Abstract:
A man overboard rescue device for use on a boat has a net with means of attaching a first end thereof to a boat and with a second opposed end thereof adapted for attaching to a hoisting means. The device further comprising a sinking means, a foreguy and an extendable pole, so as to provide a partially submerged scoop for the man overboard.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a National Stage application of International Application No. PCT/AU2008/001370, filed on Sep. 17, 2008, which claims priority to Australian Serial No. 2007905080, filed on Sep. 18, 2007, Australian Serial No. 2007906905, filed on Dec. 17, 2007, and Australian Serial No. 2008902785, filed on Jun.  3 ,  2008 . 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a man overboard rescue device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a man overboard rescue device based on a combined moving scoop and parbuckle design for use on boats which can be either stationary or moving, including sailboats, commercial fishing boats and power boats with a suitable mast, crane or davit system. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    A parbuckle is a mechanism which was historically used for lifting barrels onto ships by the use of two ropes. Over time, the parbuckle design was adapted for use on boats as a method of rescuing a man overboard whilst the boat was stationary. 
         [0006]    The method involves rigging the foot of a triangular shaped sail to the gunwale of a boat and attaching the head of the sail to the spinnaker halyard. The boat is then positioned alongside the man overboard, whilst the rescuer allows the body of the sail to be dipped into the water. The man overboard then swims or is maneuvered into the cradle formed by the sail, and the halyard is hoisted, and the man overboard is raised up to deck level. 
         [0007]    This method is particularly useful with an injured or unconscious man overboard. The method is also desirable for use with a man overboard in cold water who is experiencing hypothermia, because the victim is positioned horizontally during rescue. Lifting a man overboard vertically out of cold water may result in sudden heart failure. 
         [0008]    However, the following problems were encountered with this method: 
         [0009]    (i) the sail material did not permit the free flow of water therethrough, 
         [0010]    (ii) the sail could not easily move through the water, 
         [0011]    (iii) the sail itself could trap water in which an unconscious or injured man overboard could drown, 
         [0012]    (iv) the sail could not be quickly deployed to rescue the man overboard while enroute to the man overboard because the sail was usually required to propel the boat to the man overboard, 
         [0013]    (v) the rescuer had to lift the weight of the water which was being pushed and absorbed by the sail in addition to the weight of the man overboard being hoisted, 
         [0014]    (vi) Wind and waves can push the head of the sail against the boat which prevents the opening of a cradle in which to capture the man overboard, and 
         [0015]    (vii) the boat had to be stationary to manipulate the man overboard into the device which increases the difficulty of capturing a man overboard when the boat is subject to wind and wave action. 
         [0016]    All of these problems made this historic method awkward to use and dangerously ineffective. However, modern variations of the sail parbuckle still suffer from additional problems rendering their effective use impractical. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,511 discloses a device which uses a mesh-like material instead of a sail, such as Leno Mesh. Although this device moves through the water with less resistance than a sail, trials of this technology have revealed the following problems: 
         [0017]    (i) it is difficult to get the light-weight material to sink far enough into the water for the man overboard to get into the cradle so formed, 
         [0018]    (ii) when winds increase, the light-weight material tends to float skyward and twist laterally, making it difficult to manage, 
         [0019]    (iii) once in the device, a man overboard tends to slip out again because the material is slippery and there is a lack of effective hand grips, 
         [0020]    (iv) the head of the device is often blown by the wind toward the side of the boat which closes the cradle in which the man overboard is to be captured, and 
         [0021]    (v) if the boat is moving through the water, the device is pushed backward in the water and so does not form an effective cradle in which to capture the man overboard. 
         [0022]    Problems have also been encountered with the overboard rescue devices marketed as the ‘Bob Sling’ and ‘Markus MOB Boat Rescue Net’, which comprise net-like material with large-sized holes. These designs can trap body limbs during lifting, and thereby potentially injure or drown the man overboard during his or her rescue. 
         [0023]    Any reference herein to known prior art does not, unless the contrary indication appears, constitute an admission that such prior art is commonly known by those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, at the priority date of this application. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a man overboard rescue device for use on boats which overcomes, or at least substantially ameliorates, the abovementioned problems of the prior art, particularly the need for the boat to be stationary. 
