Using the Lifesling to save your mate.
History
 Many documented deaths in Crew Over Board (COB)
situations.
 Common factors
 The Sailing Foundation of Seattle designs a dedicated
COB rescue system – the Lifesling
Problem
Solution
Visibility
Quickstop
Flotation
Lifesling
Retrieval
Lifesling
Lifesling design
 Flexible horseshoe float with 20 lbs. buoyancy.
 125’-150’ floating line
 Draws closed around COB for hoisting
 Soft case, hard case and inflatable versions
Crew
Over
Board!
Crew Overboard!
 The overriding priority: keep the COB in sight.
 Throw a cushion or another buoyant object.
 Alert crew, if any; designate COB “watcher”.
 Push GPS “MOB” button
 STOP THE BOAT!
Quickstop -- 1
Stop the Boat:
Quickstop Maneuver
1. Head to windward, luffing the sails and stopping the
2.
3.
4.
5.
boat.
Deploy Lifesling (making sure it is attached to the
boat).
Turn through the eye of the wind, without tacking the
jib sheets.
If the mainsheet is run out, pull it in to a close-hauled
position
Sail past COB, gybing as necessary.
Quickstop -- 2
Stop the Boat:
Quickstop Maneuver
6. Circle the COB , without touching the sheets
7. Watch the Lifesling line –don’t run over it!
8. Watch the COB – don’t run over him!
9. Circle until the COB has the Lifesling.
Quickstop --3
Quickstop – after making
contact with the COB

STOP THE BOAT by heading into the wind
(towing the COB is very dangerous).
As soon as the COB has the Lifesling over his head,
drop the sails.


Jib first – keeps boat head to wind. If hanked-on, tie it
down to keep it from jumping up the forestay.

Then drop the main.

Keep lines out of the water
Securing the COB
 Pull the COB in with the Lifesling line.
 Pull to the windward side—this is rougher on the COB but
the boom and mainsail will be out of the way.
 Pull the COB as close as possible to a midship or cockpit
cleat, and cleat off the line.
 The most critical part of the rescue is over!
Recovering the COB
 Get out the hoisting tackle.
 Attach the lower end temporarily to a lifeline, or directly onto





