"Man overboard!" - Precautions and actions. Fundamentals of the theory of sailing yachts, special sailing conditions, arrangement and armament of the yacht, rigging, yacht control Yacht under sail, without a working engine

The situation "Man overboard" is considered in one way or another in almost all courses on the management of small boats. And although, fortunately, it rarely happens in life, it is necessary to be prepared for it and know the procedure, because it is literally about saving someone's life. Of course, the ideal option is to do everything possible so that no one falls overboard at all. Much here depends on the type of vessel. On a large motor yacht, the likelihood of such a development of events is small: if there are no technical problems, it is only necessary to go on deck during the release of the anchor or mooring in the marina. But on small and open vessels, the risk of being overboard, slipping or losing balance on big wave, much higher. SOME SIMPLE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SAFETY ON THE GO:

Brief everyone on board as to what is required of them before entering the water.
It is best to sit while the boat is moving.
If you are going to make a sharp turn / change course, warn the team about the maneuver.
If ahead a big wave or the wake of a large vessel, also report this.
When someone needs to go on deck, slow down.
Children and awkward/inexperienced people may need help. Let others know ahead of time.
Make sure everyone is wearing life jackets

Of course, you still have to go on deck from time to time: remember that it is very easy to fall overboard just when you are concentrating on other work: hanging fenders, about to drop anchor, or stand ready with moorings. IN ANY CASE, THE TEAM SHOULD BE INSTRUCTED ADDITIONALLY:

Always remember the rule "one hand for the boat, the other for yourself" and be sure to hold on.
Do not try to carry too voluminous and heavy things around the deck alone.
When working with ends and fenders, do your best inside the cockpit and have someone watch over you.
In fresh weather, when going out on deck, use a safety harness.

Man overboard: what to do?
The procedure for dealing with a man overboard situation depends on where the incident occurred. In a clogged harbor or marina, it can be difficult to get a boat close to a boat that has fallen overboard. In open water, on the contrary, the main task is not to lose sight of it. That is why, upon discovering that someone has fallen into the water, the first thing you should do is shout “Man overboard!” as loudly as possible to attract the attention of the rest of the team. And not just point out with your hand the place where, in your opinion, this happened, but continue to stand, follow and show. It is easy to see that this is really important. Recently, I had the opportunity to conduct classes in fresh weather: on a big wave, we lost sight of the mannequin depicting a man overboard in just a couple of seconds. And they would even lose it completely if one none of us stood "on guard" all the time, indicating the direction. I would divide the "man overboard" situation into three parts: a) return to the starting position; b) approach maneuver; c) lifting a person out of the water.

A) RETURN TO POSITION There are three recommended techniques that you can use to return to the place where you heard the man overboard signal. On motorboats, the most commonly used maneuver is called the "Williamson turn". It is suitable for all weather conditions and can be used even at night.

WILLIAMSON'S TURN (FIG. 1) When you hear the call "Man overboard!", turn the helm about 60º to make the turn. This should be done quickly, but evenly, without changing the speed of the boat. If the initial course was, say, 180º, then by adding 60º to it, we get 240º (I prefer to shift the helm to starboard, because, like most people, it is easier for me to add degrees than to subtract). As soon as the compass needle reaches 240º, with the same quick uniform movement, we shift the steering wheel to the left to its original position to compensate for the turn. This maneuver allows you to quickly turn the ship in the opposite direction (180º), and the new compass heading will be 0º. If you made a turn immediately after the “alarm”, then the one who fell overboard will be right on your course. To successfully perform this maneuver in a real situation, you need to get a good feel for your boat and, of course, practice. Some boats turn so fast that the helm needs to be turned less than 60º. Others, with smaller rudders, require almost 100º, so you really need to understand how your boat handles.

BIG LOOP (FIG. 2) An alternative to the Williamson Turn is to turn around in a large circle (see Fig. 2). Reception is effective on most speed boats when conditions allow a clear view of a person overboard. However, in fresh weather, with excitement, there is a chance to take the wrong return course and lose sight of the rescued person. Both the "Williamson Turn" and the "Great Loop" are usually performed without changing the original speed of the boat, the one at which the boat was moving before the incident. And this, in my opinion, contains a serious drawback: when you come up to pick up a person from the water, you are caught up with your own wave created during the turn, and it can add problems.

