>What's your MOB plan for a disabled victim? We are lucky in that GBs, unless they've been modified, have a very stout mast and boom. We installed a large karabiner at the end of the boom fall which we use to launch the sailing dinghy that is stored in a cradle on the aft cabin top. We also replaced the single- sheave mast and boom blocks that were stock on the boat with multi- sheave blocks which make it very easy to lift 200-300 pounds. We also replaced the topping lift and the boom fall line with heavier line than needed, not for strength but to provide a better grip. And unlike the original boom fall, the one we have now is a 110-foot length of line which, even with the multiple-sheave blocks, allows the working end with the karabiner to be lowered all the way into the water with the boom still in its 45-degree raised position aligned with the centerline of the boat. So I or my wife would not even have to change the position of the boom to get the end of the boom fall down to the water. Finally, a GB36 has relatively low freeboard in the aft half or so of the hull so hooking the karabiner onto the ring on the Lifesling on a person in the water alongside the boat is pretty easy even for my somewhat short wife. We also have a Livingston dinghy on Weaver Snap-Davits on the swimstep. It is very easy to deploy this dinghy so an alternate plan if the water was not overly rough is--- once the aft rail mounted Lifesling was deployed and the person in the water had hold of it--- to stop the boat, pivot the dinghy down into the water, and then get the person into the dinghy using the boom fall, which since it is so long can be controlled by the person in the dinghy to assist hauling the victim aboard. The dinghy would remain attached to the Weaver davits on the swim step during all this. The Livingston's very low freeboard and high stability would make it much easier to haul a person out of the water this way than hauling them up the side of the boat, plus the width of the dinghy would keep the victim well away from the swimstep which could deliver a nasty blow to anyone in the water next to it as the boat rocked and pitched. ____________________ C. Marin Faure GB36-403 "La Perouse" Bellingham, Washington

On a trawler that has a steadying sail arrangement, I was present when the owner tested his MOB technique with a lawn chair at the end of the mast... He has it rigged so that there is are lines attached to the back, and to the arms of the chair. He suggests that the MOB, if at all possible, get into the chair facing backwards, and hold on. It worked in calm weather but I am not so sure it would work in stormy weather, or if the MOM is incapacitated. The owner says the chair is rigged so that it only requires one carabiner to hook up. And, his Admiral knows how to work this rig just in case... Lee