Chris288

several years ago my friend and I got zapped pretty good..

Got stuck in a storm, decied to make a run for the trialer, pulled her out, was putting on the straps in a down pour when lightning struck about 50 feet away, was strong enough to make the hair stand up on our heads and the tops of our heads smoke... scary stuff

Indy

I'd be within close proximity of a sail boat, not too close so I get zapped, but close enough where they'll be the ones taking the hit!!

Gary Anderson

Even if you dont get hit, you're still not safe.
The metal dock next to me got hit and I was touching the steering wheel on my cruiser (metal with hydraulic lines connected to the rudders). My arm flew off the wheel and was uncontrolable for a minute. Kind of funny now, scrambling around with my arm waving wildly, since I survived.
Gary

Iggy

Had a neighboring boat get hit on the VHF antenna while at anchor. The blast almost rolled the 38 foot cruiser. Every boat for quite a distance around it felt the electric jolt. Ours included.

We were out on a lake when a storm rolled in faster than we could get to safety. I put the hammer down and broke all records for geting back to the ramp. We didn't quite make it. We stopped under a low bridge with three other boats till it passed.

GLENNS

Always make sure you bring your golf clubs with you!!

If your ever caught in a lightening storm simply take
out your 1 iron and hold it over your head, not even
God can hit a 1 iron.

Wally

iTrader: (1)

two stories....first one about 5yrs back on the 4th of July we were heading to downtown chicago for the fireworks.....saw the storm clouds approaching and hammered down and made it just in time to get into the harbor and found a empty can to tie off on around a bunch of tall sailboats! I figured if something gets hitits gonna be the sailboat masts before us!!! When the storm came through they reported that they got somehting like 2" of rain in 15min!!! both of 1000GPH bilge pumps were running almost non stop during the rain!!

Second story was in Lake Shelbyville IL. Two of my friends were jetskiing on the lake and get caught in a bad storm.....they take refuge in a cove and beach the stand up skiis on the bank. They are sitting in the trays of the jetskiis with arms folded holding onto their life jackets keeping warm from the cold rain. Feet dangling in the water just BSing. A bolt of lighting hits a dead tree that was about 75' or so away from them sticking out of the water. They both told me the same story.....said it was like two muscle men each grabbed one leg and shook it as hard as they could is what ever direction they could! I laughed my ass off hearing it but i bet it must have been scary to go through it!

I figure if your alone on the water theres nothing you can do but hope for the best. Even in the power squadron class they say to have a big copper plate to hang over the side thats attached to the grounding of the boat for lighting protection........bt if you think about it...you would probably need a 2/0 gauge or bigger type cable to be able to discharge some of that electricity from a lightning bolt......so if you can find cover if not make yourself as short as possible and hope for the best!

glassdave

iTrader: (1)

never ever do this. you are in greater danger of being hit by the residual strikes after it hits the mast. (see troutlys post on Faradays cage) i know you said close enough so they gat zapped an not you but thats a tuff measurment to figure out. prolly better off riding it out onb your own.

by the way when i was younger i witnessed this effect first hand in a storm on lake erie on a large sailboat.

BajaRunner

lmao

BajaRunner

I would like to see a video of that. I would laugh my A$$ off

Gary Anderson

I would be offended by that if it were not true!