STOP TURN (FIG. 3) Personally, in most cases I prefer to use another very simple maneuver. As soon as you hear the call "Man overboard", note the compass heading, command everyone on board to hold on to something, and slow down completely. When the boat, having traveled some distance by inertia, stops, turn it around in place and, taking the opposite course, slowly return to the fallen overboard. The situation is already nervous enough to make it worse with speed and haste, and this technique will allow you to calmly give instructions to the team regarding further action. B) APPROACH MANEUVER Weather conditions, especially wind, play a key role in rescuing a man overboard. The influence of the current, if any, in this case can be neglected, since it blows both the yacht and the person who has fallen overboard in approximately the same way. However, the vessel, whatever it may be, has a much greater windage than a person in the water, therefore, if the boat is on the windward side of the rescued side, the boat will begin to drift towards it.

SELECTING A POSITION (FIG. 4) There are a few vital things to remember when approaching a man overboard and getting him onto the boat:

It is necessary to approach onboard; the boat must not move forward or backward; engine handle is in neutral position.
The vessel must be positioned at a 90º angle to the wind.
It is necessary to approach with a part of the vessel with a greater draft, so that, rising and falling on a wave, the hull does not crush the person.
Position the boat so thatthe person was easier to grasp. When a person is very close in the water, it can be difficult to keep all these rules in mind, so the main thing is to take your time and keep the ship at some distance from the rescued person until you have a clear plan on how to get him on board. Haste is only justified if the person is face down in the water or is obviously injured. If he is able to wave his hand at you, he is unlikely to get hypothermia in the extra two minutes it will take you to work out the correct course of action. Remember: for a man overboard, a ship in this moment represents the most dangerous object (it will not be great if you also hit the rescued with the hull).

USING THE WIND (FIG. 5) Depending on the strength of the wind and the sail of your vessel, you need to bring it so that the distance from the rescued person is from half the length of the hull to six of its lengths (in very fresh weather - points seven on the Beaufort scale - it may be necessary and long distance). This gives you time to stop the boat and let the wind do the rest of the work for you. Also, when the yacht is demolished, its hull will give the rescued additional protection from wind and waves. On most motor yachts, it is most convenient to start lifting a person on board in the cockpit area, where the deck walkways are low enough that you can lean over and hook the person being rescued by the clothes with the help of a gaff. Just keep in mind that on some boats, crosswinds affect the bow and stern of the boat differently (sometimes the bow turns from the wind in just seconds), so it’s good to know in advance how the boat will behave.

C) LIFTING A MAN FROM THE WATER It must be admitted that size matters in this situation, as does physical form. Nimble teenager with much more likely will be able to climb the ladder to the stern platform by himself after a sudden dip in cold water than any adult. Even if the water is relatively warm, and the person calmed down, gathered his courage and strength after the fall, it can be difficult to get out on his own. It is even more difficult to pull out a fallen person, especially if he is not wearing anything that can be hooked on (such as life jacket belts). On many boats, the stern platform with a gangway is the only low-lying area where you can get out of the water. Only the platform poses a danger, since on most yachts it is at the level of the water surface: in waves, a person can fall under the platform and, even worse, get hit on the head. If a person who has fallen overboard cannot get out on his own, and you cannot pull him out (in cold water, the strength of the rescued quickly runs out), you must try to tie him with a rope or fasten him with a safety harness - so you at least do not lose a person and can help him hold head on the surface. It would be nice to have a block and a winch on board that will allow you to pull a person out of the water. This is definitely a useful addition on flybridge yachts and I always advise flybridge owners to install a flybridge overhang for this very purpose.

