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SafetyBack on board: MOB systems put to the test

Michael Rinck

 · 16.12.2020

Safety: Back on board: MOB systems put to the testPhoto: YACHT/N. Krauss
Back on board: MOB systems put to the test
Three new rescue devices are designed to help restore contact with people who have fallen into the water and get them back on deck. In the PDF download
The OneUp Pro is a rescue collar that inflates automatically on contact with waterPhoto: YACHT/N. Krauss The OneUp Pro is a rescue collar that inflates automatically on contact with water

Every sailor's worst nightmare comes true when a crew member goes overboard. The manoeuvre to steer the boat back to the person in the water is one of the most important things to learn in every sailing school and is practised even more intensively than mooring and casting off. The ability to manoeuvre the boat back to the buoy (which represents the person in the exercise) and to stop next to it is also crucial for passing the examination for the pleasure craft licence.

With the POB-Net, a hypothermic person can be gently lifted horizontally out of the water. This is even possible if the person is unconscious and there is only one sailor on boardPhoto: YACHT/N. Krauss With the POB-Net, a hypothermic person can be gently lifted horizontally out of the water. This is even possible if the person is unconscious and there is only one sailor on board

Nevertheless, the MOB manoeuvre only covers half of what is needed to rescue a fellow sailor in a real emergency. After all, once the boat has been steered to the person in the water, they have to get back on board. In the best case scenario, they simply climb up the bathing ladder and get back on deck on their own.

USafe has reinvented the lifebuoy. Instead of throwing it far or manoeuvring the yacht into position, the MOB is quickly brought back to the boat by remote controlPhoto: YACHT/N. Krauss USafe has reinvented the lifebuoy. Instead of throwing it far or manoeuvring the yacht into position, the MOB is quickly brought back to the boat by remote control

However, with wet clothing and exhausted from a strenuous day of sailing and swimming in the water, this can be difficult or even impossible. Especially in spring, cold water with only a short period of manoeuvrability adds to this. If it becomes impossible to get on board, special rescue equipment can help.

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We tested three new systems that promise to help in the event of an MOB: the POB-Net for rescuing a hypothermic and incapacitated person, the USafe to get them back to the yacht and the OneUp, which is designed to work like a conventional rescue collar. We tested all three under real conditions with a test person in the water on the Flensburg Fjord.

You can read how the three MOB systems fared in the practical test in YACHT, issue 24/2020. The magazine is available in the DK shop, or you can download the test directly via the link below.

Downloads:

Rescue equipment: MOB systems (pdf)

Michael Rinck

Michael Rinck

Redakteur Test & Technik

Michael Rinck war das Kind, das nach der Schule direkt aufs Wasser wollte – Segeltraining, Regatten, Hauptsache nass. Diese Vorliebe machte er zum Beruf: Erst als Segellehrer auf der Alster (während des Studiums), dann ab 2014 in der YACHT-Redaktion. Dort hat er im Bereich Test & Technik seine Berufung gefunden: Segelboote und Sicherheitsequipment testen. Was besonders bei Rettungswesten und MOB-Systemen bedeutet, dass er mehr Arbeitsstunden im Wasser treibend verbringt als die meisten Menschen im Büro sitzend. Höhepunkt: eine ganze Nacht in der Rettungsinsel auf der Ostsee. Seine Familie hat inzwischen durchgesetzt, dass Urlaubstörns auf der eigenen Fahrtenyacht deutlich trockener ablaufen.

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