I have first-hand experience with the dangers the open ocean holds. I have logged over 4,ooo hrs. of open-water dives from Key West to West Palm Beach in So. Florida. For 17 years I collected tropical fish for Pet shops all over the country. Even though I realize all too well the cold water of the Bearing Sea is deadly in itself, going overboard and watching your boat grow farther and farther out of reach is a deadly situation. Has anyone thought about possibly using a modified outrigger and rope off both gunnels at the stern of the crab boats as a sort of tagline for a deckhand who has gone overboard? Even if it saved one life it would be worth any small inconvenience it may cause.

Why?To keep him close enough that the wheelwash grabs him and sucks him under and through the prop(s)? When "Man Overboard" is called,you actually steer the bow into the guy's direction which swings then stern AWAY from him and keeps the prop from turning him into dekchand hash.
I knew a guy that slipped off the towboat and fell half into the water onto the face wires holding the boat to the tow.
We were trying to drag him up out of the water and get the pilot's attention to cut the engines.
The whole time,he was hollering about how the suction was dragging him under and he almost let go by the time our yells were heard and the engines cut out.
The best way to prevent that is to maintain the life lines and rails in position around the deck and to not crowd them when you don't have to.

Good point. I had'nt thought about that. Once upon a time I wound up mildly bent while trying to decompress after a long dive in 90'. A ship named Tyson Lykes came so close it's prop wash dragged my to the surface and blew my decomp time. Good to hear from you.

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Originally posted by D. Moninger:
Good point. I had'nt thought about that. Once upon a time I wound up mildly bent while trying to decompress after a long dive in 90'. A ship named Tyson Lykes came so close it's prop wash dragged my to the surface and blew my decomp time. Good to hear from you.

Someone wasn't looking out for your Alfa flag?That was waaay too close from my limited knowledge of diving ops,if the hull could drag you shallower than you needed to be.

A lot of the cod jiggers here in Kodiak will trail a buoy off the stern in case they fall overboard. Especially when they fish alone.

While jigging for cod, a lot of guys will trail a buoy off the stern in case they fall overboard.

A lot of the cod jiggers here in Kodiak will trail buoys off the stern in case they fall overboard. Especially if they fish alone.