SHOULD I SEND A DISASTER SIGNAL?
"Man overboard" is a life-threatening situation in any case, so be sure to press the MoB (Man Overboard) button on the chartplotter to know the exact coordinates and report them to rescuers and the authorities in case the person who has fallen overboard is lost sight of. If you can find and save a person on your own in the shortest possible time - great! But remember: in this situation, time is against you. The filing of a distress signal (Mayday) at a minimum allows shore services to be alerted and request immediate assistance; you can always hang up if your rescue operation was successful without outside help. In reality, you need to evaluate what kind of help and in what time frame you can count on, based on your location. If there is any doubt, be sure to send a distress signal.

The influence of the current can be neglected, because it carries the ship and the man overboard in approximately the same way.

WHAT IS IT TO BE OVERBOARD?
A lot has been written about rescuing a man overboard. Much less about what it's like to be. From the position of a person who has repeatedly performed this role in the course of practical yachting courses, I can say: this is very scary! Even going on this of my own free will, mentally prepared and suitably dressed, I felt absolutely lost when I stepped overboard a ship traveling at a speed of more than 20 knots. Despite all the preparation, it is almost impossible to keep your mouth shut without immediately gulping down water. Would I have been able to maintain my presence of mind, falling overboard out of the blue? Most likely no. Remember that the unfortunate victim of circumstances you are saving may be in a much worse condition than you think. If you suddenly fall overboard in the cold northern waters, the temperature shock alone can make it impossible for you to contribute in any way to your own salvation. If you happen to fall overboard, all experts advise against trying to swim immediately; take a compact pose, clasping your knees with your hands: in this position, the body adapts more successfully to a sharp change in temperature. True, in fairness, it must be admitted: in this case it is much easier to say than to do. rescuers

The “man overboard” alarm is announced by the captain’s officer on duty when a person falls overboard or when people or life-saving equipment are found at sea. Most main factor saving human life is a reduction in the time a person stays in the water.

In the event that a person’s fall overboard is immediately noticed or a person on the water is detected immediately, the captain’s officer on duty gives the command to the helmsman to switch to manual control and begins the maneuver, drops the lifebuoy with a light-smoking buoy (thus, the beginning of the maneuver is fixed, which facilitates the search), declares the alarm "Man overboard", organizes observation.

Any sailor near the navigation bridge can be an observer. If there are none, the observation is carried out by the watch officer himself until help arrives so as not to lose sight of the person on the water (circle or buoy).

If there is only one officer on duty on the bridge, then the procedure is different: he drops a life buoy with a light-smoking buoy, announces the alarm "Man overboard", begins a maneuver.

In the event that a person's fall overboard is reported with a great delay, the officer in charge of the watch reports this to the captain and acts according to his instructions.

When life-saving equipment or a distress signal is found on the water at night, the captain’s officer on duty organizes observation and maneuvers so as not to lose sight of them, announces the “Man overboard” alarm and, if necessary, throws out a life buoy with a light-smoking buoy to fix the place.

When choosing the initial maneuver to return to the point of fall (location) of a person, the officer in charge of the watch is guided by the weather, visibility from the ship, and the possibility of stopping to launch the boat. It would not be necessary to throw the stern from the fallen person, as was recommended earlier. With modern ship speeds and inertia, such actions are useless.

Having risen to the bridge, the captain gives instructions on which boat to prepare for launching.

When a man overboard alarm is declared, the engineer on duty uses the speed drop on the circulation to reduce the speed in order to stop the ship more quickly at the end of the maneuver.

At the end of the maneuver, the approach to a person or life-saving equipment, the stop of the vessel, the descent of the boat is led by the captain.

Basic maneuver to return to the crash site- this is a turn of 60 degrees with the subsequent exit to the counter course (Williams maneuver).

The method has the following advantages:

with the exit to the counter course, the vessel goes on the trail of the vessel, which makes this method independent of the time of detection of a person falling overboard;

the observation sector is limited by small forward angles relative to the course;

a quick loss of speed is ensured when the rudder is shifted twice, which facilitates the descent of the boat at the end of the maneuver.

The disadvantage of this method is the relatively long duration. But it does not matter so much if we compare that the main expenditure of time is spent on launching the boat and on subsequent actions.

