Man Overboard (MOB) Recovery Procedures

TL;DR — When a person falls overboard, immediately throw a ring life buoy, post a dedicated lookout, and maneuver the rescue boat to effect recovery; if the individual is not immediately located, notify the Coast Guard and continue searching until released by the Coast Guard. 46 CFR §28.265 46 CFR §185.512

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What the Rule Says

Immediate Actions at the Moment of the MOB Event

Federal regulations prescribe a specific sequence of actions when an individual goes overboard. These steps appear in the required emergency instructions that must be posted aboard — or kept readily available — on commercial vessels.

Step 1 — Deploy a ring life buoy. Throw a ring life buoy as close to the individual as possible. 46 CFR §28.265 The ring buoy serves two purposes: it provides immediate flotation support and it marks the last known position of the person in the water. 46 CFR §185.512

Step 2 — Post a dedicated lookout. Assign one person whose sole duty is to keep the individual in the water in sight at all times. 46 CFR §28.265 This is a distinct, dedicated role — that person does nothing else. 46 CFR §185.512

Step 3 — Launch the rescue boat and maneuver to recover. Launch the rescue boat and maneuver it to pick up the individual in the water. Alternatively, the vessel itself may be maneuvered to pick up the person in the water. 46 CFR §185.512 46 CFR §28.265

Step 4 — Prepare a standby swimmer if necessary. Have a crewmember put on a lifejacket or immersion suit, attach a safety line to that crewmember, and have the crewmember stand by to jump into the water to assist in recovering the individual if necessary. 46 CFR §28.265 46 CFR §185.512

Step 5 — Notify the Coast Guard and nearby vessels if the individual is not immediately located. If the person overboard is not immediately located, notify the Coast Guard and other vessels in the vicinity by radiotelephone. 46 CFR §28.265 46 CFR §185.512

Step 6 — Continue searching until released by the Coast Guard. The search is not terminated at the master's discretion alone; it continues until the Coast Guard releases the vessel from the search. 46 CFR §28.265 46 CFR §185.512

Maneuvering Guidance

For small vessels, the standard MOB maneuvering options are the Williamson turn — used at night or in poor visibility — which involves turning 60° to one side then applying full rudder the other way to return on the reciprocal heading, and the quick-stop or Anderson turn, used in clear visibility when the MOB is still in sight. USCG Boatswain Manual Ch. 7 §7.1

Posting and Availability of MOB Instructions

Emergency instructions, including MOB procedures, must be posted in conspicuous locations accessible to the crew. 46 CFR §28.265 However, the MOB procedures (along with rough weather, anchoring, and fire-fighting procedures) may be kept readily available rather than posted as an alternative. 46 CFR §28.265 On a vessel operating with fewer than four individuals on board, all emergency instructions may be kept readily available rather than posted. 46 CFR §28.265

Drills and Training Requirements

Monthly drill requirement. The master or individual in charge must ensure that drills are conducted and instruction is given to each individual on board at least once each month. Recovery of an individual from the water is one of the required contingencies covered. 46 CFR §28.270

Drill conduct standard. Drills must be conducted on board the vessel as if there were an actual emergency and must include participation by all individuals on board, breaking out and using emergency equipment, testing of all alarm and detection systems, donning protective clothing, and donning immersion suits if the vessel is so equipped. 46 CFR §28.270

Videotape instruction limitation. Viewing videotapes covering the required contingencies, followed by a discussion led by a knowledgeable individual, satisfies the requirement for instruction but does not satisfy the requirement for drills or for the safety orientation. 46 CFR §28.270

Safety orientation requirement. Before the vessel may be operated, the master or individual in charge must ensure that a safety orientation is given to each individual on board who has not yet received the required instruction and has not participated in the required drills. 46 CFR §28.270 The safety orientation must explain the emergency instructions required by §28.265 and cover the specific evolutions listed in the drill requirements. 46 CFR §28.270

Rescue boat launch frequency. Each required rescue boat must be launched with its assigned crew aboard and maneuvered in the water as if during an actual MOB situation once each month if reasonable and practicable, but at least once within a three-month period before the vessel gets underway with passengers. 46 CFR §185.520

Drill documentation. Abandon ship and MOB drills and training must be logged or otherwise documented for review by the Coast Guard upon request. The log entry must include the date of the drill and training and a general description of the drill scenario and training topics. 46 CFR §185.520

Qualification of the drill conductor. No individual may conduct the drills or provide the required instructions unless that individual has been trained in the proper procedures for conducting the activity. The individual conducting the drills and instruction need not be the master, the individual in charge of the vessel, or a member of the crew. 46 CFR §28.270

Sufficient drills standard for T-boats. On inspected passenger vessels, the master shall conduct sufficient drills and give sufficient instructions to ensure that all crew members are familiar with their duties during emergencies that necessitate abandoning ship or the recovery of persons who have fallen overboard. 46 CFR §185.520

