshe was. Her reply was epic! " Whats were you saying about were sayimg about hop?"