Man
Overboard Recovery and
Selection of an Appropriate PFD
by James Sinclair, June 14, 2005
Towards the end of the 2004 season, I put into practice the man overboard recovery technique that we rehearse in the cove north of Ellis Island. A member fell under the lifelines of a boat, on which I was the skipper, just south of Governor’s Island. The incident happened during a tack: I took back the tiller from the member who was at the helm and performed the standard figure eight maneuver. Once the boat was alongside the victim, other members of the crew helped him through the stern pulpit. We returned to North Cove immediately, the victim shaken but unharmed. The recovery went well, except in one respect: the victim was wearing a PFD, as club rules require, but it had inflated in front of his face and not behind his head. Had he been unconscious, the situation might have been far worse.
There were two lessons that I took away from the incident, and I have changed my own procedures on Fleet Captain sails accordingly:
Before the sail begins, I remind the crew that, if on the deck when they hear the command ‘ready about’, they should not reply ‘ready’ until they are climbing successfully across the deck and are confident that they will be able to reach the other side – and, of course, the helmsman should ensure that he or she calls the tack clearly and hears the ‘ready’ reply from all crew members. This is especially important as crew members on a Fleet Captain sail often have not sailed with each other before.
I also double-check visually that all crew members are wearing appropriate PFDs and that they are snug and tight.
The first point is self-explanatory. The second begs the question as to what is an appropriate PFD and how snug it must be. In order to test this I experimented with three frequently used PFDs in a swimming pool. My own conclusions are as follows:
The Sospender inflatable PFD used by the club, which does not have a harness on the front, was the best of the three. It inflated automatically, provided good buoyancy and kept the wearer’s head above the water. However, it MUST be worn tightly around the waist so that it cannot be lifted up easily by someone holding the vest. The PFD has a little buoyancy before inflation and it does not inflate for two or three seconds. If not snug, the vest will slip over the wearer’s head when entering the water and inflate in front of the wearer. A wave would force the vest back pushing the wearer’s head under water. I tested with model number 38ALNG.
Properly inflated PFD.
The Sospender inflatable PFD that does have a harness (two half-ring metal buckles) has the canister in a different place. Perhaps because I still had not put it on tightly enough, the canister hit me in face when it inflated. It works, but I recommend checking the location of the canister on any PFD. I tested with model 38AHAR.
Canister may hit wearer’s face on some models.
The ‘scout pack’ by Sospender or, presumably, the similar ‘belt pack’ by Stearns, is not suitable for our use. There are two issues:
It requires manual inflation: experienced sailors are unlikely to fall off the boat unless injured and possibly unconscious. Less experienced sailors may not be as confident and may not have the presence of mind to inflate – and could also be unconscious!
Once the tag is pulled, it always inflates in front of the victim’s head and requires the wearer to use some force and courage to push his or her head through the PFD. This involves closing of the eyes momentarily.
It does have the advantage is that it does not ‘ride up’ but stays firmly on the waist, but on balance I would still not recommend it. I tested with West Marine Sospender 38M series.
Scout pack requires manual inflation and pushing head through vest.
I should mention that the larger the wearer’s stomach, the more likely it seems that the PFD will ride up. Sporting Lives and other manufacturers make a ‘universal crotch strap’ for keeping PFDs snug. I have not tested one, but they are available from West Marine for $13.99 each.
In summary, the inflatable type used by the club works the best provided it is worn sufficiently tightly that it cannot be lifted easily when worn. If in doubt, it is probably best to wear the traditional Type II also available for rent from the Club or free of charge on the boats. Finally – if using an inflatable PFD, it is advisable to test it once a year or as recommended by the manufacturer. New canisters and rearming kits are inexpensive and easily installed.