Best Lifesling Tackle Attachment Point on CD-22?

I certainly will. My biggest concern is the the parbuckle is not wide enough. I needed something that would fit between the cabin and the framework for the canvas. So that's the big compromise, and we'll only be able to determine how bad that is by parbuckling a real adult up into the boat.

The second big unknown is whether or not a smaller adult can actually lift a heavier, waterlogged PIW into the boat with it. If it works well enough, but requires more power for smaller rescuers, then I'll contemplate adding some sort of tackle/hoist arangement, but I'm skeptical that adding complexity is really going to help. KISS, you know.
 
Assuming that the person to be retrieved with the parbuckle is floating unconscious parallel to the hull, how do you get the parbuckle up and underneath the victim and then hooked on to the hoist? Maybe I don't understand how it is designed to be used...

Thanks,
Warren
 
When you test, try it with the biggest person in the water, and in calm water to begin with (have the swim ladder ready)--Be sure that the "Victum" is wearing a good wet suit. Then try it in rough weather.

We have done a number of trial "rescues"--with me in the water (past tense now)--and Marie pulling me out. It is much harder than you may think. I suspect that Marie could not pull me out with the Parabuckle...but no proof of that. (Marie is about 125 lbs and I am about 185 lbs). We have found at 5 or 6 to one is necessary for the lift (or better yet, an electric winch).
 
Tim, I would agree with your concern that your parbuckle net is probably not wide enough, additionally the victim's head and legs will be difficult to get in around the obstruction of the cabin and the camperback support. However, it is certainly worthy of trying. On our Fire/Rescue boat we have used a large cargo net that appears similar to your set-up, however is wider. Another difference is that our gunnels in the cockpit are lower to the water than what is on our C-Dorys. We usually operate with a crew of three on board, so muscle power is not an issue. Yes, it is difficult to manuever the net under the victim as you have to be able to slip it under the victim and retrieve it on the side furthest from you. (Not bad in calm water.....different story in rough water). (FYI....it is also possible to parbuckle a victim in by rigging ropes in a "zigzag" fashion....obviously even more of a challenge than a net). The intricacies of bringing a victim on board (especially an unconscious or hypothermic patient) is indeed a challenge and may require "dipping" into a large back of tricks to accomplish the task. I commend you on your efforts to come up with viable solutions.

(Tom on the "Susan E", performed a challenging (and successful) rescue with his 22' Cruiser a year ago in rough water and if I remember correctly his victims were not only approaching hypothermia, but one of them was a fairly large person).
 
An additional fact to remember is that if you are rescuing a victim, fail to contact and keep a hold of the victim on the first attempt, and have to circle around to come back to him/her, the chances of a successful rescue is significantly deteriorated as unless the victim is wearing a life jacket, they will most likely slip beneath the water surface as they give up hope.
 
We left Friday Harbor on Saturday, July 7, 2007, and as we were leaving a man and woman were docking their sailboat on the row of slips across from us. During the docking process the woman fell overboard. There were a lot of people around to assist her. The biggest issue at that point was to keep the boat away from the dock as to not pin the woman between the boat and the dock.

The dock floats on the water and was approx. 6-8 inches above the surface of the water. The woman could not lift herself onto the dock! In fact, several people together could not lift the woman onto the dock. She was not overly large, and she was probably in her late 30s early 40s, but by all appearances she was not used to physical labor (that's the most polite way I could think to describe her) and she could not help with her own rescue.

Let me repeat that...6-8 inches above the water to the dock and several people could not lift this woman onto the dock.

We talk a lot about rescuing people and using pulleys and other tools to assist, but let's not forget that we need to keep ourselves in shape if we expect to help ourselves and others.

As a reference, several teenagers earlier in the day were jumping off the dock and into the water only to climb out and do it again and again. So, water temperature and dock height were not obstacles for everyone.
 
Warren,

To be completely honest, I don't know. We were pulling out of our slip when she fell in the water on the dock behind us. I'm sure they ultimately pulled her out, because there were lots of people around. Last time I looked about 5 guys were running over to assist. With that much muscle power I'm sure they got her out.
 
I once watched as a fellow fell in between a 28' Bayliner and the dock. The wind had really picked up that day, and I still remember his cry as the boat surged against the dock, with his torso acting as fender. Ouch. He was pulled out of the water right away, but man, that was scary.

Anyway, I appreciate all the feedback. We'll conduct some tests later this season, and I'm sure we'll all learn a lot.

As for Warren's question:
Assuming that the person to be retrieved with the parbuckle is floating unconscious parallel to the hull, how do you get the parbuckle up and underneath the victim and then hooked on to the hoist?
Click to expand...
I intend to rig a line to the outboard end of the ladder...long enough for the ladder to hang vertically into the water, and tied to the cabin grab-rail. If the ladder is being used as a ladder, everybody can ignore this line. If the victim is unable to climb the ladder, the idea is to grab this line and pull it out away from the boat while you pull the victim (who, hopefully, has the Lifesling collar under their arms) into the U-shaped channel created by the parbuckle and this line. Does that make sense? I'll have to take pictures.
 
