PFD size for fall hunting

[flashman2]

Not so much a message about wearing PFDs to save lives, because if you go over and there's only a skipper and one other deckhand left on board the odds of recovering you are slim to none, but that at least it's more likely your body will be recovered.

The boat this is about, the Miss Ally, was found far off shore, capsized, with the wheelhouse smashed off. There was never any question about rescuing survivors, it's about giving families a body to bury.

 

[flashman2]

Isn't the point of a bright coloured life jacket to make rescue/recovery easier?

Yup. And a PLB attached is cheap insurance too, they're less than a budget scope. The one I wear was $400. Cheap at the price.

 

[MD]

Not so much a message about wearing PFDs to save lives, because if you go over and there's only a skipper and one other deckhand left on board the odds of recovering you are slim to none, but that at least it's more likely your body will be recovered.


The boat this is about, the Miss Ally, was found far off shore, capsized, with the wheelhouse smashed off. There was never any question about rescuing survivors, it's about giving families a body to bury.

I worked on a commercial boat with a skipper and engineer and we had a rescue plan if any one of the crew went overboard.

 

[Slimbo]

I should wear some sort of PFD when fall hunting, but I rarely do... on big water late season hunts I figure hypothermia will kill you anyway, might as well get it over with... same thing with safety harnesses in treestands, I know that I should wear them but I never do... I give myself a stern talking to now-and-again, but don't do anything about it... likely I will pay for my stupidity one day... don't do as I do, do as I say...

Didn’t you just break your leg falling off something? Slow learner eh lol

 

[MiG25]

The Helly Hansens we used to wear were rated to something like loss of 2 degrees of body temperature in 2 degree water for 6 hours.

 

[flashman2]

I worked on a commercial boat with a skipper and engineer and we had a rescue plan if any one of the crew went overboard.

Absolutely. That's a TC requirement as is practicing it.

Having a plan and being able to successfully execute it are two different things though.

With a skipper in the wheelhouse and one person on deck to keep eyes on the person overboard, there's no one left to do anything else. Actually recovering someone back on board is a two man job at least which leaves you short exactly one man at the helm. In the typical weather here during fishing season that's no small thing. Without someone to man the wheel you'll be broached to the weather on the next swell that comes in. If you approach on the downwind side the guy overboard has to swim against the wind and current to make the boat, presuming they're even able to swim. Even if, swimming against the typical currents here is impossible never mind adding wind drift on top of that. If you approach on the upwind side you risk overtaking and they end up under the boat. Trying to keep a boat alongside and in one spot long enough to effect recovery is a HARD job. It's very very rare here that anyone that goes over makes it back on board. It's almost unheard of. I calculated the odds based on the numbers out on the water each season and it's actually far more dangerous to be out lobster fishing in NS than it was to be outside the wire in Afghanistan at the height of the war.

Like... good luck with that... if it takes three people in calm conditions while the boat is tied up at the dock to haul a guy in a survival suit (which no one is wearing unless the boat is sinking) back on board... yeah.

All of that is presuming you didn't get yanked over because your foot ended up in a lobster pot line.

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4920450