Florida

[Don S/V ILLusion]

No path, if no strike.

I have been out in Summer squall. Lightning strike in water 100 feet off the Ports side. 15 seconds later Starboard water strike 150 feet. My 65 foot mast in between.

Ground your boat well, for best avoidance, like my boat.

Wait... Maybe Mississippi Gulf waters are different than Florida? Poor Floridians.
Jim...

I guess we crossed the bridge of off-topic wandering.
I think you meant “ if no path, no strike” but you can clarify. The subject of lightning has been beaten to death for decades with supportable opinions on both sides of the debate over grounding efficacy. Suffice it to say, my mast is carbon fiber with two #2 ground wires, neither of which gives me any comfort in a lightning storm.

That we both don’t call it “lightening” is good.

 

[Kings Gambit]

You don’t have to be out on the water. Boats there can receive strikes when tied to docks on their canals or while in slips at the marinas. Tourists have been struck and killed walking on the beach during, or just prior to, a T-storm in spite of warnings. When we moved our Pearson to Long Beach from St. Petersburg our BOAT US insurance premium dropped by half. Ironically, there are more hazards sailing in Tampa Bay and along the Gulf Coast of FL than sailing the coast of Southern California, including to and from the offshore islands. On the whole it’s a miserable place for sailboating compared to many others, only slightly better during the combined few weeks of late fall and early spring when at its best. But people love the warm climate so come there for that, chiefly. Although, it can still be too cold in winter for anchoring out w/o cabin heat. Yeah! To the marinas in summer to plug in the cooling AC, to the marinas in winter to plug in the heater! Enjoy!

It’s much easier to install and use cabin heat than air conditioning. In Southern CA you might wish cabin heat in winter if 56-deg F feels cold to you, but you never need cooling AC when anchored out.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

. On the whole it’s a miserable place for sailboating compared to many others, ...

That’s not nice.
I heard it can take a while for you guys to sail to the Exumas and the Caribbean islands.

 

[Kings Gambit]

That’s not nice.
I heard it can take a while for you guys to sail to the Exumas and the Caribbean islands.

I know. Sorry. I meant it kind of tongue in cheek. I wish we had had the time to sail to the Bahamas, and beyond. Just local cruising during our time there, except for away-charters.

 

[Hydro Therapy]

My wife and I moved to St Augustine Florida from NJ 5 months back. I know your interested in the west coast so I’m no help with that.

One of the first things that stuck out to us was how friendly and helpful the the DMV workers are. I would have to give that government agency a 10.

In NJ I kept my boat in a beautiful marina. Im currently keeping her at a not so nice marina on the St Johns River. I decided on that because it’s inexpensive. Dealing with a new home I didn’t want to pay big bucks for a marina when most of my time is spent dealing with the new home. Eventually I would like to get her to St Augustine. The marinas are pricey but it’s a 12 month season.

So far were extremely happy with our decision. We haven’t seen a summer yet so we will have to see how that goes.

Best of luck on your decision.

 

[BigEasy]

[QUOTE="Hydro Therapy, post: 1687591, member: 117231"
So far were extremely happy with our decision. We haven’t seen a summer yet so we will have to see how that goes.
[/QUOTE]

Going to be hot; damned HOT! Especially from July thru mid September.
It has reached the point that the only time I sail in summer is if there is an unexpected cool front that pushes thru and drops the temp & humidity for a day or two. Or, sometimes will get out for a few hours after 7PM and sail into early evening until the sea breeze peters out.
Definitely need air conditioning on the boat, to hang out dockside or to cool off after doing any on deck work.

 

[Will Gilmore]

Definitely need air conditioning on the boat, to hang out dockside or to cool off after doing any on deck work.

Ha! I grew up living aboard in Clearwater, no AC, no heater. We had hatches and fans and our bunks were upholstered in vinyl. There were miserable times, but really, it wasn't that hard. Of course, I was born to it. Up here in the great Northeast, native complain about the cold but don't wear extra socks or long underwear. I do and I'm fine. What's funny is how my wife complains more about my extra layers of clothes than she does about the cold. She treats my dressing for the weather as a complaint about it.

I like sailing Florida. I like Summer sailing in Florida. From my exprience living aboard, it was a great way to cool down. Our there with the breeze, it was better than at the dock. Of course, of you have a house with AC, it's cooler to not go to the boat at all.

We sailed to Key West and Dry Tortugas every year, up to Cedar Key and Carribell and occasionally to Yankeytown, Apalachicola and Panama City. I highly recommend the seafood (especially shrimp and oysters) in Apalach.

The Florida State government is interested in making boating easy for everyone. Individual town governments, not necessarily. The West coast is definitely better than the East coast.

I would be right there with all the other native Floridians, telling you how horrible it is there and not to come, but I've discovered Puerto Rico. Since I like to wallow in misery, this is where I plan to retire to and sail out of. Florida has become too nice a place for me.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[JamesG161]

Suffice it to say, my mast is carbon fiber with two #2 ground wires, neither of which gives me any comfort in a lightning storm.

Comfortable feelings are hard to protect.

