Who Knows How To Turn The Autopilot Off?

The other night, someone was recounting a harrowing tale that all who enjoy the luxury of cruising on autopilot should take on board.

A couple were cruising around the BVI, and while under way on autopilot in calm waters, the husband fell overboard while tweaking something up forward.
The wife was down below at the time and, on hearing the panic shrieking from her husband, had the presence of mind to immediately send out a Mayday over the VHF.

Unfortunately, he had never thought about showing her how to disengage the autopilot, thus she was unable to turn around by sail or motor.
So, she jumped into the dinghy and charged back after him leaving their 40 ft yacht to serenely sail on by itself.

This was her first time handling the motorised dinghy on her own: she got over excited and somehow managed to bounce herself out of the boat leaving it motoring off in another direction.

When the coastguard arrived, they had to deal with two people floundering in the water in different locations and two empty boats careering off by themselves. Luckily all survived and the vessels were gathered in before they hit anything.
Thank goodness she knew how to send a Mayday!

On reflection, what lessons were they able to pass on to all they regaled with their experiences?
When practising MOB recovery with your crew (and you do, don't you?), assume it’s the skipper who’s gone overboard.

This tends to focus the minds of the crew, taking things seriously rather than just wanting to get on with the sailing.
Make sure the crew know how to send a Mayday, activate the EPIRB and start the engine.

But the most important point the skipper who's fallen overboard wants to know is that all those left on the boat know how to disengage the autopilot!
The more so if it’s a wheel-steering boat.

And, of course, have your MOB procedure written down and on display in the cabin.