At low speed and the possibility of a quick reverse, and in other cases, when, under specific weather conditions, constant observation of a person in the water is ensured, it is possible to use a maneuver by turning 240° (Professor Sharnov's maneuver). Here it must be borne in mind that the usual composition of the crew will not provide continuous observation during the maneuver process.

Scheme of the Williams maneuver is given in the typical table of maneuverable elements. Just this maneuver is necessarily practiced in the exercises.

The officer on duty to the captain, upon arrival of the observers, according to the alarm schedule, indicates to them the observation sector and the features of the observation. Observation sectors, if possible, are duplicated.

A case report is organized. During daylight hours, the OSCAR flag is hoisted by MCC. At any time of the day, messages are made by radiotelephone indicating the coordinates of a possible place for a person to fall overboard. At the captain's direction, information about the event may also be transmitted by radiotelegraph.

Other crew members gather at the places specified in the emergency schedule, with individual rescue equipment and in appropriate clothing. If necessary, a replacement or replenishment for the rescue boat is allocated from among them.

In the boat, you must have a first aid kit to provide first aid to the victim, a blanket, a thermos with hot drinks.

A reliable VHF radio connection is provided between the ship and the boat on the established channel.

In case of loss of radio communication, the direction of the boat is indicated by visual and audible signals. One sound (one flash of light), signaling with the right hand - instructions for the boat to change course to the right side.
Two sounds (flicker), signaling with the left hand - instructions for the boat to change course to the left. Accordingly, monitoring of signals is organized in the boat.

When the boat with the victim approaches the vessel, the following is prepared:

means for lifting victims on board;

ship's infirmary;

the necessary help on information from the boat.

After lifting the victims on board or when the search is terminated, a message is organized to all subscriptions about the end of the operation.

The actions of the crew of the rescue boat in response to the "Man overboard" alarm are practiced in accordance with the requirements of the SOLAS-74 Convention.

The “man overboard” alarm is announced by the captain’s officer on duty when a person falls overboard or when people or life-saving equipment are found at sea.

The most important factor in the preservation of human life is the reduction of the time a person stays in the water.

If there is only one officer on duty on the bridge, then the procedure is different: he drops a lifebuoy with a light-smoking buoy, announces a “man overboard” alarm, and begins a maneuver.

In the event that a person's fall overboard is reported with a great delay, the officer in charge of the watch reports this to the captain and acts according to his instructions.

It would not be necessary to throw the stern from the fallen person, as was recommended earlier. With modern ship speeds and inertia, such actions are useless.

Having risen to the bridge, the captain gives instructions on which boat to prepare for launching.

When a man overboard alarm is declared, the engineer on duty uses the speed drop on the circulation to reduce the speed in order to stop the ship more quickly at the end of the maneuver.

At the end of the maneuver, the approach to a person or life-saving equipment, the stop of the vessel, the descent of the boat is led by the captain.

The main maneuver for returning to the place of the fall of a person is a 60° turn with the subsequent exit to the counter course (Williams maneuver).

The method has the following advantages:

with the exit to the counter course, the vessel goes on the trail of the vessel, which makes this method independent of the time of detection of a person falling overboard;

the observation sector is limited by small forward angles relative to the course;

a quick loss of speed is ensured when the rudder is shifted twice, which facilitates the descent of the boat at the end of the maneuver.

The scheme of the Williams maneuver is given in the typical table of maneuvering elements. Just this maneuver is necessarily practiced in the exercises.

Other members of the crew gather at the places indicated in the emergency schedule, with personal life-saving equipment and appropriate clothing. If necessary, a replacement or replenishment for the rescue boat is allocated from among them.

In the boat, you must have a first aid kit to provide first aid to the victim, a blanket, a thermos with hot drinks.

A reliable VHF radio connection is provided between the ship and the boat on the established channel.

In case of loss of radio communication, the direction of the boat is indicated by visual and audible signals. One sound (one flash of light), signaling with the right hand - instructions for the boat to change course to the right side. Two sounds (flicker), signaling with the left hand - instructions for the boat to change course to the left. Accordingly, monitoring of signals is organized in the boat.

When the boat with the victim approaches the vessel, the following is prepared:

means for lifting victims on board;

ship's infirmary;

the necessary help on information from the boat.

