I notice that a lot of people carry around a throwable ring for their type iv pfd and usually mount them behind the helm or in the cockpit and have their boat's name on them... very nautical looking...
However
I've never had a real MOB situation out in the open water (have had the dog jump off in the river though) where there are significant waves and things are not too controlled. One of the things that came up on our trip last month was when one of our dogs fell in the water and the dinghy was on the swim platform, it was a nightmare getting the dog back on the boat. We ended up having to lower the platform, take the dinghy off, and get the dog on that way. When I tried to pull the dog up on the edge of the platform with the dinghy on, it pulled me in the water... a mess... Here's a pic of the setup:
I guess in the debrief after this event, I realized how hard it would be to get someone back on the boat if they fell off in any kind of waves and I had my dinghy or jet ski on the platform. The swim platform can't be lowered in the water with waves (at least it shouldn't be) due to the stresses it puts on the transom when the boat is bobbing around with that thing underwater. Additionally, the ladder on the platform can't be deployed with the dinghy or jet ski sitting on top of it.
There was a boating accident here a few years ago where two guys went out in a viking-type of boat fishing and they found the boat and their fingernail marks all around the back as they tried to get back in the boat after BOTH ended up in the water somehow. They never found the guys....
So I guess my question is this... Do any of you have a lifesling as a type iv pfd? Opinions? I have been looking at them and they make one for powerboats with I think a 3 or 4 to 1 tackle that can quickly mount on either side of the boat. Anyone ever tried to pull 100+ pounds of weight on the platform in a MOB situation in wave/weather action?
However
I've never had a real MOB situation out in the open water (have had the dog jump off in the river though) where there are significant waves and things are not too controlled. One of the things that came up on our trip last month was when one of our dogs fell in the water and the dinghy was on the swim platform, it was a nightmare getting the dog back on the boat. We ended up having to lower the platform, take the dinghy off, and get the dog on that way. When I tried to pull the dog up on the edge of the platform with the dinghy on, it pulled me in the water... a mess... Here's a pic of the setup:
I guess in the debrief after this event, I realized how hard it would be to get someone back on the boat if they fell off in any kind of waves and I had my dinghy or jet ski on the platform. The swim platform can't be lowered in the water with waves (at least it shouldn't be) due to the stresses it puts on the transom when the boat is bobbing around with that thing underwater. Additionally, the ladder on the platform can't be deployed with the dinghy or jet ski sitting on top of it.
There was a boating accident here a few years ago where two guys went out in a viking-type of boat fishing and they found the boat and their fingernail marks all around the back as they tried to get back in the boat after BOTH ended up in the water somehow. They never found the guys....
So I guess my question is this... Do any of you have a lifesling as a type iv pfd? Opinions? I have been looking at them and they make one for powerboats with I think a 3 or 4 to 1 tackle that can quickly mount on either side of the boat. Anyone ever tried to pull 100+ pounds of weight on the platform in a MOB situation in wave/weather action?