Lesson previewMOB Priorities1 section shown
Preview lesson
MOB Priorities
What you will learn
Sequence the first powerboat person-overboard priorities so sight, boat control, propeller separation, crew safety and an early call for help remain joined.
A person-overboard response is not one memorised turn. It is a time-critical control problem: locate the casualty continuously, prevent a second casualty, keep the boat controllable and build a recovery that never exposes the person to the propeller.
For a crew member who sees the fall, the immediate action is to raise the alarm, point continuously and keep the casualty in sight. A throwable flotation aid may add buoyancy and a visible reference when it can be deployed without losing the pointer or striking the casualty. The helm simultaneously controls speed, route and people; nobody waits for one task to finish before starting every other task.
Use the chartplotter MOB mark or position report as supporting evidence, not a replacement for the person pointing. A screen records a past position while the casualty, boat, wind and stream continue to move. If sight is lost, say so immediately and escalate the search and distress response rather than pretending the original approach is still available.
The exact turn, approach side, engine sequence and recovery point depend on the craft, propulsion, freeboard, people, wind, stream, sea room and instruction. This lesson organises priorities; it cannot teach or approve the real manoeuvre. Learn and practice that only on the actual boat with a recognised instructor, a simulated casualty and a plan that cannot create a second person-overboard event.
Powerboat MOB recovery board
Keep sight, people, boat, propeller and escalation together
Compare six constructed cases through one five-field trace: state the evidence, protect the immediate priority, choose a bounded action, confirm the result and keep an early trigger that aborts the approach or calls for more help.
Fall seen, roles unclear
A passenger falls from the port side. Three people remain aboard, but two reach for the radio while nobody is assigned to point continuously.
- 1Observed evidence
- 2Immediate priority
- 3Bounded action
- 4Required confirmation
- 5Abort / escalate trigger
- Observed evidence
- The casualty is visible now, yet the live sightline has no owner and the remaining passenger positions have not been confirmed.
- Immediate priority
- Name one pointer, keep the helm on boat control and secure everyone still aboard before the return develops.
- Bounded action
- Assign pointer, helm and support roles aloud; use the supporting crew for position, flotation, communications and recovery preparation.
- Required confirmation
- The pointer gives a live direction, the helm acknowledges it, all remaining people report secure positions and an escape route remains open.
- Abort / escalate trigger
- Announce lost sight immediately; reduce or abandon the developing manoeuvre for any unsecured person, duplicated role or unowned critical task.
Worked example
A passenger falls from the port side of a small powerboat. The helm, a second adult and one seated passenger remain aboard; the casualty is visible and wearing a lifejacket.
- 1The witness shouts 'person overboard', points continuously and states the side of the fall.
- 2The helm protects control, reduces the immediate propeller and separation risk, and confirms that everyone remaining aboard is secure.
- 3The spare adult supports the agreed position mark and communications without taking the pointer's eyes from the casualty.
- 4The helm chooses only a trained, boat-specific return with an escape route and names the point at which the approach will be abandoned and rebuilt.
Sense check: The trace is successful only while the casualty remains located, the remaining people stay secure, the propeller stays separated and the approach can still be abandoned safely.
| Priority | Required evidence | Lost-state response |
|---|---|---|
| Sight | One named pointer can still identify the casualty continuously | Say 'lost sight', mark the best position and escalate search and distress action |
| People | Everyone aboard has a secure position, role and handhold | Reduce or stop the developing manoeuvre before another person is exposed |
| Boat | The helm has a demonstrated response, sea room and escape route | Hold off or re-approach rather than improvise beside the casualty |
| Propeller | Propulsion state and casualty position are both positively known | Keep separation and close the recovery until positive control is restored |
Run one shared recovery trace
The casualty remains visible, but two crew both reach for the radio while nobody is assigned to point and the helm begins a turn.
1. Name
Assign one pointer, one helm and one supporting role in plain language.
2. Protect
Keep the remaining people seated or securely positioned for the manoeuvre.
3. Control
Use only the trained boat response while preserving a clear re-approach route.
4. Escalate
Call for help before repeated attempts, lost sight or deterioration consume the margin.
Sense check: More people moving is not more control; each critical field needs an owner and an observable report.
Common mistake or limitation
- Letting everyone perform the same task while sight, helm control or people security has no owner.
- Treating a saved electronic position as if it follows a drifting casualty.
- Starting a remembered turn before checking the boat, remaining passengers and available escape room.
- Delaying a distress call until after several failed approaches or complete loss of sight.
Recap
- Raise the alarm and preserve continuous sight before the casualty becomes a search problem.
- Protect everyone still aboard while the helm controls the developing boat state.
- Keep the propeller separated and every close approach reversible.
- Use recognised practical instruction for the real craft-specific recovery.
Optional quick check
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