The Stearns Rescue Mate, above, and others that faltered on the first try taught us a key lesson: Pack your own bag.

Late last year, Practical Sailor published its initial report on the crew overboard trials that took place in San Francisco in August 2005 (“COB Recovery—Making Contact,” Nov. 1, 2005). Our correspondent for that article, John Rousmaniere, offered several pieces of important advice in the conclusion. The primary recommendation he made was to “buy a throw bag and practice throwing and repacking it with your crew…” The importance of this cannot be overstated.

Another participant in that four-day trial was Captain Henry Marx, an offshore safety specialist and the proprietor of Landfall Navigation, which sells throw bags as well as a full spectrum of safety gear. Regarding throw bags and safety…