Man Overboard in New England area...mayday?

[Kiltmadoc]

This may be a dumb a question, but does a MOB situation in MA, ME or other nearby places constitute a Mayday call or Pan-pan call to the coast guard?

I am asking because I am developing a series of checklists for my boat, including several "emergency procedures" checklists that even a total newbie could follow without screwing it up.

FWIW, if anyone wants copies when I have it all finalized, i can post them.

[Undadar]

A radio call is not on the COB actions list in John Rousmaniere's book "The Annaplis Book of Seamanship". However; in my opinion, COB and someone lost at sea are two different things. If you actually lose a person (overboard and you cannot see or find them), I would think a call to CG is appriopriate.

[Edit] I think I responded too quickly. I was thinking of a non-life threatening type of MOB/COB situation (if there is such a thing). After reflecting a bit, I suspect the OP was talking about an actual life-threatening situation. Sorry about that.

[jimjazzdad]

"A Mayday situation is one in which a vessel, aircraft, vehicle, or person is in grave and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance." - Wikipedia, but I have read similar in CPS and VHF course material. I think the Mayday radio call should definitely be on the MOB/COB checklist; it obviously would occur after all the immediate response items.

[RhythmDoctor]

I am also interested in hearing the answer. You don't want to "cry wolf." In particular I am curious whether the skipper falling overboard with inexperienced crew kicks this up to "mayday" category. OTOH, if a crewmember falls overboard, is conscious and in sight, with an experienced skipper who knows MOB procedures, and weather conditions that allow for a safe retrieval, I would think mayday would be an overreaction.

But I'm just putting that out there for comment - I'd like to hear a more definitive answer from those who have actually been through it.

[BarryL]

Hello,

I would say the answer is 'it depends'.

If you have a fully crewed race boat and someone goes over on a calm day, and the person is spotted and the crew can respond immediately, then no, I don't believe a mayday is required.

If you are double handed in bad weather, and one person goes over, and the other person will have trouble stopping the boat and going back, then yes, do issue a mayday.

Barry

[labatt]

From what I understand there are two crew overboard situations - one in which a safe recovery is possible, and one where it is not (i.e. crew not in sight, conditions do not allow for a safe recovery, etc.). The designation of the situation is under the captain's purview. In the case of a safe recovery being possible, a pan pan is put out to alert other vessels in the area that you may be maneuvering to retrieve the crew member, for them to keep a lookout, not to come too close, etc. In the other case, there would be an immediate threat to life and safety (including the safety of the rescuers) so a mayday is appropriate. I have heard that the Coast Guard, in the past few years, has suggested Mayday for COB in all but the simplest of circumstances. This allows for them to be prepared in an expedient fashion to assist with a possible rescue. Keep in mind that you are supposed to relay as much information as possible during a pan pan or mayday - this would allow potential rescuers, such as the Coast Guard, to make their own assessment as to the severity of the situation.

I remember a sailboat on Lake Champlain calling a mayday because they lost engine power and were uncomfortable sailing in the heavier winds. This may have been an uncomfortable situation for them (they didn't initially let anyone know they were a sailboat - not until the Coast Guard asked for a more specific description than "a white boat" and they mentioned that they were a sailboat with their sails down) but it certainly wasn't a life threatening situation. The Coast Guard downgraded the call and put out a request for a good samaritan or tow boat. The boat crew kept yelling at the Coast Guard in a rude fashion - "Coast Guard, it's been 15 minutes and nobody is here yet. When will someone be here??". Oh well. I do make sure to let any Coast Guard personnel know how much I appreciate their service as they will put their lives at risk to save yours. I can't stand listening to people complain about CG safety checks (don't confuse with local police safety "potty" checks)... is it so wrong for them to want to know that you have enough safety gear to alert them to issues (flares, sound devices, etc.) and keep yourself somewhat safe (i.e. life jackets within quick reach) until they get there? Sorry for the OT rant

[Faster]

Originally Posted by RhythmDoctor

I am also interested in hearing the answer. You don't want to "cry wolf." In particular I am curious whether the skipper falling overboard with inexperienced crew kicks this up to "mayday" category. OTOH, if a crewmember falls overboard, is conscious and in sight, with an experienced skipper who knows MOB procedures, and weather conditions that allow for a safe retrieval, I would think mayday would be an overreaction.

But I'm just putting that out there for comment - I'd like to hear a more definitive answer from those who have actually been through it.

I agree with RD and Barry... it depends.

Ironically in the 'skipper overboard with experienced crew' scenario the odds that the crew would know/know how to make that call comes into question so the checklist idea is a good one - though that also means making sure this 'new' crew can find it and knows that all the instructions really mean.

But, if someone goes overboard and despite best efforts, or because of conditions, you lose sight of them then I think that's a definite mayday call. In benign conditions one would hope you could get them back aboard and then assess the situation (you may still want to call for help if the victim, though safe, is suspected hypothermic)

[PaulinVictoria]

Unless you're in a race or a situation with a lot of boats around, MOB is a mayday call as far as I'm concerned, especially in our not-exactly-tropical waters up this way. Even if the call later gets cancelled, in the meantime you have help on the way and those few minutes could be the difference between retrieving someone or dragging a body out of the water. This was confirmed during a conversation I had with a CG chap a little while back, they would rather get the call, assess the situation and be able to react in time than have a call come through when it was too late.

[SJ34]

Seems like a "No Brainer" at first, if it's life threatening make the call, if it's a calm day with no immediate danger don't. But then I started remembering all the times I've been out on casual sails or crewed races when something unexpected happens like a broach or wrapping a halyard around a forestay and how fast time and distance seems to slip by in those situations. Those time lapses can turn a fairly benign situation into a life-threatening scenario pretty quickly.

[Minnewaska]

Crew in the water in New England most definitely has the potential to be life threatening. If your hand is on the radio, you tell me what you are thinking. Unless you feel certain to recover, its a Mayday call.

The USCG is not going to launch assets simply because you called. They will assess and monitor the situation first. If you are not making progress or can't find the victim, they will be at the ready.