Man Overboard - Causes

Causes

A person may fall overboard for many reasons: they might have been struck by a part of the ship, they may lose their footing due to a slippery deck or an unexpected movement of the boat, or any number of other reasons. Falling overboard is one of the most dangerous and life-threatening things that can happen at sea. This is especially so from a large vessel that is slow to maneuver, or from a short-handed smaller boat. When single-handed and using self-steering gear it is usually fatal.

Therefore it is important to prevent such accidents from happening, and to be prepared for them if they do. On large vessels, passengers on deck should never climb or sit on the railings. They are usually high enough for people to keep their center of mass well below the top rail and in all but the most fierce weather, from this position it is difficult to be washed, blown or to trip overboard. On yachts and motorboats this is not always the case and so extra precautions are necessary. Every passenger and crew-member should have their own safety harness that has been adjusted to fit them before leaving port, and it should incorporate leg or crotch straps and built-in inflatable flotation if possible. On the deck and in the outdoor sitting areas there should be jackstays and strong points provided so that everyone may clip the tether of their harness safely to the boat.

Harnesses should be worn whenever the wearer feels it necessary. Typical guidance for when to clip on to the strong points might include:

• Whenever the sails are reefed due to the wind strength
• When approaching an area of tidal disturbance
• Whenever a person is alone on deck
• Always after dark
• Whenever else a person feels the need to

Apart from staying safe, most yachting schools also teach, and require students to practice, man overboard drills. This is recommended so that, should the worst occur, everybody on board knows what to do, as well as being a good opportunity to practice close-quarters maneuvering.