3.5 Man Overboard & Recovery

Why MOB Dominates Q161 and Real Command

ONC06 Module Q161 Deck Safety is 50 questions at 70%. Man overboard (MOB) is among the most tested emergency procedures because it is also one of the most common real casualties on small passenger vessels: low freeboard, crowded rails, fishing lines, wildlife rushes, and alcohol or photo distractions. As Master Less Than 100 GRT you own both the recovery maneuver and the passenger control problem. A perfect Williamson turn means nothing if fifty people rush one rail and you lose the pointer, the headcount, and the prop clearance.

Treat MOB as a drilled system, not a heroic improvisation.

Immediate Actions — The First Thirty Seconds

When someone goes over the side, the order of battle is nearly universal on exam stems and good shipboard practice:

1. Shout "Man overboard, [port/starboard] side!" so every crew member hears the side of the casualty.
2. Throw a PFD, life ring, buoyant cushion, or dedicated MOB marker clear of the person so they can grab flotation without being hit in the head. Prefer gear with a light, whistle, and reflective surface if available.
3. Assign a pointer whose only job is to keep eyes on the person and point continuously — arm extended, body facing the casualty. Do not reassign the pointer to lines or radio until another lookout has taken the track.
4. Mark the position — GPS/MOB button, plotter waypoint, paper DR if that is all you have — so you can return if visual contact is lost.
5. Maneuver for recovery using the turn appropriate to visibility, sea state, and vessel type.
6. Alert the crew and, as needed, make a radio call (Pan-Pan or Mayday if the person is missing, injured, or conditions make recovery doubtful).

Never delay the throw while debating which turn to use. Flotation in the water near the person is often the difference between a short swim and a body recovery.

Recovery Turns: Williamson, Anderson, Racetrack

Exam questions distinguish the classic recovery patterns. Know when each is preferred, not only the geometry.

Williamson Turn ("buttonhook" / reverse the track)

The Williamson turn is designed to put you back on your reciprocal (original) track, which is invaluable when the person is not continuously in sight (night, fog, high seas, delayed report).

Typical sequence taught for exams:

1. Put the rudder hard over toward the side the person fell (or toward the known side).
2. When the vessel has swung about 60° from the original heading, reverse the helm (hard over the other way).
3. Steady up on the reciprocal of the original course (original course ± 180°).
4. Proceed back along the track, eyes out for the person and the thrown marker.

Strength: returns you down your wake. Weakness: takes more sea room and time than a single hard-over when the person is right there.

Anderson Turn (single / immediate turn)

The Anderson turn (often described as a single hard-over toward the person) is a fast recovery when the person is still visible, the vessel is highly maneuverable, and you can complete a tight circle to approach for pickup. Put the rudder hard toward the side of the MOB, reduce speed as needed for control, complete the circle, and approach carefully for recovery.

Strength: speed. Weakness: does not automatically reverse a long track if contact was lost minutes ago — that is Williamson territory.

Racetrack / Ellipse

A racetrack or elliptical pattern keeps the vessel circling or looping to stay near the scene while organizing the approach, especially useful with limited visibility or when you need another pass for seas and wind. On small commercial craft the practical version is often a controlled circle keeping the person on the inside while crew prepare the recovery station.

Recovery Approach and Prop Safety

How you finish the turn matters as much as which turn you chose:

• Approach so the person ends up on the lee side when possible — the vessel drifts away from them rather than down onto them.
• Stop or idle short; do not run the prop over the person. Shift to neutral when they are alongside and keep clear of the screw.
• Prefer recovery over the side with lowest freeboard or a designated recovery station; use a ladder, scramble net, or sling if fitted. On many small vessels, a strong swimmer in a PFD with a line is a last-resort option only after flotation is already with the person and the prop is secured.
• Bring the person aboard carefully — spinal injury, hypothermia, and panic are common. Get them horizontal/out of the water as training and equipment allow; treat for shock and hypothermia immediately (next section).

Night Man Overboard

Night MOB is a different casualty class:

• Hit the MOB mark on the GPS/plotter immediately.
• Throw a lighted PFD, ring, or MOB pole if available.
• Use searchlight / deck lights without blinding the helmsman or destroying all night vision of lookouts.
• Post lookouts both sides and aft; the pointer still points at the last known bearing if contact is intermittent.
• Williamson-type return to track is often preferred because visual contact is fragile at night.
• Sound and radio may help if the person has a whistle; do not rely on hearing alone.

Passenger Vessel Considerations — Crowded Decks

Master 100 platforms routinely carry dozens of passengers under a COI. MOB on a crowded rail is a crowd-control emergency as well as a seamanship problem:

• Assign stations: helm, pointer, thrower, recovery team, passenger control, radio. Do not let every deckhand "help" at the rail.
• Stop the rush — one rail of fifty people can create a dangerous list and block recovery. Use a calm PA: "Remain seated / move to the opposite side / keep clear of the recovery station."
• Maintain or re-establish headcount after the person is recovered so you know whether anyone else went in during the chaos.
• Brief passengers in the safety orientation that they must not jump in after a casualty and must clear the recovery side on command.
• Log the event; notify the company and, when required, the Coast Guard (especially if search continues, injuries occur, or the person was missing for any interval).

MOB drill standard for the master

Drill the crew so the shout, throw, point, mark, and first helm order are automatic. On inspected small passenger vessels, MOB drills and passenger control practice are not theater for the logbook — they are how a two-person deck crew recovers a person without losing a second passenger or the prop clearance. Q161 will ask the sequence and the turn names; the dock will ask whether your people can do them with a full boat watching.