Best discussion on Lightning is here.
newbie lightning protection?
My post #5 is my best advice. Includes a pdf discussion on boat protection.
Here is a place near you that can help with your confidence.
Marine Lightning Protection Inc.

I did not feel very comfortable, in that lightning event, during that storm. My Brother was the crew, and
I had him position himself to be insulated from a water strike, feedback. I made sure I did the same, even if my rudder shaft was fiberglass.
"Ground your boat, Isolate yourselves."
_______
Even in Florida, you can...

Beat the Heat

We do it every year. We love the Summer time.
Jim...

PS: No water towers are exploding from lightning.

 

[Kings Gambit]

There generally is little to no evaporative cooling when ones perspiration or other wetness cannot evaporate off the skin. That is, in 100% relative humidity (RH); which is what we face in FL in dead of summer True. Sometimes it is 90 deg, 90% RH, but I remember days of 90 deg, 100% RH. The air can stay near 100% RH even in the evening. Dousing with water or immersing in it might be OK for temporary relief. Even 80-deg water will carry away some heat from a body at 98.6 deg. But that is not practical when sailing or when “sleeping” aboard. Anchor out for the night and take a swim or wetting shower every so often. Sleep on deck or have a wind scoop up fwd. People do it. We did, but not often. By September it was to the marina to plug in the AC b/f 1100.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

.

PS: No water towers are exploding from lightning.

Sure but no one ever wanted to stand on top of one in a lightning storm to watch the show.

 

[BigEasy]

Ha! I grew up living aboard in Clearwater, no AC, no heater. We had hatches and fans and our bunks were upholstered in vinyl. There were miserable times, but really, it wasn't that hard.

Ha! Will, I grew up in South LA. Just as hot as Florida. Hell, we didn't even have AC at home until early 1960's and managed to survive. And I used to be on the water all day during summer months fishing and later sailing and didn't let the heat and humidity bother me. However, that was then, and now that I am older I don't particularly enjoy being out in the heat unless I absolutely have to. So now, I select times to sail that are not so uncomfortable.

 

[shemandr]

Watching last Summer there were a lot of areas of the country that had higher high temps than here on the East Coast of Florida. Some were very North of here. We never had over 100 degrees - close but not over. Maybe when it gets over 100 degrees in the upper West it's a dry heat - I don't know having not experienced it. I thought the heat and humidity was terrible in Columbus Ohio when I lived there. And it was because the air masses that would bubble up were from the GOM and nearly the same temp and humidity. When we have the sea breeze on the East Coast of Florida it isn't as bad as people assume. Move inland away from the breeze and it's another story. I can't deny that the Sun is strong and you need to seek shade.

 

[Kings Gambit]

A Bimini is a must piece of boating equipment in FL in summer.

 

[BigEasy]

A Bimini is a must piece of boating equipment in FL in summer.

Without a doubt; an absolute necessity!
Skin cancer is no joke; been there too. Need to take all precautions to avoid it.

 

[shemandr]

I went out for a race on a Sonar for a 4th of July race. It was hot, humid and we had to wait almost two hours for wind to come up. The owner and driver was a guy in his mid to late nineties. A very competitive guy and vital for those years. We all drank a lot of water and none of us had to pee - if that tells the story. After a couple of hours of racing when we returned to the marina he couldn't stand and when we got him out of the boat he basically passed out on the dock. We had to basically carry/drag him to the car of the senior crew where she blasted the AC and gave him more water. I suggested to her he should go to ER. I left them pretty sure I wouldn't repeat that experience. Do not underestimate what a hot day in FL can do without any shade.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Yeah
It's brutal. Unlike CA, most racing, if not all, on Tampa Bay starts b/f noon. The last "serious race" of the season I ever participated in was Suncoast Race Week (Regatta) held in April. I remember one year an excruciatingly slow, long, light-air "race" through the Skyway against the incoming tide. Still out there in the noonday sun, no Bimini, we were attacked by swams of "love-bugs." Eventually, some wind appeared and we got moving better. But not a fun day.

The next year we raced in the Pearson 30 which did have Bimini coverage if needed. The final, inbound, leg was a pursuit race from the Manatee River to St. Petersburg. Very exciting. Finished literally inches ahead of Cal 39 that had been pursuing us for the ca. 13 n.mi. to finish 2nd or 3rd in class; 5th in fleet of a large fleet then. Now, that was a fun day!

 

[Sailm8]

We have been living in SW Florida since 2001. We are cruisers and really enjoy the Charlotte Harbor/Punta Gorda area. We can cruise the Keys or go North to Tarpon Springs. We just returned from Sailing the Exumas yesterday (charter) and decided that there is no place like home. We have deserted islands, beach bars and towns here to visit by water. We can also cruise across the state and sail the Atlantic if we wish.
We came from the midwest with bitter cold winters and tornadoes. The summers were every bit as hot if not hotter with 98% humidity.

Never live where it gets colder than you age.

 

[Kings Gambit]

The summers were every bit as hot if not hotter with 98% humidity.

Yes, but it doesn’t last as many weeks as in FL. Though, it is a beautiful area where you live now!