Once is too often – Part IV
Richard du Moulin from the Storm Trysail Club turns from monohulls to the even greater challenge of recovering an MOB lost overboard from a multihull
The MOB discussions in the August, September and October issues of Seahorse all focused on monohulls in offshore situa- tions. Before leaping into the complex (as we found out) world of multihulls, let’s summarise key findings for monohulls: l Don’t fall overboard! Practise safe habits and use a tether as necessary (refer to RORC and Storm Trysail Club recommendations). l Always wear a PFD. If you go overboard this buys you time while the yacht returns for your rescue. l Make an MOB Plan appropriate to your boat, sailing conditions and crew. Equip your boat with effective MOB equipment. Practise on your own boat with your own crew. As the US Marines say: ‘Train the way you fight; fight the way you train.’ As we tested MOB recoveries at our
Storm Trysail seminars and aboard our own boats, effective recovery techniques were dictated by two main factors: l Full crew versus short-handed (2 to 4 crew, less the MOB). l Conventional cruiser-racers versus ‘high-octane’ speedsters. Of course the skill of the rescuing crew,
condition/strength of the MOB and the wind and sea state are always factors. What was common in virtually all
monohulls was the preference for MOB recovery under engine only (or at a mini- mum engine assist). Sails limited the approach angles to the MOB, reduced the effectiveness of Lifeslings, made it harder to stop and remain stationary, and got in the way trying to bring the MOB aboard. Our interest in multihulls was spurred
on a recent safety-at-sea seminar on Lake Travis in Austin, Texas (yes, there was enough water and the BBQ lunch was the best). We used three monohulls and two trimarans, a Farrier 33 and Corsair 28. It was light air, but similarities and differ- ences abounded. For purposes of our MOB discussion, to
save words, we will use ‘multi’, ‘tri’, ‘cat’ and ‘mono’.
So what’s so different about multis? To start with, there is no ‘typical’ multi. There are so many distinct sub-species that Darwin would tear his hair out. Try this: l Cats versus tris (forget proas). l Cruisers versus cruiser/racers versus extreme machines. l Waterborne versus flying a hull(s) versus airborne.
46 SEAHORSE
l Inboard versus outboard motors and in some cases (such as in record attempts) no mechanical propulsion at all. l Low freeboard (tri outer hulls) versus towering walls (cruising cats). l Good steering stations versus restricted-view ‘indoor’ bridges. l Location and number of the propeller(s) and rudder(s). The final bullet requires some discus-
sion. Many cruising cats have props for- ward of the rudder, many aft of the rudder, which affects how they steer. The rudders tend to be small and are ineffective at slow speed. Inboard tris tend to have a single prop with wash that may or may not reach the rudder. Twenty years ago I raced over 20,000
miles double-handed with Rich Wilson on his 53ft Nigel Iren’s 1991 tri Great Ameri- can II. We didn’t discuss MOB recoveries, but we never left the deep cockpit without being tethered. Living in the centre hull surrounded by netting to the outer hulls – and sailing 10-15kt most of the time – we felt secure. For me it was a pleasant change from
living at a 25° angle. We had no foils and we only flew one hull at a time. Matched against today’s range of multis, we were sailing a cruiser-racer! The world of multis
is not only varied but rapidly evolving. We will focus on four ‘species’ of the most popular types.
Low-performance cruising multis Cat or tri, these sail and motor at similar single-digit speeds to mono cruisers. Cats dominate this space so we will focus on them. The basic technique of QuickStop should work without risking capsize. They can all go slowly enough to deploy a Life - sling (max 4kt), and most have reasonable engine power to manoeuvre. Many benefit from having two propellers. Their stability should make it easier to
recover (bring aboard) the MOB, but their higher freeboard is challenging. Hoisting up the side of the hull is not easy but might work with one or two crew pushing the halyard off the lifelines. All cruising multis have stern platforms (if not porches) that may be useful for recovery, but the pound- ing of the stern presents a risk to the MOB. Another risk is the aft shallow prop
near the stern, often combined with poor helmsman visibility of the waters close to the boat. This makes the skill of the Pointer paramount while guiding the helmsman. Use of headsets might improve your onboard communication, especially on larger cats. The helmsman must be
GILLES MARTIN-RAGET
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