The old man overboard system before SOS Marine dan buoy (at bottom)
For marking MOB location, the man overboard pole has served racing and cruising crew for decades. ISAF World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations [OSR § 4.22.2] requires a MOB pole with flag on offshore racing yachts. The new dan buoy improves on the traditional MOB pole. The dan buoy meets ISAF requirements. US Sailing USSERs state that the dan buoy meets its requirements too.
Marine chandleries stock MOB poles for cruising and racing sailors. An MOB pole is not as commonly carried on powerboats. Traditional overboard pole designs have been hard to stow, awkward to mount or use. The dan buoy solves these problems. Below, we compare and contrast the new dan buoy to the old MOB pole to help you reach your own decision.
Among powerboaters, there seems to be misperception that prompt throttle response eliminates the need to promptly mark a person’s fall overboard. With a life on the line, it’s smart to make return and recovery as easy as possible. Do not be complacent. A lone head bobbing in the sun, in the dark, or hidden by wave tops, is hard to see, from whatever type of boat the person fell. Man overboard statistics are surprising. They suggest the majority of MOB fatalities occur in conditions people would not consider life-threatening. Serious problems can happen when you least expect. Therefore, be prepared! Practice helps!
Did You Know...There Is Something New & Better Than The MOB Pole
Technology has advanced in man overboard markers, or lifebuoys. The SOS Marine man overboard dan buoy
is so much better than the traditional man overboard pole, it’s time to reconsider the gear you carry for a man overboard event. The self-inflating dan buoy is a new solution to old problems with the man overboard pole on sailboats or powerboats. It not only works better, but is less expensive, too.