[C38] Overboard

[Joseph Launie]

*Hi,
    The Santa Barbara King harbor race produced an overboard story that 
is full of lessons for all of us. I wrote about this subject in the 
February 2007 Mainsheet.
An Antrim 27 with 4 gals on board rounded up putting 2 of them in the 
water at twilight in 30 knot winds and big seas. One of them drifted 
away from the boat with no flotation and was picked up by another boat 
after being passed  by two boats. the story is attached.
    I have given visibility of overboard crew a lot of thought. A 
personal strobe light and a whistle (good luck with the noise level of 
the seas) are easy and obvious. We had a similar incident here in Oxnard 
where the overboard person during the afternoon was only recovered 
because they drifted close enough to an oil platform to be spotted. The 
boats were all looking in the wrong area. Wind and current can be 
difficult to estimate.
    I wonder if it would be feasible to develop an orange 18 inch 
metalicized helium filled balloon on a 6 foot tether to be packed into 
the collar of your inflatable jacket and automatically deployed. That 
would give you a chance of being seen. What do you think? Joe Launie, 
Macavity

*I attempted to include the story from the sailing scuttlebutt. Thanks 
to the gate keeper you will have to find it for yourself

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