It’s difficult to communicate how quickly you can be lost at sea, especially if there is any kind of sea running. We used to have frequent man overboard drills in the Navy, and we had a man-sized dummy (“Oscar”, in the phonetic alphabet) wearing a bright international orange vest that we would throw over the side unexpectedly and then sound the alarm. Even with multiple bridge lookouts five decks above the waterline, the sea would swallow Oscar up. He would sometimes just vanish, with dozens of eyes looking for him.

I think the main purpose of these drills was to make the crew very, very careful when on the weather decks. Even if someone saw you go in, chances were that by the time the alarm sounded and the ship responded, you would be gone forever.

We never will know that story.

I’ve researched whistles for backpacking, as they are the most common way of finding lost people. As a result I’ve purchased about 40 of the kind at the URL below, but not for that price. I give them away to people I’m travelling with who don’t have a whistle. It’s worth it to me if it saves me from a long search. The whistles are ungodly loud even with a feeble breath.

I took a group of about 15 deaf people up Mt. St. Helens one time. The all had whistles, and I explained through the interpreter that if they got lost or scared and couldn’t get attention to blow them 3 times in succession. A-whew pause a-whew pause a-whew. I explained it was like turning a light on and off at night. (I think even they could have heard those whistles.)

Anyway, one guy wants to demonstrate. He blows, pauses, blows, pauses, blows and then with tip-toeing sneaking motions heads over to a large rock and hid behind it.

Everyone laughed, and there was much signing and waving of hands indicating applause.

There was a great trip. An odd part though was my going through the rudimentary explanations for this hike, the hesitation step and so on, when I’d deliver a funny line or small joke they’d look at the interpreter and laugh. They wouldn’t look at me. I got to where I enjoyed watching that. Another odd part was the hostility that came from some people who would pass one of them and make pleasant conversation. No response from my people. Some folks got offended.

Anyway, here’s the URL. The price there is high, though.

http://www.amazon.com/All-Weather-Safety-Whistle-Company-Storm/dp/B0042NQ014/ref=pd_sim_sg_1

Getting back aboard after going over the side is not as hard as it sounds, but the absolutely essential safety item here is a boarding ladder bolted on to the transom. It can be folded up out of the way when not in use, but should be rigged so it can be easily deployed by someone in the water.

Unfortunately, the stern shapes of some boats, or other equipment mounted there, like self-steering gear, may make that impossible. Getting someone aboard from the water can be very difficult, particularly if they are injured. People are heavy, and there is no place to stand. The books have all sorts of ideas, none of which sound like they’ve actually been tried successfully. One is to lower the sail into the water by slacking off the halyard, maneuvering the floater into its belly, and then using the halyard winch to bring the load aboard. Doing this in rough weather sounds like a nightmare.

If the victim is conscious and unhurt, there is usually enough line and available sail-handling winches to quickly rig up a jury rescue arrangement. Tie a bowline onto a piece of scrap line, hand it to the guy, and winch him aboard. Still, I’d hate to have to do that all by myself, without any help, in a storm.

God, I hope not.

The place is wall-to-wall seals, and breeds Great Whites the size of station wagons.

However, I used to wonder how a person could get back aboard if they went overboard. They would be dragged, might pull themselves up to the boat but not able to get over the transom. There was no ladder.

I always thought there had to be some system to get aboard, maybe a snatch block a ways up the mast and a winch past that. But I can see people dying back there.

If you go over the side and get lost without a strobe, or if you are separated from a man overboard buoy, there is a good chance you won’t be found in time, if at all. Its hard to see a floater offshore if any kind of sea is running.

As I mentioned, sailing fatalities are common in San Francisco Bay, and especially beyond the Golden Gate. In fact, a racing sailboat recently foundered off the Farallones, just a few days ago..

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/news/20120417/yacht-race-accident/

I stayed away from Perry after that. A few years later, I ran into him at a restaurant, where he was with a middle-aged woman, probably a colleague since they were wearing business attire, not dinner wear. We exchanged pleasantries but he never got in touch with me.

A blow to the head, followed by heaving the corpse over the side, is a perfect crime unless someone is watching you. Even if the body is eventually recovered, all you have to say is “she hit her head on some deck hardware as she slid overboard”. It happens all the time.

It didn’t occur to me to notify the authorities. I had nothing but hearsay. And I’ll go to my grave believing it was murder.

Fascinating story. It would take a person with no conscience to do this. I wonder how safe Perry’s second wife will feel at year 10 of the marriage?