Episode 2  – Man OverBoard when sailing downwind under a big sail!

In INSIGHTS Episode 1 we looked at the man going in when we were sailing to windward and how we would get the boat back to him and then a retrieval method using a 6-part tackle.

Here we are sailing downwind under a big sail when the man goes in.

The scene:

There are just two of us on my Hallberg Rassy 352. We are sailing downwind under spinnaker and mainsail, both of us are wearing lifejackets and the other guy falls in.

The Reaction:

1. Immediate reactions

Assuming I see him go in I will hit the MOB button on the chart plotter – a good reason to have the chart plotter or a repeater in the cockpit. I will throw the danbuoy in and a lifebuoy and perhaps a cushion or two. Anything to mark the spot, as we will be disappearing away from him fast. I will turn on the engine and switch on the autohelm.

2. Dealing with the Spinnaker

Now I need to get the spinnaker down or get rid of it.

A note here about downwind sails, sailing downwind under a large furling Genoa or a Drifter or a Code Zero, we will put the engine on, centre the main, round up and furl or drop the sail and motorsail back to the casualty.

However, with a Spinnaker (a symmetrical sail with the ‘tack’ attached to a pole) or a Cruising Chute (an asymmetric sail with the tack attached to the bow or a bowsprit) you will need to de-power it and get it down and that will generally mean continuing to sail downwind.

3. Get the Mainsail down

With the big sail stowed you need to motorsail back to the casualty and it makes sense to get the main down while doing this, so you arrive by the casualty with no sails set.

4. Approaching the main in the water

I manoeuvre the boat so it is to windward of the MOB and stop alongside. Given that I will be using the engine, I will make sure that he is well forward of the beam when I do this.

5. Recovering the man

The man overboard on my boat will have a Lifesaver in his lifejacket. I will grab this with the boathook and attach him to the boat.

My retrieval system will be the same as for Episode 1 and my view on calling a Mayday once you have the man back on board will be the same.

Dealing with a Spinnaker or Cruising Chute on your own:

So, how might we get rid of a Spinnaker or a Cruising Chute if we are on our own?

Here are some options:

1. Dousing the sail with a snuffer

Given that there are snuffers available for Spinnakers and Cruising Chutes and that some Cruising Chutes have furling systems, I would advise making sure that any passage-making sail had one of these. For all these options we maintain our course sailing downwind.

• Spinnaker – Snuffer

1. Autohelm on
2. Ease the guy to allow the luff of the sail to fall off to amidships to leeward behind the main
3. Pull the snuffer down
4. Ensure all lines are on deck
5. Leave the sail in its sock with the mouth of the snuffer secured
6. Engine on, centre main, motorsail back to MOB

• Cruising Chute – Snuffer

1. Autohelm on.
2. Ease the tack line to allow the luff of the sail to fall off to amidships to leeward behind the main.
3. Pull the snuffer down.
4. Ensure all lines are on deck.
5. Leave the sail in its sock, with the mouth of the snuffer secured or stuff down the forehatch later.
6. Engine on, centre main, motorsail back to MOB.

• Cruising Chute – Furler

1. Autohelm on.
2. Furl in, easing the sheet as you go.
3. Engine on, centre main, motorsail back to MOB.

If you do leave a sail raised but in its sock you will need to find another halyard for raising any MOB retrieval tackle when you get back to the man.

2. No snuffer or furler?

A)  Spinnaker no snuffer – Drop behind main

1. Autohelm on.
2. Release the guy, tighten the downhaul, the pole will go forward to the forestay and will be held down.
3. Sheet in, the spinnaker is now blanketed behind the main and de-powered.
4. Trip the spinnaker lazy sheet from the pole end.
5. Ease the halyard, haul on the sheet and bring the spinnaker in through the slot between main and boom, and down the companionway,controlling the rate of drop with the halyard. Not easy on your own.
6. Engine on, centre main, motorsail back to MOB.

B)  Cruising Chute no snuffer – Drop behind main

1. Autohelm on, maintain course.
2. Ensure halyard, sheet and tack lines are free to run, preferably flaked.
3. With a turn on the winch, take the spinnaker sheet to the bow.
4. Release the tack line, this will de-power the sail.
5. Release the halyard.
6. Pull the cruising chute down by the foot/sheet and stuff down the forehatch.

With lines led to the cockpit this drop could be managed from the cockpit with the sail taken under the boom and down the companionway.

C)  Cruising Chute – Catch the cruising chute in a headsail

Another option might be to unfurl the headsail and catch the cruising chute in this;

1. Autohelm on.
2. Unfurl headsail and sheet in to windward.
3. Centre the main.
4. Gybe but leave the cruising chute sheet on the windward side.
5. Release the halyard, the cruising chute will fall into the headsail and can be dropped.
6. Engine on, motorsail back to MOB.

D)  Spinnaker –  Release the halyard

An emergency procedure for a spinnaker is to release the halyard and allow the sail to drop into the water and to gather it in from the foot on the foredeck;

1. Autohelm on.
2. Centre the main to reduce speed.
3. Release the halyard.
4. The sail will drop ahead of the boat.
5. Gather in the sail from the foot and stuff down the forehatch.
6. Engine on, motorsail back to MOB.

