Man Overboard!
One of the scariest things that can happen aboard a ship or a boat is hearing someone yell “man overboard.” This is something that all too few boaters think about or practice for. While it is always recommended that passengers wear life jackets, the reality is that very, very few do so, and that means that the person in the water likely has no flotation gear with them.
There are several immediate actions that you should take: If you know which side they fell off, turn the rudder hard in that direction, cut the engine, have someone throw a life ring to the MOB, immediately designate someone to constantly keep an eye on the MOB and use an arm to point him or her, and if your chartplotter has an MOB button, press it immediately to set the coordinates of the MOB and help you guide your boat back should you lose sight of him or her. As a note, always instruct members of your crew or boating party how to use the MOB button.
Then the next steps: continue steering a course 90° from your original course long enough to allow you to turn the opposite direction 270° to steer back to where the MOB is in the water, this is what’s known as a “Williamson” turn, to come back to where you were. Or you can continue your initial turn and circle back to the MOB – that’s known as an “Anderson” turn. Do all of this at low speed, and as you return to the MOB, prepare to come to a stop to ensure that you do not run over the MOB. If you have them MOB in sight, and there is any significant wind or seas, you should position your boat so that you are steering into the wind or seas so that you are not pushed onto the MOB. Approach the MOB as slowly as possible, stopping the engine when you get close, and get them alongside, using a boathook if necessary, and get a hand on them to hold them up. Give them a life preserver to put on, even if they have the life ring.
You now have the problem of getting the person back aboard. If the boat has a swim platform and/or ladder getting the person to there and assisting them back aboard is likely best. If the person is injured or not physically able, they will require help. It is more difficult if there is no swim platform or ladder and the person is not readily able to climb back aboard. Depending on the amount of freeboard (the distance from the water to the gunwale), this can be a daunting task, particularly if there were just two of you aboard when one fell overboard. If you have this problem, use some line to tie the MOB to the boat, and call for help.
This is all significantly more challenging if there were only two of you at the start, and just one of you is still aboard to take care of everything. If that is the case, and presuming that the boat is small enough, take the actions listed above, but now you have to be the one to keep the MOB in sight at all times, and carefully get back to the MOB without running over the MOB.
Preparation is critical, and so you need to practice for this before it happens. If you are out one day, and someone’s hat blows overboard, it is a perfect time for a man overboard drill! You will thank yourself one day for that practice just to save a cap.