IOR dan buoy and Silzig - 8 February 2018

I spent this winter thinking about increasing security onboard Belisama for the coming season.While I was equipped with the standard horseshoe buoy and its light, along with a 25 metre rescue line, several discussions with Fañch and evenings spent exploring Internet made me consider adding an IOR pole to the horse shoe buoy and attaching a Silzig-like floating device at the end of the rescue line...

On the picture above, you see the Silzig attached around the back seat of Belisama, and attached to the rescue line hanging under the seat on the left. The Silzig-like (sausage in breton) is made of a 180 cm swimming floating aid noodle (15cm diameter) covered with vinyl, and two webbings going all along to the hooks on both side. I added three solas reflecting tape bands.

Under the helm seat, I attached a bag made of nylon mesh that includes 40 metres of polypropylene floating 8 mm rope. One side is attached to the Silzig, the other side to the boat. The red bottom cap of the bag is secured by Velcro for rapid release.

On the picture below, you can see the IOR pole made of a fishing rod. The pole is attached to the horseshoe buoy and to a small floating anchor to avoid drifting away with the wind.  A piece of threaded shaft is embedded in the lower part of the rod as ballast.

On the three pictures below, you can see how the junction between the plastic can floating device and the rod is done using pipe connectors of the appropriate diameter, filled with sika.

Here are the characteristics of the IOR pole.

And here, the measurements for the floating anchor

And for the Silzig.

Sequence of events for a MOB

This section is a proposal for tasks to be done in case of a MOB.

1. Push the MOB knob on the chart plotter.
2. Throw the horseshoe buoy along with the IOR pole (none of those are attached to the boat) 
3. The MOB should swim to the horseshoe buoy.
4. Stop the boat, start the engine.
5. Furl the genoa, consider lowering the main sail.
6. Get around in the direction of the MOB.
7. Throw the Silzig in the back of the boat and let go the 40 metre rescue line.
8. Go around the MOB, so that the rescue line comes accessible to the MOB.
9. Stop the boat and pull-in the MOB.

See a demo of the silzib buoy (in French) here.

Preventing freezing

Finally, the winter has arrived, with negative temperatures that required installing the submersible pump for preventing the water to freeze around the hull. Not the that the hull would be affected, but in case of thick ice, if the rudder of the propeller are stuck in ice, they may be damaged because of the movements of the boat triggered by the wind in the rigging.