In a message dated 6/10/00 12:53:42 PM Central Daylight Time, Russ@trawlerdogs.com writes: << If they are strong enough, they can swarm up the net, if not, you can grab one of the extension lines and "roll" them up to the rail. Worst case they can at least hook their arms or legs through the mesh and hang there until someone figures something out. >> In my experience people who fall overboard do not have the strength to climb back aboard any vessel. I have seen a number die of hypothermia, while alongside the boat as various rigs try and get them aboard. We have a proven method: first used in the Cal 46, using the dingy hoist motor and radar arch, now using the Davit crane on the Symbol 42. We keep a lifesling at the area of the gate of the aft portion of the sun deck. The bitter end is attatched to one of the aft cleats, and led fair to run free when the life sling is deployed.. After the boat circles the person in the life sling, and he/she puts the sling on, we stop the engines, pull the life sling to the swim step. If the person is not able to board the ladder, we then hook a penant into the life sling lifting D ring. This is attatched to the 1000 lb capacity cable on the dinghy davit electric winch. The pull on this, with remote control is straight up, and the victum is swung directly onto the sundeck for further rescue. We have tried this at sea and it is simple and sure--any size person can do this with the largest of victums. (a variation of this is our lift for the dogs out of the dinghy, so we practice its use regularly) Bob Austin Pensacola, FL.