OK, I know people only fall off production boats with bolted on keels, but stay with me.....

What is the recommended "dummy" for doing man overboard drill? Listening to Chris Stanmore-Major he recommends some hanks of rope with a bouyancy aid, but I'm a bit ideologically opposed to dropping rope in the water, especially when I plan to run my engine in circles round it...

I reckon every yacht club should have a proper mannikin available.

On board your own boat? Floaty thing with a bucket.

Although I do like Gary's approach above, mainly because I don't think most people practice it enough.

Before you worry too much about your drill think of how you will get them on board. Most man overboard procedures have you getting people alongside but I have never seen someone practising getting someone back on deck. My cat has stern steps but these are lethal if you don't come drifting downwind to the victim, side on the seas. Otherwise the stern bashes the victim on the head when head to wind. So first work out at what direction your boat needs to be at when pulling them back on board.
As to how to get a non responsive person back aboard - I am not good on this. Realistically a crotch strap may be useful to winch the victim up using their harness but it is not ideal. You are going to grind them up the topsides and cause more injuries pulling them up with a halyard. As for practising going back to people - I certainly don't do that in real time. If we were going downwind with kite up and someone falls overboard you need to go onto a beam reach , let the sheets fly and cut the halyard, whilst someone keeps looking at the victim. With the reacher up we need to do an emergency furl, same with the genoa. That means if we practice with the kite I am up for a couple of grand, and otherwise I am harming a sail. So I have ideas and have done some practice but not much real stuff.

Kankama said..
Before you worry too much about your drill think of how you will get them on board. Most man overboard procedures have you getting people alongside but I have never seen someone practising getting someone back on deck. My cat has stern steps but these are lethal if you don't come drifting downwind to the victim, side on the seas. Otherwise the stern bashes the victim on the head when head to wind. So first work out at what direction your boat needs to be at when pulling them back on board.
As to how to get a non responsive person back aboard - I am not good on this. Realistically a crotch strap may be useful to winch the victim up using their harness but it is not ideal. You are going to grind them up the topsides and cause more injuries pulling them up with a halyard. As for practising going back to people - I certainly don't do that in real time. If we were going downwind with kite up and someone falls overboard you need to go onto a beam reach , let the sheets fly and cut the halyard, whilst someone keeps looking at the victim. With the reacher up we need to do an emergency furl, same with the genoa. That means if we practice with the kite I am up for a couple of grand, and otherwise I am harming a sail. So I have ideas and have done some practice but not much real stuff.

Yeah, that's why I mention the use of actual MOB mannikins.

Every drill I've done outside of the commercial world has been with something that weighed less than 10kg.
Hard to have confidence when all anyone practices with is a fender.

I think yacht clubs should do more, as individuals often don't have the knowledge or resources to try realistic training and practice

Hi Jon, RMYS have a manikin, I would think other Melbourne clubs will have one as well.

I made a MOB dummy for our club using some old sailing gear.

A 10l blue plastic water container made the torso, then it was placed in an old 'longjohn' wettie.
Some mooring chain covered in pool noodle was threaded in for the legs, which padded it out, and provided weight lower down.
Cover the top with a rashie, more noodles for arms, and use a round mooring float for the head, tied to the handle of the container.
A basic sprayjacket over the top, then Bernie is topped off with a regulation life preserver, which pads him out, and ensures bouyancy.

To cheat, a floating nylon line is threaded through the arms, just incase you cant pull him back onboard.

In use, the water container is partially filled with seawater, making neutral bouyancy, until you drag him up ondeck.
We had theory training last week, and have practicle booked for next month.

It was used a few years ago, and is a suprisingly good representation of a small to medium unconcious adult.
I'll try to find some pics.