After lifting the victims on board or when the search is terminated, a message is organized to all subscriptions about the end of the operation.

The actions of the crew of the rescue boat in response to the "Man overboard" alarm are practiced in accordance with the requirements of the SOLAS-74 Convention.

Priority actions upon discoveryman falling overboard

On deck

The first person who notices a person falling overboard must immediately take action, guided by the rule: “Circle, Alarm, Watch” :

1. Throw the nearest life buoy to a person who has fallen overboard ( Circle).

2. Report a man overboard to the bridge as soon as possible ( Anxiety).

3. Continuously monitor and not lose sight of the person who has fallen overboard ( Observation).

4. If necessary, throw a second lifebuoy overboard.

Officer's actions

The watch officer, having received a message about a person falling overboard, must immediately take the following actions:

1. Move the rudder to the side from which the person fell and, if possible, stop the car in order to divert the stern of the vessel and not drag the person into the jet from the propeller.

2. Throw overboard a lifebuoy with a light-smoking buoy from the side of a person falling overboard.

3. Declare a man overboard alarm by giving three long beeps.

4. On the GPS, AIS, electronic map, radar, press the "MOB" (Men over board) button to indicate on the display and save the coordinates of the place where a person fell overboard.

5. On VHF, give the 'Pan-Pan' urgency signal to inform ships in the vicinity. If possible, also instruct the officer on watch to raise the Oscar flag of the International Code of Signals. If there are other ships nearby, then sound the ship's whistle - “three long beeps”.

6. Establish continuous surveillance of a person who has fallen overboard. At night, illuminate a person who has fallen overboard with a searchlight.

7. Perform a maneuver to return the vessel to the place where the person fell overboard.

8. Inform the watch mechanic.

9. Weather permitting, proceed with launching the lifeboat.

10. Depending on weather conditions, equip a ladder or a life net.

Vessel Maneuvers on Man Overboard Alert

Depending on the prevailing circumstances and conditions, as well as the type of ship and the timing of the discovery that a person has fallen overboard, various types of ship maneuvers are performed to bring the ship to the point where the person has fallen overboard. Depending on how much time has passed from the moment a person fell overboard until the moment of detection, the following situations are distinguished:

1. The fall of a man overboard was seen by watchmen in the wheelhouse. In this case, they begin to perform the maneuver almost at the moment a person falls overboard.

2. The report to the watchman in the wheelhouse about the fall of a man overboard came from an eyewitness. In this case, from the moment a person falls overboard and the start of the maneuver, some time will pass and the ship will move away from the person who has fallen overboard for a certain distance, that is, the maneuver will be performed with some delay.

3. The absence of a person will be detected and it will be assumed that he fell overboard. In this case, the time interval from the moment a person falls overboard to the beginning of the maneuver can be significant, and the ship will be at a great distance from him.

Three main types of maneuver are used to return a ship to the place where a person fell overboard:

Single turn (270º turn).

U-turn by the Williamson method.

Reversal by Sharnov's method.

Anderson reversal

a) Transfer the rudder to the side from which the person fell overboard.

b) After turning the vessel to a heading angle of 250° from the initial course, put the rudder in the “straight” position and begin to stop the vessel.

Williamson reversal

It is applied at the moment of detection of a person falling overboard.

a) Transfer the rudder to the side (If this maneuver is performed immediately after the person has fallen overboard, then the rudder must be transferred to the side from which the person fell overboard).

b) After the ship turns 60º off its original course, the rudder is shifted to the opposite side.

This is how Williamson's reversal looks like on the ECDIS screen. For the training of watch officers, on the high seas, in the absence of other ships nearby, each watch officer was asked to turn Williamson and return to the return course. Some ECDIS have a MOB (Man over board) function that makes it much easier for the boat to get to a given point. During training, the watch officer presses the appropriate button on the ECDIS and performs a maneuver, the purpose of which is to return the vessel to the return course and to the specified point. Despite the apparent simplicity of the maneuver, not all assistants, including senior assistants, were able to successfully complete this maneuver the first time. And what is interesting, the success of the maneuver did not depend on the experience of the assistant, the Chinese “three” with 6 months of experience easily completed the maneuver, and the German “chief” with three contracts in the position, on the Navi Sailor 4000, “tricked” so that it’s close did not reach the set point. It should be noted that, having performed the maneuver only once, the assistants performed all subsequent maneuvers much more confidently and successfully.