         [0025]    According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a man overboard rescue device for use on a boat comprising a net having a means of attaching a first end thereof to a boat and a second opposed end thereof adapted for attaching to a hoisting means; the device further comprising a sinking means, so as to provide a partially submerged scoop for the man overboard. 
         [0026]    Preferably, the sinking means is greater on a luff of the device than on a leech of the device, so that the device forms a submerged scoop as the boat approaches the man overboard. 
         [0027]    It is preferred that a triangular portion of the second end of the net is removed so as to reduce wind resistance of the device against the boat and open the scoop for the man overboard. More preferably, the device further comprises a means of pushing the second end of the net, attached to the hoisting means, away from the boat so that the device creates an open scoop for the man overboard. 
         [0028]    In a preferred embodiment, the device further comprises at least one batten attached to the net so as to reduce the twisting of the net under the action of wind and waves when the device is in use. 
         [0029]    More preferably, the device further comprises one or more grabbing ropes which are attached to the net for allowing the man overboard to hold fast to the device. 
         [0030]    Preferably the device further comprises a foreguy which is attached by first end thereof to the hoisting means and at a second opposed end thereof to a point toward the bow of the boat so that the device creates an open scoop which is held perpendicular to the midline of the boat. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the device further includes a bag which is integrally attached to the tack, foot and clew of the device. 
         [0031]    More preferably, the device is packed in the bag and folded in a manner so as to facilitate fast deployment during a sea rescue of a man overboard. It is preferred that the bag comprises a means of sealing the device within the bag. More preferably, the means of sealing could be either a zipper or Velcro along the join of the bag, augmented with circumferential length adjustable snap buckles. 
         [0032]    Preferably, the bag is removably attached to the gunwale of the boat, but the bag may also be folded for compact storage. 
         [0033]    It is also preferred that, the device further comprises light reflecting means so that the device is readily discernable at night. 
         [0034]    In a preferred embodiment, the luff and leech of the device consist of brightly coloured fluorescent orange material which is the international colour of nautical safety devices, so that the luff and leech are visible in turbulent white water conditions, and in low light conditions. 
         [0035]    It is preferred that the device further comprises a floating lasso means for drawing the man overboard into the device. 
         [0036]    According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a boat hook comprising a means of hooking objects towards or away from the user, and a shock-absorbing means for moving objects away from a user. 
         [0037]    It is preferred that shock-absorbing means comprises a rubber stop at one end of the boathook for pushing objects. 
         [0038]    Preferably, the means of hooking objects has smooth edges so as not to damage the objects. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0039]    These and further advantages and features of the invention are illustrated in detail in the following by means of examples and aided by the accompanying figures. In the figures: 
           [0040]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a man overboard rescue device according to the present invention, 
           [0041]      FIG. 2  is a close up view of the net used in the device of  FIG. 1  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, 
           [0042]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the device of  FIG. 1 , in use, 
           [0043]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the device of  FIG. 1 , in use, 
           [0044]      FIG. 5  is a close up side view of a boathook according to the present invention, 
           [0045]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the boathook of  FIG. 6 , in use with the device of  FIG. 1 , and 
           [0046]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the extendable pole of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0047]      FIG. 8  is a bag for use with the device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0048]      FIG. 9  is the bag of  FIG. 8  shown with the stern section folded. 
           [0049]      FIG. 10  is the bag of  FIG. 8  with the bow section folded. 
           [0050]      FIG. 11  is the bag of  FIG. 8  with the bow and stern sections secured. 