the loop at the end of the Lifesling line.
Identify a free halyard—most commonly the main halyard—
and attach the fall end of the tackle.
Run the fall through a genoa sheet lead block to a sheet
winch.
Hoist the halyard at least 10’ off the deck and cleat it off.
Attach the lower end to the Lifesling line loop (if not already
attached).
Undo the cleated Lifesling line and hoist the COB aboard.
Recovering the COB:
Caveats
 You have the time to work safely, as the immediate
danger of drowning or hypothermia is past.
 Make sure the tackle’s fall comes from the upper block.
 Make sure the hoist is led outside the lifelines.
 Hoist the upper block at least 10’ off the deck so the COB
will clear the lifelines.
Quickstop --4
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Quickstop --4
coffee break
(10 minutes)
After the break, please follow Bryan
to the hanger for
the hoisting demonstration.
Can you hoist your partner with a 3:1 purchase tackle? 4:1?
questions?
 Is your Lifesling securely tied and seized to the boat?
 Do you have a readily accessable tackle with enough line
to go from near the water to 10’ off the deck, and lead
fairly to a winch?
 What problems do you foresee using these techniques on
your boat?
Preparing in advance
 Read literature, watch the video, take a class
 Get the gear on the boat, correctly installed
 Dock exercise: with a MOB in the water or in the bottom
of a dinghy alongside, hoist and drop the sails, rig the
tackle, and hoist the MOB aboard.
 At sea: practice MOB routine with a dummy (a fender
tied to a bucket). Practice with a live MOB only under
safely controlled conditions.
Preparing in advance
 Read literature, watch the video, take a class
 Get the gear on the boat, correctly installed
 Dock exercise: with a MOB in the water or in the bottom
of a dinghy alongside, hoist and drop the sails, rig the
tackle, and hoist the MOB aboard.
 At sea: practice MOB routine with a dummy (a fender
tied to a bucket). Practice with a live MOB only under
safely controlled conditions.
Preparation checklist:
 Lifesling and retrieval line in sound condition.
 Line tied and seized to a hard point, with UV protection.
 At Lifesling end, line tied in a loop long enough to go
from the water to the rail, securely knotted and seized.
 Lifesling packed correctly.
 Hoisting tackle handy, long enough to extend from the
water to 10’ off the deck, with the fall leading fair to a
winch.
 Every crewmember must practice annually.
Tradewinds Sailing
Quickstop
 Many of the case studies are from reaching on inland
waters such as Puget S0und, San Francisco Bay, etc.
 But tradewind cruisers are likely to be in different
conditions:
 Sailing a broad reach or dead downwind
 20-30 kn. of wind, 5-15’ seas
 Gybe preventer on the boom
 Genoa on the spinnaker pole, possibly wing-andwing, or a spinnaker flying
Downwind
Problems
•big seas
•Steering is locked by
AP or a windvane
•gybe preventer
rigged to boom
•genoa on a pole
Downwind Quickstop
Problem:
Solution:
• big seas
 Quickstop!
• steering is locked by AP or
 unlock steering
windvane
• gybe preventer rigged to
boom
 release preventer after
• genoa on a pole
 release genoa sheet as soon
starting turn to windward
as sail starts to backwind
Downwind Quickstop
sequence:
1. Push MOB button, throw floating objects
2. Disengage windvane or AP steering.
3. Start turn to windward.
4. Cast off genoa sheet as it starts to backwind.
5. Cast off gybe preventer as main starts to backwind.
Downwind Quickstop, cont’d
5. Cast off gybe preventer as main starts to backwind.
6. Deploy Lifesling.
Downwind Quickstop, cont’d
The boat will now be in irons, downwind and off to one side
of the COB. With most of the jib rolled in, continue the
turn and sail close-hauled toward the COB.
Steer to pass upwind of the COB, then fall off and gybe.
Steer tight circles until the COB has the float.
Downwind Quickstop
 Questions?
 What would be different on your boat?
Staying attached to the boat!
Jacklines
 Run from bow to 6’ from stern.
 Should keep COB from going more than waist deep.
 Should have moderate stretch to minimize peak loads.
 Strong enough to handle 4000lb. tether load
Jackline layout
jacklines on Sequoia
jacklines on Sequoia
cockpit jacklines
Jackline materials
Material
Pros
Cons
3/16th “ 1x19
316 wire rope
Easy to use
No UV degradation
Required by ISAF
Very low stretch
Rolls underfoot
Swages can corrode
½” dacron double-braid Inexpensive
Easy to rig
Good UV resistance
Rolls underfoot
Other lines may be
mistaken for it
Spectra or Dyneema
Tubular webbing
High strength
OK UV resistance
Lays flat on deck
Expensive
Very low stretch
Requires stitched loops
1’ polyester tubular
webbing
Lays flat on deck
Moderate stretch
OK UV resistance
Requires stitched loops
Jackline material no-nos
Material:
Cons:
 Nylon tubular webbing
