Suddenly Single Handed

1. Suddenly Single Handed Jill Clement April 2013

2. This might be you… Now Then

3. Or maybe this?

4. What WOULD you do? Really. Think About, Learn How, Practice Medical Emergency MOB Sailing Skills

5. What is the very first thing to do? Panic

6. Assess the Situation Control The Boat or Attend The Victim? • MOB - Control the boat so that you can get to the victim • Injury – Take a deep breath and assess: • Can the boat drift for a few minutes without imminent danger?NO? • Turn on the engine and get to a safer spot, then put the engine in Neutral. • YES • Let all your sheets fly and everything boat will stop. This is noisy and chaotic so try it. • Heave To – takes a bit of practice, but much calmer on board • Turn on the engine and keep it in neutral.

7. Sailing Injury Study 2013 survey conducted by Dr. Andrew Nathanson of RI Hospital and published in the journal Wilderness and Environmental Medicineseparately reported injuries in dinghy’s vs. keelboats. In the study 71% of reported injuries occurred on keel boats. On keel boats, the upper and lower extremities accounted for 78 percent of all injuries, with another 11 percent occurring on the trunk. The most common causes of the injuries were trips and falls, being hit by an object, or being caught in the lines. Of the 70 most serious injuries reported, 25 percent were fractures, 16 percent were torn tendons or cartilage, 14 percent were concussions and 8 percent were dislocations. The majority of severe injuries were to the head, knee, leg and arm. Heavy weather was considered a contributing factor in 36 percent of the severe injuries. Also of note, seven percent of the injured sailors reported that they consumed alcohol within two hours of sustaining an injury. Nathanson says, "While the effects of alcohol are dose-dependent, even low levels of alcohol use while boating is a potential problem." Nathanson reports that the survey also indicates falls while on board boats can likely be reduced by improved footwear and better anti-skid deck surfaces, less cluttered and more ergonomic deck layouts and adherence to the sailing maxim "one hand for the boat, and one hand for yourself." The researchers also recommend protective head gear, padded spars and higher boom clearance as potential changes that can reduce sailing injuries.

8. Medical EmergencyBasic First Aid Knowledge is Critical Nothing says romance like taking a first aid course together (Probably) Minor Injuries:slow the boat and Assess Falls are the most common cause of injury aboard Blow to the head? Check pupils, nausea, dizziness indicate that you need help or at least to get to land asap. Possible back or neck injury? Do you know how to stabilize the neck and spine? Cuts Swelling – ice (assess for a potential break) Serious insect bites Sunburn Is your first aid kit ready? How about your pantry? Do you keep pure Aloe, Cayenne or black pepper, meat tenderizer and vinegar on board?

9. Minimal First Aid Skills Instead of that romantic getaway weekend, why not take a first aid course together? • Learn How To: • Slow down blood loss – direct pressure/pepper? • Tie a tourniquet • Immobilize an arm or leg • Using an epi pen • Keep a Well stocked first aid kit in a prominent spot • Know how to use the VHF • Pre-program your phone with Coast Guard number

10. Medical EmergencyBasic First Aid Knowledge is Critical Nothing says romance like taking a first aid course together Assess and call for help FIRST Heart Attack or Stroke (FACE) • CPR by yourself – Red Cross advises breathing only • Dehydration - Increased thirst, dry mouth and swollen tongue, weakness, dizziness, palpitations (feeling that the heart is jumping or pounding), confusion, sluggishness, fainting. • Caffeine is a diuretic. • Heatstroke (symptoms/treatment) • Hypothermia – (signs of) get and keep victim horizontal – do not offer the victim alcohol, do not rub skin.

11. Man OverboardAn Ounce of Prevention • In the study sited earlier only 30 percent of the sailors who responded reported wearing a life jacket. • The US Coast Guard reports that two thirds of recreational boating deaths are caused by drowning. • Surviving a fall overboard is doubled when the victim is wearing a PFD. Minimally, define when you’ll don pfd’sin worsening conditions Install a jack line and use safety harnesses outside the cabin Consider towing the dinghy Do not pee over the side or rear of the boat. Even if no one’s looking… Man Overboard (MOB) is the root cause for 80% of all deaths at sea. The VAST majority of MOB victims are men (see previous bullet)

12. Man Overboard (MOB) • Most non-racers don’t practice MOB response; much less with the first mate at the helm. • Most MOB recovery methods assume at least 3 people are on board. • To be confident of a positive outcome both captain and mate should be competent at being both the victim and the rescuer • In real life emergency the victim is likely to be: • In heavy water-sodden clothing, • Coughing and spluttering from salt-water in the lungs • Potentially on their way to hypothermia (recent studies show longer in-water time than previously believed) • Possibly unconscious

13. Man Overboard (MOB)It’s You • Make yourself visible (hood on) • Mirror/whistle in your pocket • HELP position to preserve body heat • Grab a flotation object • Look for LifeSling in the water, swim toward the rope ahead of the float, if you • are able.