           [0051]      FIG. 12  is the bag of  FIG. 11  flipped, showing the carry handle. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0052]    As used throughout the disclosure, the following nautical terms, unless otherwise indicated shall be understood to have the following meanings: 
         [0053]    “Gunwale” refers to the top edge of the boat&#39;s sides that forms a ledge round the whole boat above the deck; 
         [0054]    “Tack” refers to the forward corner of the device set along the length of a sailboat that is held down by a rope or clip; 
         [0055]    “Luff” refers to the front edge of the device; 
         [0056]    “Leech” refers to the aft edge of the device; 
         [0057]    “Clew” refers to the aft corner of the device, set along the length of a sail boat; 
         [0058]    “Head” refers to the top corner of the device to which is attached the Spinnaker Halyard; 
         [0059]    “Spinnaker Halyard” refers to a mechanism used to raise the device up the mast; 
         [0060]    “Shrouds” refers to any one of the wires that extend down from the top of a mast to the deck amid ships; 
         [0061]    “Batten” refers to a thin flexible strip of wood or plastic inserted in pockets in the device to keep it in shape; Referring to  FIG. 1 , the device  10  comprises a trapezium shaped net  12 . 
         [0062]    Whilst the present embodiment of the invention has been depicted as a trapezium, the present invention contemplates the use of other regular shapes including triangles and rectangles or irregular shapes that incorporate curved sides. 
         [0063]    A close up of the net  12  is shown in  FIG. 2 . Preferably, the net  12  is made of knotless nylon with the resting gradations of 11 mm×11 mm, 210 denier, 20 ply (and the stretched gradations are 22 mm×22 mm). The lack of knots prevents injury to the skin of the man overboard. 
         [0064]    Unlike prior art devices comprising nets with large gradations (previously mentioned in the background to the invention), the net  12  used in the present invention has sufficiently small gradations to prevent limbs from becoming trapped in the holes during a rescue. 
         [0065]    When the device  10  is used to retrieve cadavers from the water, as is sometimes required by water police, a heavier material such as a synthetic polymer weave (for instance Ferrari (™) Model No. 392), may be used. This material provides a surface (more so than a net) which may be cleaned, scrubbed and disinfected after retrieval of the cadaver. The device  10  is attached along the gunwale  14  (or toe rail) of the boat  16  (see  FIG. 3 ). In use, the bag  49  which is attached to the foot of the device  10  is unzipped at the aperture  97  (see  FIG. 8 ) which is situated on the centre of the bag  49  using the two burst zip fasteners  98  and  99 . 
         [0066]    In use, the user marginally opens the two burst zip fasteners  98  and  99 , retrieves the head ring  56  and the foreguy  54  and attaches them to the spinnaker halyard  60  and a strong point toward the bow of boat  16 , respectively, and in the process the zip fasteners  98  and  99  are burst, opening the bag  49 . 
         [0067]    The tack  18  of device  10  is secured by a clip  20  (shown in  FIG. 1 ), or a rope loop, to a strong point on the boat, such as the mooring cleat  22 . 
         [0068]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the clew  24  of device  10  is secured by ring  26  which has attached thereto a rope  28  connected to a block and tackle system  30  to a strong point such as the mooring cleat  32 , so that the foot  34  can be tensioned up taut against the side of the boat  16  and prevent the man overboard (who is not shown) from slipping through the gap between the foot  34  and the gunwale  14  of the boat  16 . 
         [0069]    The foot  34  of device  10  should be positioned so that it is between two stanchions  36  and  38  (shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ), and adjacent to the shrouds amidships so as to allow the man overboard to be rolled onto the deck  40 . Preferably, the foot  34  should be longer than 2 metres, and ideally be around 2.5 metres so that the man overboard&#39;s body can be fully enclosed within device  10 . 
         [0070]    The luff  44  and leech  42  of device  10  are preferably made of a strong polyester weave with a PVC coating. It is also preferred that the luff  44  and leech  42  contain pockets  48  and  46  (refer to  FIG. 1 ) enclosing lead-cored rope, which is used in some commercial fishing nets, to ensure the net sinks. In addition, weights (preferably made of lead) are also inserted at various positions along the lengths of pockets  46  and  48 . These measures ensure the device  10  will sink when deployed. Furthermore, additional weights  50  and  52  are also attached to the luff  44 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , so as to improve the movement of the device  10  through the water as the boat  16  moves along, and to ensure that the luff  44  sinks lower than the leech  42 , so that the device  10  acts as a scoop as the boat  16  approaches the man overboard. This effect can be seen in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0071]    This enables the device  10  to be used whilst the boat  16  is in motion, unlike prior art devices which require the boat to be stationary in order for prior art man overboard devices to be effective. This scooping action enhances the prospects of being able to capture the man overboard in conditions where there is considerable wind and wave activity and also where forward motion of the boat  16  is essential for maneuvering the boat  16  close to the man overboard. 