Sharnov's reversal

It is used when some time has passed after a person fell overboard until the moment of detection.

a) Put the rudder on board.

b) After the ship turns 240º off its original course, the rudder is shifted to the opposite side.

c) When the ship turns on a course 20º less than the counter-course, the rudder is shifted to the "straight" position and the ship is brought to the counter-course.

When a person falls overboard, the one who notices this must immediately throw a lifebuoy into the water and report to the watch officer (“Man overboard on the right!”).

The watch officer gives the command to the helmsman to shift the rudder to the side from which the person fell in order to divert the stern and reduce the possibility of falling into the water under the propeller. At the same time, he drops a life buoy with a light-smoking buoy from the wing of the bridge, announces the “Man overboard” alarm, sets up an observer who must continuously monitor the fallen person using a searchlight in the dark, marks the position of his ship with a marker on the video plotter, electronic map or ARPA screen , and in the absence of these means - determines the position of the vessel as accurately as possible. In the table of maneuverable elements, these actions are expressed by the wording: “Remember: maneuver, circle, alarm, observation!”.

Starting the maneuver to exit the ship to the place where a man fell overboard, the officer on duty reports the incident to the captain and informs the engineer on duty, notifies nearby ships via VHF, raises the OSCAR flag on the MCC. the ship's whistle gives three long sounds, which is necessary not only to warn nearby ships, but also to notify a person who has fallen overboard about that. that he will be helped. During maneuvering, this sound signal can be repeated.

If an eyewitness reports a person falling overboard and action is taken with some delay, the Williamson Turn maneuver (coordinate method) is recommended. The steering wheel is shifted on board; after deviating from the original course by 60 °, put the rudder on the opposite side; not having reached 20 ° before the return course, shift the rudder to the “straight” position and lie down on the return course. The table of the ship's maneuvering elements lists the elements of the "Man overboard" maneuver using the coordinate method, taking into account the characteristics of this particular ship, determined from field observations. The angle of turn from the initial course, the operational time for shifting the rudder to the opposite side (in minutes and seconds) and arriving at the starting point of the maneuver are indicated separately for the starboard and port sides.

The Williamson turn takes longer to complete than a simple turn and temporarily moves the boat further away from where the man fell overboard, but most accurately returns the boat to that spot and to its wake. When the ship reaches the starting point of the maneuver, the speed must be reduced so that the ship can stop quickly.

In a situation. when the fact of a person falling overboard was not observed, but the loss of a person on board the ship was discovered, the Skarnow turn is used (in another transcription, the Sharnov turn). The steering wheel is also shifted to the “on board” position; after deviating from the original course by 240 °, the rudder must be shifted to the opposite side. Before reaching 20° before the return course, shift the rudder to the “straight” position so that the ship then lays down on the return course.

The Skarnow turn allows the vessel to return to its wake faster than the Williamson turn, however, after the turn is completed, the starting point of the maneuver will be approximately one hull aft of the vessel.

While the turn is being made, the rescue boat is being prepared for launching; to receive a person who has fallen into the water directly on board the vessel, it is necessary to prepare life buoys with lines, storm ladders, cargo nets. Dedicated crew members in immersion suits and life jackets(if the suit provides for their use) and with life lines must be ready to go into the water to help a person overboard.

When approaching the place of a person's fall, it is necessary to extinguish the inertia of the vessel and launch the rescue boat. If it is possible to lift the victim directly on board the ship, it is necessary to cover the victim and people who enter the water to help him from the wind and excitement with the hull of the ship.

In cases where visual observation of a person who has fallen overboard is lost, especially in conditions of limited visibility, exit to the point of falling overboard is carried out, guided by the mark on the video plotter, electronic map or on the ARPA screen. This point is taken as the starting point when searching.