 Weak (3600 lb. )
 Too stretchy
 Poor UV resistance
 Polypropylene webbing or
rope
 Weaker than nylon
 Very poor UV resistance
Chest Harnesses
 Available in plain harness or as part of inflatable vest
 Must be comfortable
 Tether must attach to both D-rings on harness
 Best with whistle, light, and reflective tape
Tethers
 6’ long max., 4000 lb. min. breaking strength.
 Boat-end clip should be safety type (Kong clip or Wichard
Safety clip).
 Chest end must be releasable under load (snap shackle).
The most likely proximate cause of drowning.
Hypothermia
 Defined as a core temperature less than 95°F.
 Loss of consciousness begins at 90°F.
 Death occurs when core temperature drops below 86°F.
Hypothermia from Immersion
12
11
Hours Exposure
10
9
8
probability of
death HIGH
7
6
Slow Coolers
5
Average
4
Fast Coolers
3
probability of
death LOW
2
1
0
30
40
50
60
70
Water Temperature in °F
80
Minimizing hypothermia in
the water
 Layer of fleece, wool, jackets, hats, gloves all help
 Foul weather gear (traps air, minimizes “pumping”).
 Wet suit or survival suit (the best choice).
 Keep your extremities out of the water.
 Minimize exertion.
What you can do if you
find yourself in the
water:
1. Inflate vest, if worn. Cinch up any straps at wrists, legs,
waist, or hood.
2. Minimize exertion. Don’t try to swim to shore.
3. Get onto overturned boat or any flotsam.
4. Assume HELP position in water.
Treating hypothermia
DO
DON’T
 Get victim into dry clothing or
 Don’t assume victim is
blankets.
 Heat from core:
 Warm, sweet drinks if
conscious.
 Breath steam (100-110 °F).
 Heat pads or hot water bottles
to chest area.
 Keep victim horizontal, quiet
 Call for medical aid if victim is
unconscious or confused.
thinking clearly
 Don’t apply heat to the
extremities.
 NEVER GIVE ALCOHOL!
 Don’t move victim.
Severe hypothermia
 Requires hospitalization for best chance of recovery.
 When checking pulse, check for at least 40 seconds as
heartbeat may be very slow.
 Mouth –to-mouth breathing may be used to assist
victim’s own breathing.
Drowning from hypothermia
 Clear lungs and airways
 If no respiration or heartbeat, begin CPR. Rescue
breathing will add warmth to victim’s core.
 Warm victim slowly.
 Remember, the victim isn’t dead until he is WARM and
dead!
How to search for a missing crew when you
have lost contact with them.
Search Options
1. GPS Man Overboard function.
2. GPS track back option.
3. Spiral search pattern
Search Options
1. GPS Man Overboard function.
 For typical marine GPS, hold down mark
button.
 This creates a mark labeled “MOB.”
 GPS then shows a heading back to COB.
Search Options
2. GPS back track.
 If plotter is making a track record, turn and
follow back along the track
 Useful even if you don’t know when the crew
went overboard.
 Usefulness impaired by long track interval,
strong winds or current.
Search Options
3. Spiral search:
A course of 90°turns that traces a path with
a constant distance between adjacent legs.
The longer the search continues, the larger
an area it covers.
spiral search pattern
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
go 1 unit, turn right.
Repeat
Go 2 units, turn right.
Repeat.
Go 3 units, turn right.
Repeat.
Continue pattern.
Estimated
position of COB
etc.
5
3
1
7
5
3
1
2
START
2
8.
Each unit is a
constant distance or
time based on
visibility.
4
6
4
6
Spiral search example:
 Say that certain visibility is about 25 yards. Twice this (or
50 yards) becomes 1 unit of distance.
 5 knots = 2.8 yards per second. (1 nm/hr=0.56 yd/sec)
 One unit of time will be 50/2.8 = 18 seconds.
 For simplicity, let one unit= 15 seconds, or slow down a
little and let one unit = 20 seconds.
 So go 20 sec. N, 20 sec. E, 40 sec. S, 40 sec. W,

60 sec. N, 60 sec. E, 1:20 S, 1:20 W, etc.
Search tips
 Try to make one search unit no more than the distance
between swells.
 Furl the sails and motor (after checking for lines in the
water!).
 Search slowly enough to allow a careful scan.
 If your plotter is convenient to the helm, turn on tracking
with a very short interval (10 seconds) to make a
reasonable record of the search.
 In less than full sun, have a spotlight handy, particularly if
the COB has any reflective strips on his clothing.
Stay attached to the boat!
SIYC Summer Safety Cruises
 COB Hoist and Cruise
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August 1-2
Hadley’s Landing
Theme: Tropical Treats
Host: Ed and Sarah , S/V
Hokuloa
 Come check out your Lifesling gear
and practice hoisting a real, live wet
sailor aboard!
 Astoria Cruise and COB




Boathandling Practice
August 15-16
Tongue Pt. lagoon
Theme: Cruiser’s Potluck
Host: volunteer needed
 Take a longer cruise down to Astoria
and try out your Quickstop under
controlled conditions. This will be an
anchoring cruise with excellent
kayaking and shoreside exploration.