         [0072]    The material forming the luff  44  is wider than the leech  42 , so that the luff  44  cuts through the water without twisting. A problem with prior art devices is that they are swept back with the motion of water as the boat is moving, so that a scoop is not created in order to effectively capture the man overboard. 
         [0073]    In order to further prevent the device  10  from being swept back whilst the boat is in motion, the present invention comprises a foreguy  54 , which is preferably a floating polypropylene rope, in order to minimize the risk of propeller entanglement. The foreguy  54  is connected to ring  56 , which may be made of stainless steel, at the apex of device  10  (see  FIG. 1 ) via clip  58  (see  FIG. 4 ). In the alternative, clip  58  could be replaced by a splice, or bowline knot or any other means of affixing the foreguy  54  to the ring  56 . The other end of the foreguy  54  is connected to a strong point toward the bow of boat  16  (see for instance  FIG. 3 ). The foreguy  54  prevents the spinnaker halyard  60  from moving to a position which is not substantially perpendicular to the direction of motion of the boat  16 . 
         [0074]    Preferably the foreguy  54  is stored within a bag (not shown), wherein the bag comprises a hole in its bottom through which the foreguy is passed, the bag also having an open top sealed with Velcro, into which the foreguy  54  is flaked to prevent entanglement. 
         [0075]    Another problem often experienced with prior art devices is that the force of wind and waves on the portion of the device  10  which is above the surface of the water  62  (see  FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  4 , and  6 ) pushes the top portion toward the side of the boat  16 , closing the scoop in which to capture the man overboard. 
         [0076]    Therefore, the present invention has removed the top portion of the device  10  which is present in all prior art devices, as this portion is not actually operative during the rescue or retrieval of a man overboard. 
         [0077]    The top portion has been replaced by two lines  68  and  70 , which effectively decreases the overall wind and wave resistance of the device  10 . The two lines  68  and  70  are connected to the ring  56 , as can be seen in  FIGS. 1 and 5 . 
         [0078]    Two mechanisms may be used to open the scoop. Firstly, an extendable jockey pole  51  may be used for opening the scoop to capture the man overboard. The pole  51  is shown in use in  FIG. 4 , and also in  FIG. 7 . In this instance, the extendable pole  51  comprises interlocking sections  101 ,  102  and  103 , which are connected by an internal elasticised rope  106 . 
         [0079]    Section  102  has sleeves  104  and  105  which interlock with sections  101  and  103  respectively. The pole  51  has a ring  107  (or some other connecting means) at first end which, in use, attaches to the cross bar  55  (see  FIG. 1 ) on the ring  56  via a shackle (which is not shown in the figures). The pole  51  also has a clip  108  at a second opposed end which, in use, attaches to the ring  19  on the device  10  also shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0080]    In the embodiment depicted in the drawings, the extendable jockey pole  51  is of 2370 mm in length, and is preferably made of carbon fibre, but may also be made of plastic, anodised aluminium, fiberglass or stainless steel. When the device  10  is not in use, the extendable pole  51  can be stored in a collapsed state so that the extendable pole  51  may be easily and quickly deployed in an emergency. Secondly, as an alternative means of opening the scoop and also as an aid in capturing the man overboard, the present invention also comprises a novel boathook  72 , shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The boathook comprises two curved protrusions  84  and  88 , which are almost inverse-mirror images of each other. Protrusion  84  is designed to catch and push ropes, such as is illustrated in  FIG. 6 , wherein protrusion  84  is being used to push spinnaker halyard  60 . The boathook  72  also has a rubber stop  86  which can be used to push the man overboard into the scoop or can be used to push the boat  16  off a dock or away from another boat, for instance. 
         [0081]    The boathook  72  of the present invention also has novel protrusion  88  which can also be used to hook and draw ropes toward the user, or to hook onto the clothing of a man overboard in order to assist in his or her rescue. The protrusion  88  has a flange  90  which is intended to minimise injury to a man overboard, should the boathook  72  be required to assist in his or her rescue. 
