Figure-8 Crew Overboard Demonstration

Watch this on-the-water demonstration of the Figure-8 Crew-overboard procedure. In order to earn a Light Air rating (or higher) at MCSC, you need to be able to execute this COB. Be sure to also check out the classroom lecture on the procedure for more information on how to get ready to do this COB.

[@krysjez]

Thank you for this video! Was having trouble visualizing it but the live animation tracing the path of the boat really helped.

[@AaronPriceColby]

To everyone saying to pick the man up windward of the boat this will work in light wind a flat water only. In wind anything above 10knots the windage of the boat will drift downwind much faster than a body with the windage of a basketball, you'll have at most 1 second to get a line to them before you are out of reach. Now imagine the person is unconscious, how will you have time to attach them to your boat in that 1 second. In heavy seas, the person may also be bashed against your boat by oncoming waves. The pickup to leeward protects from waves by creating a slick of flattened water and allows the man to drift downwind of the boat (yes there are exceptions for this but they are ultra fast racing boats, not typical day sailing cruisers). This has been tried and tested in real world tests and real world incidents. Take a Safety at Sea course and you'll cover all sorts of incidents like this with skippers that are doing intense off shore racing. We practice in fair weather but we have to keep in mind that a COB will happen in adverse weather and how we handle that will be much different.

[@krysjez]

I was taught to have the COB to leeward as well but people kept telling me it was wrong, this makes a lot of sense and it sounds like it depends on situation.

[@AthelstanEngland]

Very good. Thanks

[@kathrynhanley1793]

NICELY DONE!

[@liegon]

Wouldn't it be better to pick up the person on the windward side, because the sails, especially the jib may be in the way otherwise, so you can't always be sure where you're aiming, and if you're alone on the boat, you're sitting on the windward side anyways?

[@dillonkilroy3926]

I always put the person on my Windward side. Takes a little more aim, but at least then you don’t run them over!

[@rogerdoran8153]

That was OK but it would have been better to position the boat downwind of the MOB .

[@Mike-8730]

You just ran over your crew mate. Try to do better next time. Fall off when you’re close and offer something for them to grab onto. Don’t just run them over in training because that’s what will happen to anyone you’ve trained improperly.