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Why It Matters on the Exam

The OUPV and Master 100 GT written examinations test MOB procedures from multiple angles. Expect questions that:

Test the correct sequence of immediate actions. Exam writers frequently present the six steps out of order and ask which action comes first, second, or which step is omitted. The ring buoy deployment and dedicated lookout assignment are the two most commonly tested first-response actions. 46 CFR §28.265

Test the standby swimmer requirement. Candidates often overlook the requirement that the standby crewmember must don a lifejacket or immersion suit AND be attached to a safety line before standing by to enter the water. Both elements are required. 46 CFR §28.265 46 CFR §185.512

Test who authorizes termination of the search. A common distractor answer is that the master decides when to stop searching. The correct answer is that the search continues until released by the Coast Guard. 46 CFR §28.265

Test maneuvering technique selection. The exam may ask which turn is appropriate at night or in restricted visibility versus in clear conditions with the MOB in sight. The Williamson turn is the answer for night or poor visibility; the quick-stop or Anderson turn is used in clear visibility with the MOB still in sight. USCG Boatswain Manual Ch. 7 §7.1

Test drill frequency and documentation. Questions on how often MOB drills must be conducted, what the drill log must contain, and whether a video can substitute for a drill are all fair game. 46 CFR §28.270 46 CFR §185.520

Test posting versus availability rules. Candidates must know that MOB instructions may be kept readily available rather than posted, and that vessels with fewer than four persons aboard may keep all emergency instructions readily available. 46 CFR §28.265

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Common Pitfalls

Pitfall 1 — Confusing "post a lookout" with general watchkeeping. The dedicated MOB lookout is a specific, single-purpose assignment. That individual's only job is to maintain visual contact with the person in the water. Do not conflate this with the vessel's normal navigation watch. 46 CFR §28.265

Pitfall 2 — Omitting the safety line on the standby swimmer. Candidates frequently remember the lifejacket or immersion suit requirement but forget that a safety line must also be attached to the standby crewmember. Both are required before that person stands by to enter the water. 46 CFR §28.265

Pitfall 3 — Assuming the master terminates the search. The search does not end when the master decides conditions are hopeless. It continues until the Coast Guard releases the vessel. 46 CFR §28.265 46 CFR §185.512

Pitfall 4 — Treating a video session as a completed drill. Videotape instruction satisfies the instruction requirement only, not the drill requirement and not the safety orientation requirement. 46 CFR §28.270

Pitfall 5 — Misidentifying the rescue boat launch interval. The monthly launch requirement applies only when reasonable and practicable. The hard minimum is once within a three-month period before the vessel gets underway with passengers. 46 CFR §185.520

Pitfall 6 — Applying the wrong maneuvering turn. Using the Williamson turn in clear daylight with the MOB in sight, or using the quick-stop in poor visibility, reverses the correct application. Match the turn to the visibility condition. USCG Boatswain Manual Ch. 7 §7.1

Pitfall 7 — Assuming only the master or crew can conduct drills. The individual conducting drills and instruction need not be the master, the individual in charge, or even a crew member — but that person must be trained in the proper procedures. 46 CFR §28.270

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Quick Check

Q1 — What is the FIRST action required when an individual falls overboard?

Throw a ring life buoy as close to the individual as possible. 46 CFR §28.265

Q2 — What two items must be in place before a standby crewmember enters the water to assist a person overboard?

The crewmember must be wearing a lifejacket or immersion suit AND must have a safety line attached to them before standing by to jump into the water. 46 CFR §28.265

Q3 — Who has the authority to terminate an MOB search?

The Coast Guard. The vessel must continue searching until released by the Coast Guard. 46 CFR §28.265 46 CFR §185.512

Q4 — Which maneuvering turn is used at night or in poor visibility during an MOB event, and how is it executed?

The Williamson turn. Turn 60° to one side, then apply full rudder the other way to return on the reciprocal heading. USCG Boatswain Manual Ch. 7 §7.1

Q5 — Can a crew member watch an MOB training video and have that count as completing the required monthly drill?

No. Viewing a videotape followed by discussion satisfies the instruction requirement only. It does not satisfy the requirement for drills or for the safety orientation. 46 CFR §28.270

Q6 — How often must a required rescue boat be launched and maneuvered in the water as if during an actual MOB situation?

Once each month if reasonable and practicable, but at a minimum at least once within a three-month period before the vessel gets underway with passengers. 46 CFR §185.520

Q7 — On a vessel operating with three persons on board, must MOB emergency instructions be posted?

No. On a vessel operating with fewer than four individuals on board, emergency instructions — including MOB procedures — may be kept readily available rather than posted. 46 CFR §28.265

Q8 — What must a drill log entry contain after an MOB drill?

The date of the drill and training, and a general description of the drill scenario and training topics. 46 CFR §185.520