         [0082]    As can be seen in  FIGS. 1 and 6 , the device  10  comprises a batten  66  which is sewn into the top  64  of device  10 . The batten  66  reduces the lateral twisting of device  10  under the action of wind and waves, a significant problem experienced by prior art devices. Again, twisting of the device  10  prevents an effective scoop from being opened in which to capture the man overboard. Preferably the batten  66  is a solid fiberglass rod. 
         [0083]    The luff  44  and leech  42  of device  10  consist of brightly coloured material, preferably in fluorescent orange—the international colour of nautical safety devices, so that said luff  44  and leech  42  are visible in turbulent white water conditions, and in low light. The length of luff  44  and leech  42  can vary with the freeboard of the boat. A length of around 3.8 metres is reasonable. 
         [0084]    In addition, reflective tape can be placed on the luff  44  and leech  42  of device  10  so that it is visible at night with deck lights or torches. In use of device  10 , the man overboard can be winched and hoisted aboard by a single person standing on the deck  40  of the boat  16  using either a spinnaker halyard with a mechanical winch or a block and tackle system, whilst the boat is moving at low speed. 
         [0085]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , a throwing line  74  is connected to the tack  20  for throwing to a man overboard who is out of reach of boathook  72  and needs to be hauled into the device  10 . 
         [0086]    The throwing line  74  should be approximately 20 metre in length, adapted to float, and is preferably a highly visible colour, such as yellow. The throwing line  74  also has a rope lasso  82  at its end of sufficient diameter to fit around a man overboard wearing a life-jacket. 
         [0087]    In this instance, the lasso  82  is polyethylene floating rope of around 20 mm in width. Floatation devices  76  and  78  are attached to the lasso  82 . Preferably, the throwing line  74  is stored within a bag (in a similar arrangement to the foreguy  54 ), wherein the bag comprises a hole in its bottom through which the throwing line is passed, and a open top sealed with Velcro, into which the throwing line  74  is flaked. 
         [0088]    A series of iridescent yellow polypropylene floating rope loops  80  are attached to the luff  44  and leech  42  to allow the man overboard to grab or loop an elbow though the device  10  in poor weather conditions. 
         [0089]    In addition, the device  10  has grab loops  75  and  77  on the front side of the device  10 , and corresponding grab loops  79  and  81  on the rear side of the device  10  (see  FIG. 4 ) so that the man overboard can connect with the side of the boat  16 . 
         [0090]    In a preferred embodiment the device  10  is packed within the bag  49  in such a manner that it can be quickly and easily deployed, retracted and transported (see  FIGS. 8 to 11 ). In circumstances where the risk of a man overboard is high, the bag  49  may also be left attached to the gunwale  14  of the boat  16  for extended periods of time. 
         [0091]    The bag  49  is adapted to house the device  10 , along with all of the tools associated with the device such as the extendable jockey pole  51  and the throwing line  74 . 
         [0092]    The bag  49  may be made of a polyester weave with PVC coating, and is preferably coloured in white to blend in with the side of a white boat, and thereby be visually unobtrusive. 
         [0093]    As shown in  FIG. 8 , the bag  49  comprises three sections: a bow section  82 , a middle section  84 , and a stern section  86 . The bow section  82  features a label  83  to assist the user position the bag with respect to the boat  16 . The stern section  86  also features a label  85 . 
         [0094]    The stern section  86  is folded onto the middle section  84 , as shown in  FIG. 9 , revealing the stern label  87  on the other side of the stern section  86  of the bag  49 . 
         [0095]    As shown in  FIG. 10 , the bow section  82  is then folded onto the stern section  86 , revealing a second bow label  88 . 
         [0096]    The three folded sections  82 ,  84  and  86  are kept in position by means of the length adjustable snap buckles  89  and  90  (affixed to straps  91  and  92  respectively), which are wrapped around the bag  49  (see  FIG. 11 ). 
         [0097]    The bag  49  can then be turned over, as shown in  FIG. 12 , and carried using the handle  96 , and thereby conveniently transported. 
         [0098]    Various modifications may be made in details of design and construction without departing from the scope and ambit of the invention.