Boating in a lightning storm
 

First off I know you should try to avoid it, but if you have the misfortune of getting caught on a lightning storm what is the best way to protect yourself? When it is pouring down rain and visibility is just a few feet do you risk running a stern light? A few years ago I was on Lake Conroe and this very thing happened to me. Visibility was so bad that I was afraid of being hit by another boat but didn’t want to put up a stern light for fear of being struck by lightning. This storm came up fast, which anyone in Texas knows this happens. What should I have done to make my boat as safe as possible?

Roby

Pray.

lightning
 

grab your ankles... and kiss your ass goodbye

Go No more than a fast idle speed, and by all means don't be caught holding the light bar. Yes, the light should be up and on for visibility, but I wouldn't want to be the one holding it and putting it in.

Then pray! :D

Man,,, comming back from the NYC poker run,, WE GOT SLAMMED by a wicked thunder and lightning storm out of no where,, luckily we were under the tappan zee bridge, visibility was Zero, and the lightning was crashing around us like nothing I have seen. We ended up tying off under the bridge and riding it out,,

Crispy fried chicken:eek:

Here is a water spout in front of The Prop Stop on the TickFaw river Royal Purple poker run 2003.This was close . It died when it went in to the woods.

If I knew that I was going to be caught, I'd radio my position to the coasties. I'd tell them what's about to happen and that I'm currently OK. I'd also tell them that I'm going to radio back in 45 minutes again to them that I'm still OK. If they don't receive my second call, they should assume the worst. I'd then put the VHF antenna down and I'd check the bilge pumps to make sure they are working. After that it's high idle pointed into the wind.

Lets see: With the stern light up, it's the highest object, so it will get hit. With it down, you're the highest object.
Gary

Take off your shirt and WOT! I bet that would feel good.

I got stuck one time in a BAD storm, Texas weather:rolleyes:

I was at one of the local places, carlos and charlies, and a friend called and asked what we were doing. when i told him, he said it was nasty on the weather channel and we decided to bolt. as i pulled out, the storm hit us. everybody but the captain goes underneath. Im getting pounded in the chest by rain, and i see them underneath drinking cocktails and listening to music. It was a long and not fun drive back. By the time I got to the trailer, it died down where i could get it on ok.

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

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!!

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:D

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.

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. :D :D :D :D

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!

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.

lmao:D :D

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

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

I got struck in Daytona in 1991 on spring break. On the beach and the storm started rolling in, did not think much of it. Why would ya when you drunk and staring at thongs:D Everyone starts running for the hotel , I think it would be cool to stay on the beach and watch, Ya that was smart:rolleyes: Then I realize how bad it is and start running my ass off for the hotel. About half way up I heard the loudest bang I've ever heard. I froze in my tracks and started to shake uncontrollably. It lasted about 5 seconds but seemed like an hour. A bolt hit the water and came right up the beach and hit me in the ass. Nobody would have believed me but my friend was standing on the balcony and saw the whole thing. Since then I have a strong respect for lightning and its force!

It's kinda cool though, when people asked why are you so f#$ked up you have a damn good reason:D

27 searay docked .lightning hit shore jumped to metal decking on dock. It then jumped from dock to bow spotlight. From there it hit back of mirror in cabin next to bow. It exploded the mirror throughout cabin.All the fuse's completly liquified and coated the glass of fuses.
ran down side of boat on rub rail jumped to swim platform and grounded to lake.

So, if caught in boat cover the front mirror.
the mirror was plexi!

In a storm on the Chesapeake Bay years ago, we lost a good friend named Jack Anderson. Jack was out in his Mirage and got hit by lightning in the storm. I was caught jogging in the storm, believe me, it was really a bad storm. Fortunately he never knew what hit him. The coroner said it hit the gold chain on his neck (NO B.S) went through his only arm (lost the other one in a motorcycle crash) and grounded his hand to the steering wheel. It actually fused the links in the gold chain together.

So the moral of the story is that in our basically open boats, lightning is extremely dangerous.

I kinda thought that if I were caught again I would just go near shore where tall trees were and take my chances.

Roby

I cant decide if I should by a Fountain or OL to outrun the storms. Which is faster? :D

dude, after the story that was funny :D :D :D

A few years ago a buddy and I were fishing just offshore at night. A storm came in from the land side. Winds 40 to 50 knots and the worse lightning storm I have ever been in. 17' CC open Mako boat, can't see anything. We did leave the anchor light on, took down the VHF and bimini top and laid in the bottom of the boat.
We could taste the electricity in the air. Like chewing tin foil.
Hope to never be in that position again.
Probably try to run next time. Except we would have run into the storm and through the bars and reefs at the same time. Not a good idea.

I was at a on the water Buffet concert tie up and it was pouring down so bad you couldn't see 10 inches in front of your face. we all just went down in out cuddy area n waited it out.

TEXAS STORMS
 

I know just what you are talking about except ,I tried hidding under a bridge circling hoping it would pass,well the wind kicked up and sounded like a tornado,I was at the end of the world I thought ,as at the time I was driving a smaller boat with a outboard I could not see but knew where land was at least the direction so I hit the throttle full power the boat stood straight up and down and I looked back and the black max was half under water but kept running ,I FINALLY GOT PLANED OUT WITH LIGHTING SHOOTING AROUND ME AND HIT THE BOAT RAMP HARD ,JUMPED OUT LEFT THE BOAT AND JUMPED IN THE TRUCK ,I, am sure if I would have stayed under the bridge that would have been it for me.I have never felt so close to death other than that day,Well the storm passed and cleared off beautiful;,back out we went but in TEXASS you have to watch the weather close as the storms pop up severly quick,I saw a pontoon boat driver get hit and it killed him as well it took his shoes and feet off.

I think this would be the best thing to do. Does anyone agree or disagree?

Yes, and try not to touch anything metallic. A thunderstorm is the only good time to be on a sailboat. I had a big sailboat come into the marina I was at that had been hit the day before. Lost all the electronics and some lights, but the guys wife was even leaning on the wall in front of the mast and everyone on the boat was fine. That mast works as a real good lightning rod if it's grounded well to the water.

Why a fast idle? Why not full out or dead stop?

We were a couple of miles offshore on Lake Huron a few years ago. It was clear when we left but started to cloud up while we were out. We were just floating around enjoying the nice weather when I heard static on the VHF. I turned the volume down and nothing changed. I even turned it completely off and the noise was still there. I then noticed that the buzzing sound was coming from the top of the antenna. I lowered it to see what was causing the noise and as I lowered it the noise lessened. When I raised it it got louder. I called my son and nephew out of the cuddy to show them this strange occurrance. My son pointed out that my nephew's hair long hair was standing straight up on the top of his head. We also noticed that you could feel tingling in your fingers when you raised your hands above your head. It was then that I realized what was happening. We were under a thunder cloud that was looking for a place to discharge. I decided this was not a good place to be. I told the boys to get in the cabin and I then ran as fast as I could for the clearest point in the sky. We got wet from a cloudburst but lived to tell the story. The funny part is that when I told this story to my uncle who had been in the Navy for 30 years he said that he had never experienced anything like that when out to sea. He seemed kind of jealous because he had heard these kinds of stories many times. :p

Because of visibility in heavy rain. You're basicly driving with your eyes closed. When I was caught in the storm I mentioned I could barely see the bow.

Roby