Life ring

R

rapscallion

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I recently bought a life ring and 90ft of heaving line to replace the inadequate (too small) ring that came with the boat. There doesn't seem to be a hard-and-fast rule about whether or not the life ring should be free of any line; should have a line affixed to it, but not tied off to the boat; or should have a line affixed to it that is tied off to the boat. If you throw the ring and miss your target, being able to retrieve the ring for another throw would be important. On the other hand, tying the ring off to the boat could impede the throw and limit its scope. It could be helpful too for the MOB to have the heaving line free in order to pull the ring to himself. I'm trying to place myself in the position of: a) a person on the boat in rough conditions trying to throw a life ring to an MOB; and b) an MOB trying to acquire a thrown life ring. I also have a separate 50ft of floating heaving line.

Does the life ring on your boat have a line affixed to it? Is it tied off to the boat, or is it free?

Thanks!
 
Rap:

The theory is 50-75' of floating (poly)line. The boat should be positioned 10-15 from the PIW. As you noted, overthrow upwind - the PIW can grab the line. Line should be tied to thrower or the boat. If the end is free, almost guaranteed, you or someone else will run over it.

Life rings on my boat do not have lines, however, clip on line is right next to one of the rings.

Gene
 
I prefer not to have line on mine. IMO you can throw it farther, faster and more accurately without the line attached. I keep a "throw line in a bag" handy to throw to the person after they have the ring.
 
By 'doesn't seem to be a hard and fast rule' do you mean common practice, or regulation? And if you mean regulation, is it a recreational boat or commercial fishing vessel?

I personally don't believe in having a line permanently attached to it. I'd rather keep one with it that I can attach if need be. Reason for this is that if I throw it to someone and then have to maneuver the boat to pick them up, I'm having to deal with however many feet of line floating in the water. Last thing I'd need while recovering a man overboard is to foul the wheels.
 
+1

I like the idea of getting flotation to the PIW independant of the process of retrieval.
I carry 3 of the "throw-bags" for retrieval.

John
 
We keep a poly line attached to the throw ring. We practice from time to time with someone in the water and have found that it is hard to consistently get it close enough to them on the first throw so we need the retrieval line. I've always figured in a real life situation we would retrieve the person in the water by pulling them in with the line.
 
Keep in mind that throwing a life ring in as close as possible to the man overboard serves a dual purpose - if the worst happens, and you have trouble spotting them again, you've got a floating marker to give you an idea of about where they were.

It's not the best datum marker in the world, as it's highly susceptible to winds (and people in the water are not) - but it's certainly the most expedient.
 
quote:
Originally posted by November Charlie

By 'doesn't seem to be a hard and fast rule' do you mean common practice, or regulation? And if you mean regulation, is it a recreational boat or commercial fishing vessel?
Click to expand...

In Canada there are regulations governing minimum required safety equipment for recreational vessels but the regulation is silent on deployment and use:

"One (1) lifebuoy attached to a buoyant line at least 15 m (49'3") long".

This regulation is for:

"Sail and Power Boats over 9 m and up to 12 m (29'6" – 39'4")" ... which is where my boat fits in.

I am interested in what the people on this forum consider to be best practice.

Great responses so far. Thanks all!
 
I keep a poly line on mine. My thought is that if I need to toss a ring, the person in the water is going to need to be pulled in. I also use it when the kids are swimming as something they can grab onto.

I also have a throw rope in a bag. One important lesson I learned is to practice deployment. I practice with the throw bag, and being unfamiliar with its properties, it was ripped out of my grip and straight into the water. My inlaws chuckled as I went for a swim but I learned an important lesson on how to use it.
 
The key is practice.
MOB overboard is not as easy as it looks.
The boat driver will usually loose site of the MOB and must be directed by the crew.
I keep a line attached.
Almost always the first attempt will not be close.
Always have someone keep their eye on the MOB
This is a good skill to learn
I have used it at unexpected times
 
The key is practice.
MOB overboard is not as easy as it looks.
The boat driver will usually loose site of the MOB and must be directed by the crew.
I keep a line attached.
Almost always the first attempt will not be close.
Always have someone keep their eye on the MOB
This is a good skill to learn
I have used it at unexpected times
 
I'm in the camp of no line as that complicates maneuvering the boat to avoid the line
 
You really need BOTH, a ring with NO a line that can be thrown at short notice for the person to hold on to while you get the boat turned around and ready to pick him up. If the boat is moving having a line on it could easily pull the ring away from the person in the water. Once the boat is close enough, use the life ring WITH the line to pull the person alongside.

Commercial vessels in my experience are required to carry both.
 
My two cents. Assuming that the person overboard was not wearing a life jacket and maybe injured, the first thing they need is something to hang on to. The square floatation cushions are easy to throw (better yet 3-4 of them) followed by life jackets (if needed). The life ring can be immediately deployed and towed behind while circling the MOB (kind of like towing a ski rope to the skier). Reverse is not a good idea with a person in the water so running over the line is less likely.
 
I don't keep a line on mine - but when the kids use it as a swim toy we moore it to the boat w/ 50' of poly. I also have a throw-line.

In a real emergency, similar to Tim I'd throw the ring near the PIW (person in water), which, will give PIW someithing to hold on to, and then maneuver for pickup. Use the throw line if needed - which is much easier to control and throw accurately.
 
In my experience, anyone that can't swim to towards a life ring isn't going to be able to hold onto a throw line, either, and you're right back to making a direct pickup - which takes quite a bit of practice when you introduce a little wind and swell to it.
 
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