Falling overboard while docking is relitatively common. I must confess I did it at least twice when a kid--once with the "ship's clock"--a Waltam Railroad watch in my hand. My dad used to tell of seeing the clock emerging from the water since I tried to keep it dry as I went over--the clock was saved by putting it in fresh water, then gasoline, and off to the jewlers. I was a skinny kid and my dad was strong, so he pulled me out of the water both at the dock and once at sea when I fell overboard (we didn't have any lifelines our our sailboat and I had gone foreward to tighten some halyards.)

I always warned folks to stay on the boat--not to jump off to the dock. Despite that warning, one of our friends jumped from our Cal 46 to a fishing boat In Alaska--and slipped right into the harbor. Fortunately she was thin, athletic and her husband pulled her right out--freeboard over 3 1/2 feet--but she went down first, to prevent being caught between the Cal 46 and the fishing boat, and I didn't kick the boat into reverse to pull the stern in so there was room for her. The C Dories are relitatively light in comparison to some larger sailboats--and the risk of injury are substantial in larger boats.

Getting people back aboard is a serous business. But we have to remember that some of us, as we age do not have as much upper body strength as we once had.
 
Bob,
Your last post reminds me of the saying:- "I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I always was."

Glad to see you back on form...

Merv
 
I have also fallen in while trying to jump to the dock. The dock can be one of the most dangerous places for boaters.

I tell people not to jump for the dock. If you cannot step onto the dock don't go!

Steve
 
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I've received some questions from C-Brats about progress with my parbuckle/ladder rescue net. I finally wrote it up here:

http://www.navagear.com/2007/12/overboard-rescue-parbuckleladder-4/
 
Nice write up of your experiences, and emphasises that it is very difficult to get aboard in the best of circumstances. It would seem that the parabuckle would have to be lifted from both the foreward and aft ends--a block and tackle would seem most effecient. I can see using the Garhauer Davit for the aft end, and putting a strong point on the cabin lip for the foreward point. However, I doubt if your daughter could pull you up--considering the throwing of the life sling (which is designed to be towed to the victum). There are thowable inflatable life saving devices,which could be thrown to a greater distance... But still the problem is with the person who is impaired. Impairment comes very rapidly with cold water and early hypothermia. Compounding is the weight of clothes and the resistance of boots or shoes.
 
timflan":1tmwzo06 said:
I've received some questions from C-Brats about progress with my parbuckle/ladder rescue net. I finally wrote it up here:
Click to expand...

Tim (and Bob), I have been thinking about this issue for some time because I want to be able to self-rescue if necessary. Here is my latest thought, which of course assumes that I am not knocked out and have some strength left: hook the Lifesling up to the block and tackle and make it deployable by someone already in the water (some type of release lanyard to pull it out of the container and alongside the boat.) Use the block and tackle to pull myself up to the point where I can roll over the gunwale and into the cockpit.

Whaddaya think?

Warren
 
S'worth a try. Before you go to any great trouble rigging up the "deploy from overboard" ripcord arrangment, I strongly suggest you put on a wetsuit, climb in the water, have someone throw the Lifesling to you, rigged as you imagine it would be, and get yourself in the boat. If you can do it, then move forward.

If nothing else, I've satisfied myself that you have to really practice this stuff. Don't just buy the gear, install it, and expect it to work in a crisis. Climb right into the water and USE IT when it's not an emergency. I don't particularly like climbing into Puget Sound, wetsuit or not, so I waited until I was in Lake Washington to try it out.

I think it's probably a good idea to practice this stuff once a year, at least. I've got to get my wife and kids out of the boat for some practice, too. Gotta be summer, gotta be warm, gotta be fun.
 
We "proofed" our hoisting arrangements on all of our larger boats--by having my wife hoist me aboard (easier because we started from S. Calif. or Florida, where the water was warmer)--also remember that a wet suit gives you some flotation, plus it decreases the hypothermic effect. So if you fall overboard, it will be more difficult than what you simulate.

I have pulled myself up to the top of 60 foot masts with 4:1 block and tackle more times than I would care to remember (and that is why we "electrified" the process--since I went up every time before we put to sea). A strong man can do this easily--but some one who is not in shape will have more difficulty. The problem still remains, to get the lifting point high enough with the life sling. We had to put the lifting point up 10 to 12 feet off the water to have a reliable way to get the entire body over the railing--not a problem with a boat which has a Radar arch on the stern, where the top is 9 feet off the deck, or a boat with an electric crane davit 12 feet off the water for the dinghy--but these heights are not available on the C Dory. (except with the davit on the side of the cabin--as we discussed in a prior thread).
 
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