One of the biggest dangers of sailing alone is falling overboard and especially if you are not secured by a line. Even with a line it is doubtful, if the the boat is under sail and the ship is making speed , that one will survive. Without a line it must be a horrendous experience to see the boat sailing away on its own. The following happened here yesterday.
The police in the Northern Netherlands are today using boats and divers to search for the sailor who is missing on the Lauwersmeer. The boat with some clothing and personal belongings was found in a search last night, but the man was not. Police donāt know if he went overboard or went swimming. āHe was alone,ā said a spokesman.
Emergency services were called yesterday that a man who had gone sailing had not returned home. A search operation by the Coast Guard, the The Royal Dutch Rescue Company (KNRM) and the fire brigade started around 8 p.m., in which a helicopter and an aircraft were also deployed.
The search ended around midnight. The case was subsequently handed over to the police. The manās identity is still unknown.
There was a case in OZ with a 40ā ish cat dinner set on the table, 4 people gone, middle of the ocean.
Only guess is they all went for a swim and a puff of wind cameā¦
Yacht found with sails up
I never get off for a swim without something trailingā¦
The sailboat equivalent is tying the tack and clew of the jib to the rail, putting the sail overboard, and using the halyard to hoist the sail and MOB.
My brother tried it once for a class and the volunteer MOB just about got squished and drowned.
Very easy to lose sight of a person in the water, especially one not wearing a PFD. First priority in a MOB event is to designate one of the crew to keep eyes on the victim. Every step in the evolution becomes progressively more difficult after that. The ASA teaches this method for returning to the spot while under sail:
