Crew Overboard Pole - The single greatest component of any crew overboard recovery method is keeping sight of the victim. If you loose sight of her or him in rough seas, the game is probably over and the crew is most likely lost.

The best prevention for losing sight of the victim is the crew overboard pole – a floating pole with counterweight to keep it upright, and a flag/strobe light/EPIRB combination. Have it handy to the cockpit, easy and ready to deploy. This is your very first defense against loosing your mate.

The pole should be mounted within quick reach of the helmsman’s position. It should be secured in a manner that makes it easy to grab it and toss it overboard. One crew overboard pole I saw recently was secured with five Velcro straps – not easily thrown overboard by one person in an emergency!

Instead, fasten a length of PVC or other cylinder to a nearby stanchion, then place the weighted pole bottom through the cylinder so that the pole rests on deck, ready to be deployed. To protect the pole from being lost in heavy weather, tie it to the stanchion or lifeline using a slip knot or other easily unfastened method. The point is this: when your someone goes over the side, the pole needs to be deployed immediately.

Auto Pilot – an absolute must in my estimation if your crew is you and your sweetheart. It will make your cruising so much more enjoyable, and can prove invaluable. Before you buy, check to see that it has a crew overboard function.

Life Sling or Life Ring – next to keeping sight of the victim is making sure she can somehow stay attached to the boat if she does go over. A properly secured sling or ring with tether can mean the difference between an easy recovery and a difficult or unsuccessful attempt.

GPS with MOB – you have to have this. Even if you're a traditional salt who prefers to work with paper charts and navigation tools, you should have this. Again, it could be a make or break tool for successful crew recovery.

Extra Block and Tackle – for even a strong person, bringing someone back aboard, even if the victim is conscious, is an incredibly difficult task. Make sure you have an extra block and tackle with a six or eight to one mechanical advantage. Rig it so it can be quickly deployed. Use snap shackles so you can easily and quickly attach it to the boom. (On a previous boat, the mainsheet itself was attached to the traveler with a snap shackle. Was there an outside chance the shackle could fail when put under stress? Yes. But in a C.O.B. emergency, I could disengage the mainsheet block and tackle from the traveler, leave it attached to the boom, and use it to haul a victim aboard.

This one piece of gear alone could be the subject of an entire article, and there are pros and cons. But better to have it and not need it than the reverse.

Think Ahead

There are other pieces of equipment that you may consider important. But the most important piece of gear is between your ears. Use it. Plan ahead. Install what you think you need. Establish standard operating procedures for crew overboard emergencies.

And practice, practice, practice!