2.3.8 Emergency boarding system and man-overboard recovery

Recover a man overboard before possible hypothermia or drowning. The time of permanence afloat depends on critical conditions of the water, on swimming capacity, on the presence of bulky clothing, intoxication, possibly injury and debilitation.
Recovering a man overboard depends on the capacity of manoeuvring the yacht (knowledge of the yacht’s speed and turning capacity) and on the experience concerning rescue procedures.
Rescue is a combination of actions: reach the man overboard, establish a contact and bring him/her on board.

Keep a visual contact with the man overboard.
Slow down and go towards the man overboard. At night, direct the best light source available towards the man overboard.
Launch the life buoy into the sea, towards the man overboard, and fasten it to the yacht by means of a line. It shall be used as a further reference to the rescuers.
When approaching the man overboard, stop the yacht or slow down.
When you are near the man overboard, stop the engines with the gear engaged, in order to avoid that the propellers continue rotating.

Help the man overboard board the yacht. The person shall generally board the yacht from the stern, through the boarding system (1). If the man overboard is injured, an expert rescuer may wear some floating rescue equipment tied with a line and enter the water to give assistance.

NOTE

If the victim presents drowning symptoms, give specific assistance. In case of serious danger, immediately make a distress call.

WARNING

In case of fall in the water, to go up on the yacht, use the special handrails (1) positioned aft.