MOB (Man overboard): Racing Trimaran Musandam-Oman Sail (Mod70) lost a crew member

Discussion in 'Multihulls' started by Skip JayR, Oct 11, 2015.

  1. Skip JayR
    Joined: Sep 2015
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    Skip JayR Tri Enthusiast

    On last Wednesday I got the notice of a very sad and shocking news from board of the Trimaran OMAN SAIL (MOD70 class) about a MOB (man overboard) alarm front coast of Croatia...

    [​IMG]
    MOB position: 44° 32′ 98N – 014° 02′ 50E

    Since then from day to day the hopes are fading as sea temperatures in October front coast of Pula are in average ~20°C. Crew member
    Mohammed Al Alawi (26 years old) is still missed... while the searches keep going.

    More details and news ticker here: http://bit.ly/1ZrKXhf
     
  2. Corley
    Joined: Oct 2009
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    Corley epoxy coated

    The dust hasn't settled and full sympathy to the Oman Sail team and Mohammed's family but I will look forward to seeing a report on the accident.

    On deck without a PFD? No Personal Locator Beacon? These seem like serious breaches of safety standards it's not unknown for it to happen when someone rushes on deck for an urgent sail change.
     
  3. Skip JayR
    Joined: Sep 2015
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    Skip JayR Tri Enthusiast

    search starts in darkness...

    The sunrise on that day (7th Oct) was at ~07:08 am (calendar). The maritime casualty happened at 05:05 am.

    What we know: the search didnt start by visual contact, unluckily.

    Generall we can say: without a flash light and personal Epirb its nearby impossible to find a person during first 2 hours of darkness and faint light of dawn, even in flat water and low wave hight. Under given conditions the wave hight at 4-5 beaufort (15-17 kn) is roughly between 1.5-2.5 meters.

    Remembers me similarly tragedy last year during the Clipper race where a MOB happened. Yet didnt find the whole video I have seen a reportage on Nautical Channel which shows the whole drama... as the EPIRB didnt work during first 15 minutes... lately the signal came and the crew got the chance to find the lost man...
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th8tmqD0h1o


    We have to wait till we get the report. We only can learn from knowing about the details and mistakes for a safe future on board of speedy boats.
     
  4. Corley
    Joined: Oct 2009
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    Location: Melbourne, Australia

    Corley epoxy coated

    In a seaway it's so hard to find a M.O.B. especially if there is no dedicated crew member who sees them go overboard and can visually track their location.

    I recall a good write up by Sam Goodchild on being rescued by his crewmate in the Global Ocean Race. It was sobering and certainly made me think more of overlapping safety precautions.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/6264886/Kiwi-ocean-racer-rescues-overboard-teammate

    I remember waking up with a start on a delivery trip back from Port Lincoln to Melbourne I'd been seasick during the day, couldn't keep food down was without sleep for a full day and was on the graveyard watch along with crewmate 'Rusty'. I awoke with a start in the inside helm chair and glanced at the nav computer to realize I'd been asleep about 5 minutes. Rusty was nowhere in sight and I had a moment of panic it was a pitch black night and I was relieved to see that he was on the rear deck. I couldn't see him but he was a smoker so I could see the tip of his cigarette burning. It was a lesson to me don't stand watches when you are sick and tired better someone else covers for you and you do watches during the day when you are more likely to stay awake. Also energy management it's worth putting your head down even if it's only for a nap whenever possible.

    It was partly Rusty's fault too he should have been on watch with me not sneaking off to the rear deck for a ciggy where he was not able to do anything quickly should we have been caught by a gust. A combination of factors like that can lead to major accidents. The rule was onboard that everyone wore their life jackets on deck (he didn't have one on) he could easily have fallen off the boat and no one would have known for a few minutes.
     

  5. Skip JayR
    Joined: Sep 2015
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    Skip JayR Tri Enthusiast

    Oh man... Rusty and his nicotine abuse... no life jacket, hm ?

    That remembers me this summer: a man his name Peter took a nap under deck... when he woke up, he was alone on the boat... and didnt find his beloved one Carly Hill. She was a very, very experienced round the world cruiser... and was an author, too having written a novel.

    Frantic search for woman, 58, who fell from her yacht off coast of South Africa while her British husband slept

    [​IMG]

    Quickly after the news popped up it started a very bad rumour via social medias that "he" killed "her" by pushing over board and he played against the public the innocent. A real nonsense as they just had refitted their catamaran Orxy. Craning the boat they lately noticed that the starboard keel was lost, funny story.

    Cant imagine the drama one goes through noticing, that maybe hours ago the partner went over board and in this moment you already know that you never will see this person anymore. Terrible to imagine this.

    Such stories are a real warning ! I suppose experienced sailors here are in a more risky situation. Many thousand miles nothing happened... and hushing quickly to the fore deck for clearing something without wearing life belt + jacket... having too much self confidence. Its difficult to keep up the self discipline as our brain is a lazy organ.
     
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