We know that talk about falling overboard must sound melodramatic, but going for an unexpected swim is probably the biggest danger facing the sailor. You and your crew need to be prepared to deal with such a situation during your bareboat sailing charter before it happens. Waiting until someone is actually in the water is too late.

There are many reasons people fall off bareboats - riding on the bow, skylarking or when an unexpected heavy wash jolts the boat. Basically, it boils down to carelessness, which should be actively discouraged by the skipper on any bareboat yacht charter.

Successfully retrieving someone from the water involves four key steps. The following sections discuss each step of a man overboard manoeuvre in detail. Having someone fall overboard demands fast and positive action. This series of steps will help you to safely retrieve the person in the water.

Step 1: Keep the swimmer in sight

If you see a man fall overboard from your bareboat, yell to alert the rest of the crew to the emergency, but don't take your eyes off that person. You're now the designated spotter. If, for some reason, you can't perform that job (say, you're at the helm), make sure that someone else is spotting before you take your eyes off the swimmer. If you lose sight of the person, finding him again in the shadows and reflections of the waves can be very difficult. While you're watching, try to reassure the swimmer by shouting encouragement like, "We're stopping the boat; don't try to swim to us - we'll be right there." If conditions are such that you cannot immediately turn the boat around, get your life buoy into the water to use as a marker. This will increase your chances of returning to the right place quickly.

Step 2: Throw the swimmer the life ring

Quickly getting the life ring or other flotation aid to the swimmer so that he can easily stay afloat is crucial. If you have gone swimming fully clothed, you know how hard treading water can be, and doing so is even harder in big waves.

Aim your throw slightly upwind of the swimmer to that the float drifts to him. Also, you can probably throw the life ring farther by throwing underhand.

If you're the only person on deck, you must throw the swimmer the life ring while you keep him in sight - a good reason to be sure the life ring is always within easy reach.

Step 3: Stop your bareboat

Stop the bareboat immediately to minimise the distance to the man overboard - then swing the stern of your bareboat (with the propellers) away from the person in the water and if running, put your engine into neutral.

A rescue technique called the Quick-Stop method is shown in the following diagram.

If you have only a main and jib set, here's the procedure for a Quick-Stop rescue:

1. Throw the life ring and keep the swimmer in sight.
   
2. Immediately tack the boat, leaving the jib sheet cleated so that it backs (fills on the back side).
   
3. The backed jib pulls the boat around onto the new tack.
   
4. Drop the jib halyard and ease the main out to slow the boat.
   
5. Approach the swimmer slowly, using the mainsail to control your speed.

You can also use the boat's engine to get back to the swimmer more quickly.

Just make sure that you've pulled all lines out of the water before starting the motor, because getting a line wrapped around your propeller kills the engine.

When you get close enough to the swimmer to pull him back on board, put the engine in neutral so as not to endanger him with the propeller.

The Quick-Stop method is an effective technique even for inexperienced crews because you just leave the jib cleated and the main luffing... Keeping the boat closer to the man overboard - and (hopefully) rescue him more quickly.

Retrieve the person over the transom at the stern. To assist, drop the sea ladder off the transom into the water where it can be used as a step to assist in recovery.

Step 4: Get the man overboard back on board

You don't want the person in the water to get overly tired trying to swim back to the bareboat, so always plan on coming to him. Approach the swimmer so that he is to leeward of the bareboat. This way, if you're a little too cautious (which is better than being a little too daring) and end up too far to windward (upwind), the boat simply blows down to the swimmer... Plus, tossing the swimmer a line is easier when you're throwing downwind.

When the swimmer is within range, throw him a rope (preferably with yet another flotation aid attached). After you get him alongside, you probably need a group effort to heft him aboard, grabbing him under the armpits for the big pull. Of course, if you suspect that this lifting motion may aggravate an injury, you may have to get creative to make the retrieval as easy as possible on the swimmer.

If the swimmer is unconscious or is having trouble staying afloat, you may have to send someone into the water to help with the rescue. But don't double your trouble. Before anyone else jumps in the water, make sure that the second person has adequate flotation and, if practical, a line securing him to the bareboat.