14. Man Overboard (MOB)You are suddenly Single Handed If you are on the boat: Hit the MOB button on GPS (or ID opposite heading on the compass) Toss Floatables Quiz

15. Toss What Floatables? Does it float? Can you see it in the water? Debris Trail theory

16. Where is the Victim? Visibility Aids Approx. $199 Approx. $1000 Self Inflating devices Approx. $399 $120-$300

17. Get to the Victim – with Engine • Take a deep breath. Take another deep breath. • You have more time than you might think if the water is reasonably warm. • Stop or at least slow down the boat – be prepared for noise if you luff all of the sails • Turn on the engine, in neutral. • Stay in the cockpit if you can. • Drop the sails OR let them flap around? • CAN you drop the sails (do you know how and can you physically do it) • What can you do alone? Roller furler? • Flailing genoa sheets are very dangerous if you are on deck.

18. Sail to the Victim Using a LifeSling Take a deep breath. Throw floatation of any sort Turn the boat up into the wind and throw floatation overboard, including the LifeSling (if you have one) Turn back toward the victim (let the jib/genoa backwind) Circle the victim until he can grab a rope (or the LifeSling) Cleat the rescue rope. Head up into the wind and drop the main. Let the headsail fly or roll it in if you have time. Recover the victimwith a halyard (through a block & to a winch) Best case scenario: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=akvdg_OQEhQ More realistic scenario:https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=stqveg0TYvA

19. Getting the Victim Back On The BoatVertical Recovery • No Lifesling? • Tie a large bowloin into the end of the halyard. • Toss the end to victim, who slips the loop under their arms • Using genoa winch, raise victim out of the water. A 5:1 tackle block will hoist a 200 lb person with only 40 lbs of lifting effort

20. Horizontal Recovery • Recovery of injured victim • Best position for hypothermia DIY MOB Mat Sea Scoopa

21. Victim is Back on Board • Start the engine and put it in neutral • First Aid as needed • Look for hypothermia • Attend to the boat – consider anchoring • Expect to feel jumpy, angry, weepy from adrenaline

22. Prevent & Prepare Despite your level of preparedness accidents and injuries will happen. Be Prepared. • Prevent – What can you do to prevent accidents and injuries? • Look at your boat with a critical eye • Handrails, non skid rugs/stair treads, potential missiles in the cabin, cockpit clutter, jack lines, ladders, proper clothing near the companionway • Prepare - Talk through scenarios • first aid class, first aid kit, blankets, MOB equipment and drills, time at the helm, radio awareness, labels • Practice skills – heave to, stopping the boat, lower sails, deploy the anchor, etc

23. There’s been an accident – now what? The right answer of course is… it depends …groan Things to take into account: weather, traffic, hazards, the victim… • What should you do first? • Call for help • Bring the boat under enough control so that you are free to deal with the victim • Assess the victim and render first aid

24. Bring the Boat Under Control Stop the boat in such a way that you are not in greater danger Let sails fly and drift for a bit Heave-to Continue (or begin) to motor to where you can get help Beach the boat in a populated area – beach (probably not the optimal choice)

25. Heave to Come about without touching any of the sheets Keep the rudder in come-about position (tighten it down) Adjust the main until the boat is making very little forward progress (1-1.5 kts) If seas are very rough consider reefing You will very gradually slip sideways to windward (main is trying to turn you upwind, headsail is trying to turn you downwind. Rudder is helping the headsail. Forward progress is mostly the keel in action.

26. Calling for Help

27. Who Can Help? Harbor Master Private Towing Service US Coast Guard

28. Signals to get help Wave Arms Use flairs/ hoist a distress flag. Use radio

29. Radio Basics Mayday comes from the French “venezm’aider” meaning “come help me” Every Boat should have a documented Radio Procedure readily available Call Towing service or the Coast Guard on your cell, or by radio (cell may be faster) While calling a local police station may connect you with the harbor master, 911 operators do not have direct transfer to the Coast Guard

30. If you need to get off your boat…A Word About Towing May or may not bring your boat back to your home port, depending on your contract. READ it Carefully May not provide service if you are in your home port. The issue of salvage rights (if you can, drop an anchor regardless of the depth of the water) As a general rule, the USCG aids people, not boats. A towing service membership more than pays you back for numerous years of membership with one call.

31. Deploying the Anchor Know the basics of anchoring Where is the anchor and how is it attached to the boat? How does the windlass work? How do you turn it on?

32. Before the sailing season starts… Adrenaline is not a substitute for knowledge and practice. Do a quick physical (or even virtual) walk through of your boat • Do both of you know where safety equipment is? • Where is the first-aid kit? Is it up-to-date and ready for a head injury, serious cut, immobilizing a limb? Is there a simple first aid book in there? • Where are the flares? Do you both know how to use one? • Look for areas to improve cabin and cockpit safety • A large number of cabin related injuries are due to projectiles. • More safety rails in the cabin • Make up a radio procedure sheet and post it AT the radio • Significantly increase helm time for first mate

33. Baby Steps Don’t – announce MOB drill and immediately jump overboard to simulate the ‘real thing.’ DO – figure out how to stop the boat. • Discuss MOB • Talk through what equipment you have and how to deploy it. • Walk through – can you both actually use your current equipment successfully – alone. • If not, you might as well throw THAT overboard. • Actually do a drill. • Large and easy ‘victim’ (dinghy, old pick up buoy) • Slow Motion or do an Add-A-Step approach

34. Questions/Discussion

35. Do you Know How To: Use the MOB feature of the GPS Head into the wind Heave to Drop the mainsail and the headsail Start and Operate the Engine Deploy MOB recovery equipment Tie a bowline knot Deploy the anchor Practice basic first aid