The quick turn is the traditional response to a man overboard emergency on a sailboat. Despite many new approaches, it is still a robust strategy and often the best method. Certainly when the crew is short handed, or when the vessel is in heavy weather, the quick turn method has a lot of merit because it avoids a jibe.
As is shown in the drawing, the quick turn is essentially a figure eight. On a sailboat it consists of the following steps:
- Change course to a beam reach and hold for 15 seconds
- Head into the wind and tack, leave the jib fluttering
- Veer off until the boat is at a broad reach
- Turn upwind until the vessel is pointing at the victim; at this point the vessel should be on a close reach.
- Slacken the mainsail until the vessel comes to a stop with the victim in the lee side of the boat
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Famous quotes containing the words quick and/or turn:
“Life is all memory except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going.”
—Tennessee Williams (1914–1983)
“I have seen some who did not know when to turn aside their eyes in meeting yours. A truly confident and magnanimous spirit is wiser than to contend for the mastery in such encounters. Serpents alone conquer by the steadiness of their gaze. My friend looks me in the face and sees me, that is all.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)