E)  Spinnaker – Losing the sail altogether

Or, perhaps lose the sail altogether. This is one reason why not having stopper knots in the end of any of the lines is important. Although some people will advocate having stopper knots on the sheets for the very reason that they don”t want to lose the line through the blocks and have them trailing in the water. The same applies for the halyard to prevent it coming out of the mast in the event of a mistake. You pays your money and you takes your choice on this one. Could stopper knots with a handy and very sharp knife to hand be the answer?

1. Autohelm on.
2. Centre the main.
3. Release the spinnaker sheet. This will depower the sail. Allow the sheet to pull through all the blocks and fly free.
4. As the sail flies forward, release the guy and allow it to pull through all the blocks.
5. Engine on.
6. Turn the boat into wind.
7. Release the halyard and the sail should land in the water behind or to leeward of the boat.
8. Drop the spinnaker pole onto the foredeck.
9. Motorsail back to MOB.

Or, would your boat round up with a downwind sail set? You would be close to the MOB but you would have a big sail backed against the rig and you would probably need a snuffer to get it down.

     

Downwind rigs that can be reefed quickly and easily:

1. Goosewinged Main and Headsail

This needs a preventer on the main and probably requires attention as it is a delicate point of sail, so may not be preferred but it is easy to shorten sail.

2. Twin Headsails

Either both set to spinnaker poles, or one on a spinnaker pole, the other with the sheet taken to the end of the boom. And then the main set or not as you like. Care needs to be taken when running that the poles do not dip into the water with the rolling.

     

Twin Headsails matched (above)
Twin Headsails not matched, one on a pole, one led to the end of the boom (below left)

     

Twin Headsails not matched, one poled out – one not (above right)

3. Twizzle Rig

Twin matching headsails poled out on ‘Twizzle’ poles. The inboard ends of the poles are taken to a universal joint which is forward of the mast and moves independently of the movement of the boat, which as a result reduces rolling, without a mainsail having to be set.

All of these allow you to go from running to close-hauled. Easing the sheet on the windward headsail on a twin headsail set up will allow it to come across and lie against the working headsail.

And if you have a main set you can even heave-to with a twin headsail set up, either by leaving the sheets alone so the working sail backs and the other sail hangs in its lee, or if both sails are lying together both sails can be backed if the sheets for both are held fast on the windward side.

There is also a poled out Gennaker goose winged with the main. Sometimes at night this will be replaced by a poled out Genoa.

If planning an ocean crossing with a long downwind leg, practice before you go so you are familiar with your set and you can manage it and reef it or lose it quickly.

4. A Parasailor is a good option

The Parasailor is the spinnaker sail with a vent and wing; the vent allows gusts to pass through the body of the sail and the wing provides bow lift, stabilises the sail and reduces roll.

Don’t be tempted to fly it in excessive winds despite its ability to spill gusts. It can be flown just like a cruising chute with just a tackline and sheet, with or without the mainsail but more commonly without. A booming out pole is not necessary.

Dousing is done with the Easysnuffer that comes with the Parasailor. It is as simple as taking the boat on a broad reach to reduce apparent wind strength, releasing the working sheet to spill the wind and pulling on the snuffer hoist line.

Speak to Stuart Anderson of Ocean Chandlery about Parasailors – parasailor.co.uk

Photos of Parasailors, Spinnakers and Cruising Chutes courtesy of Rick Buettner.

      

Summary:

Practice in all conditions and have a plan

These techniques for returning to the MOB need to be practiced in all conditions for you to become comfortable with them and for them to begin to become second nature. You may wish to get the main down on the run back to the man so you arrive alongside with no sails set. Or, indeed, you may have another technique that you prefer.

Whatever, you need a plan for what you will do and you need to practice. In light airs everything is fairly straightforward, but the minute the wind pipes up things take on quite a different complexion. You might have got back to the MOB and have him alongside but you only have to present the wind with a scrap of sail or a beam-on topside for the boat to be quietly moving away from him and he ends up out of reach.

That is why it is important to have something in his lifejacket that you can grab quickly with the boat hook to attach him to the boat  – a MOB Lifesaver. It may be that he could grab a line that you threw down to him. But if he couldn’t you would have wasted time. Grabbing the Lifesaver lying there on the water would be much quicker.

Of course, given that Stress Free sailing is about preparation, planning and practice, it makes sense to work with a sail plan you can manage with the available crew or on your own and so big downwind sails like a spinnaker or a cruising chute might not be the answer. Although that said I single-hand with a cruising chute which has a snuffer and that works fine for me.

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Other MOB Articles by Duncan Wells:

• MOB Episode 1: Return to the man when sailing close hauled and retrieval on board.
  
• MOB Episode 3: Keeping track of the MOB via beacons etc.
  
• MOB Episode 4: The Mayday (coming in February 2021).

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About the Author:

Duncan Wells is an RYA instructor and features writer for Yachting Monthly, Sailing Today & Practical Boat Owner and author of Stress Free Sailing, Stress Free Motorboating and Stress Free Navigation. Duncan runs an RYA recognised training centre in Bucks, UK and also created the MOB Life Saver.

• Author – Stress Free Sailing
  
• Author – Stress Free Navigation
  
• Author – Stress Free Motorboating
  
• Author – Stress Free Mooring
  
• Creator – MOB Lifesavers (approved for all current models of SeaSafe, Spinlock, Crewsaver, Baltic and Ocean Safety lifejackets)
• Principal – Westview Sailing
  

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Other INSIGHTS can be found here.

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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Noonsite.com or World Cruising Club.