Safety is the top priority on board. This includes a lifejacket for every crew member, as well as safety equipment such as a complete bilge pumping system and fire extinguishers, and ensuring everyone can move about safely. The latter includes a sufficient number of handrails, a guardrail and, of course, non-slip flooring. Nevertheless, one is not always safe from falling overboard. Anyone who, for example, is working on the foredeck in heavy seas or loses their balance and falls into the water due to a clumsy manoeuvre by the skipper will certainly be glad when an alarm sounds or the engine even stops automatically.
An emergency stop mechanism like this makes even more sense when the driver is on board alone and gets ‘thrown off’. Of course, right by the driver’s seat there’s the quick-stop line, which protects the driver. But it’s all too easy to forget to fasten the line properly, or the skipper might step away from the driver’s seat – perhaps to quickly retrieve a fender or help a mate with his fishing gear. These are situations in which the QuickStop then fails to work.
The MOB+ system from Fell Marine is designed precisely for such incidents and also to protect the rest of the crew (especially children). To protect yourself and the crew, all you need to do is wear the small alarm chip, called the xFOB, close to your body. This can be on a wristband, like a watch, on a lanyard around the neck, or on a clip attached to clothing or a lifejacket. Even the dog can wear the xFOB on its collar and is thus also covered by the system’s protection. The system offers two types of alarm. The skipper is always equipped with the emergency stop function, whilst the crew’s additional xFOBs (up to a maximum of three) can be programmed for either the alarm or the emergency stop function.
How does the man-overboard system work?
It consists of a control unit that works in conjunction with an antenna – known as the xHUB – and the xFOBs mentioned earlier. When the skipper boards their boat, they simply press their xFOB, and the xHUB prioritises them as the driver. This means that if they go overboard, the engine is also stopped. All other people on board also register by pressing a button on their xFOB and are automatically protected by the alarm function, which in turn means that a loud alarm sounds on the control panel if a person or a dog fitted with an xFOB goes overboard. This alarm can then be switched off by the driver. However, as already mentioned, the emergency stop function can also be activated for the other alarm chips.
If you want to stop the engine as normal, all you need to do is press ‘Stop’ on an xFOB.
According to the manufacturer, communication between the control unit and the xFOB takes place via a high-speed connection using a sophisticated marine security protocol. If this radio link is interrupted – whether due to the distance between the alarm chip and the xHUB in the air (around 15 m) or because of the barrier posed by the water (submerged by around 5 cm) – the alarm is triggered or the engine stops. So what happens next? After six seconds, the engine lock is disengaged, and by moving the gear lever to ‘Neutral’, the engine can easily be restarted, allowing the person who has fallen overboard to be rescued. If the skipper is sailing alone, they must, of course, ‘retrieve’ their boat themselves and can then, hopefully, climb back on board independently using an easily accessible swim ladder.
The installation of the man-overboard system
Now for the installation: This requires some knowledge of electronics, as Fell Marine supplies the relevant wiring diagrams for each engine manufacturer (in our case, Honda). If you’re unsure, it’s best to have the system fitted by a specialist workshop, which we definitely recommend whilst the engine is still under warranty. We installed our system together with a technician from Ferropilot (responsible for the distribution of MOB+ in Germany). First, we had to find the right spot for the xHUB on the dashboard. Please note: There must also be space behind the unit for the antenna. We installed it between the steering wheel and the rev counter. The steering wheel was removed beforehand so that we could use the hole-cutting saw.
In the next step, the single-lever mixer tap was unscrewed and opened up. This is where I find it most tricky, as you have to locate the connection points, connect the extra cable neatly and arrange everything tidily inside the control box without kinking or even crushing any of the cables. Furthermore, the extra cable must be routed out of the box professionally (avoiding sharp edges, etc.). The xHUB then requires its own power supply, which should be protected by a 1 A to 3 A fuse. We do this using a two-core flexible cable connected to the fuse box under the boot, right next to the battery.
Once everything has been securely bolted and clamped in place, we put the steering wheel back on, and off we go for our test run. In no time at all, the boat is launched and moored at the jetty. Next, the experts from Ferropilot arrive, get everything up and running and test the system. Then we head out onto the Dove Elbe, where a young man volunteers as a test subject and simulates falling overboard. And lo and behold, the engine stops shortly after our test subject lands in the water. We set the single-lever control to ‘Neutral’, and after a few seconds the engine starts up again without any problems.
How much does a system like this cost?
The price for the basic pack (see image above in the gallery) is 249.95 euros. Each additional xFOB costs 54.95 euros, the matching wristbands cost 26.95 euros each, and the clip together with the lanyard costs 32.95 euros. The batteries in the alarm chips need to be replaced after around 300 hours (the chip will give you plenty of warning). Distributor: www.ferropilot.de
Ralf Marquard
Deputy Editor in Chief BOOTE