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"destination" waypoint. Use it. In a man overboard situation navigation is measured in feet, and every foot matters.

Have you seen Susie?
With an unseen MOB, hit the MOB button and stop the yacht. This gives you a starting reference point to begin your search. You must then determine, as nearly as possible, the exact time the victim was last seen aboard. You must then calculate your position when the victim was last seen (speed x time = distance). You must also factor any course and/or speed changes. You are beginning to establish your search area. If you have not been doing so, it is advisable to begin plotting positions and times on a paper chart that encompasses your search area.

While making your computations, you should position lookouts around the yacht and have them begin scanning for the victim. You should call the Coast Guard to mobilize their resources, and to have them begin broadcasting Urgent Marine Information Broadcasts (UMIBs) to any vessels in the vicinity. Let the Coast Guard issue the UMIBs, they have far more powerful transmitters and full-time radio operators that can handle responses and plot search vessels' positions and progress. You have your own job to do.

Lookouts should be responsible for specific, over-lapping sectors and provide 360 coverage. Lookouts should also be positioned as high above the water as is safely possible. Lookouts should use optical devices (binoculars, monoculars, night-vision, as appropriate) devices AND the naked eye. Often the naked eye will see things missed by optical devices. Make sure the lookouts switch between their corrected eyesight and optics. If optics are limited they are best employed on the forward and downsea/down-current sectors. The victim will be low in the water so remind the lookouts what to look for.

If the chartplotter has been recording your tracklines, so much the better, but you must still account for current set, sea-state and drift of the victim. These are the factors that immediately begin to complicate the search and expand the search area.

Once you have established the last known point the victim was aboard you can begin to retrace your course and initiate your search. Give the Coast Guard you current position and the estimated last known position the victim was aboard. Plot them, and the times, on the paper chart.

Begin to retrace your course and commence the search. Speed is dependent on the number and experience of your lookouts. More and experienced lookouts will enable you to go

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