What is described as the fastest recovery method for recovering a person overboard?

• A. The Anderson turn
• B. The Williamson turn
• C. A figure-eight approach
• D. A rounding turn

Answer: (A)

Getting someone back on board quickly is the priority when a person is overboard. The Anderson turn is a fast, tight 180-degree maneuver that immediately reverses your course and brings you back toward the person overboard on a short path. Because it uses a quick, sharp turn, you cover less distance before you start the recovery and you’re more likely to keep visual contact with the MOB, reducing drift time and the chance of losing them.

The other options don’t optimize speed. A Williamson turn is a longer, more gradual arc designed to rejoin your course after drifting, which takes more time and distance. A figure-eight approach is a search pattern used to locate the MOB when sight is lost or conditions require a more deliberate search, not a direct fast recovery. A rounding turn is just a simple heading change that doesn’t set you up for the quickest pickup.