Does one sail when the forecast says scattered thunderstorms? I've got a seven hour trip planned from Buzzards bay to Newport tommorrow and the wind and tide are both on my side, the only worry I have is the forecast says, areas of fog, and a chance of showers and tstms early in the evening. I should be arriving early evening. Does lightning sting as it travels through ones body?
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patrick
look at it this way
What if you were doing a real offshore passage? Thunderstorms or not you're out there. As long as you're prepared for whatever could happen ...go for it. After all, at least for me one of the big draws to cruising is overcoming fear of the unknown. Of course one must draw the line ...say if there was a hurricane.*pop
What if you were doing a real offshore passage? Thunderstorms or not you're out there. As long as you're prepared for whatever could happen ...go for it. After all, at least for me one of the big draws to cruising is overcoming fear of the unknown. Of course one must draw the line ...say if there was a hurricane.*pop
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Nice N Easy
Thunderstorms
Around here thunderstorms are the order of the day during the summer. It's either sail amongst them or don't sail. Very few days without afternoon thunderstorms in the forecast. I choose to sail, and just take what I get.
Around here thunderstorms are the order of the day during the summer. It's either sail amongst them or don't sail. Very few days without afternoon thunderstorms in the forecast. I choose to sail, and just take what I get.
W
White Sale
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patrick
about thoae squalls
I meant to post these earlier... we got this shot last saturday in Doboy channel off Sapelo Island Ga. We saw several of these form then dissipate in about 45 min.
I meant to post these earlier... we got this shot last saturday in Doboy channel off Sapelo Island Ga. We saw several of these form then dissipate in about 45 min.
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Warren M.
Thunderstorms...
... can be pretty scary and dangerous. I gained a new "appreciation" of them last year when I caught up in one and my hand-held wind meter clocked over 50+ kts. I could see (and hear) the storm coming, so the boat and I were as prepared as we could get: sails down, hatches and companionway closed, all loose gear below, foulies and safety harness on, etc. I used the engine to motor slowly into the wind and waves. It was tense, but we got through ok. Most of these kinds of storms here are of short duration (fortunately). As others have said here, thunderstorms are pretty much part of the typical summer weatherscape in lots of places. My advice is to avoid them if you can, but if you can't, take the necessary steps to prepare your boat, and yourself and crew, and you should be ok.
... can be pretty scary and dangerous. I gained a new "appreciation" of them last year when I caught up in one and my hand-held wind meter clocked over 50+ kts. I could see (and hear) the storm coming, so the boat and I were as prepared as we could get: sails down, hatches and companionway closed, all loose gear below, foulies and safety harness on, etc. I used the engine to motor slowly into the wind and waves. It was tense, but we got through ok. Most of these kinds of storms here are of short duration (fortunately). As others have said here, thunderstorms are pretty much part of the typical summer weatherscape in lots of places. My advice is to avoid them if you can, but if you can't, take the necessary steps to prepare your boat, and yourself and crew, and you should be ok.
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Bob W.
With Thunder Comes Lighting
"William--" Do you happen to carry a Lighting Arrestor Kit of any kind? I made mine up for a Cat 25 by using copper wire (Strip the covering off the wire) the same diameter of the shrouds. Use a "Sandwich Clip" (Available at hardware speciality stores)that has one screw pulling the two metal plates togeather. I put a fender washer on the end of the wire to create drag and attach to the leading port/starboard shrouds. Length should be calculated to drag short of the prop of course. A third one (Same length) is attached to aft stay and you keep on sailing. Suggest all parties go below and stay low away from the chain plates retainers due to the fact I've heard of lighting strikes that jump between the plates below deck. This kit attaches quickly and rolls up to stow out of the way.
"William--" Do you happen to carry a Lighting Arrestor Kit of any kind? I made mine up for a Cat 25 by using copper wire (Strip the covering off the wire) the same diameter of the shrouds. Use a "Sandwich Clip" (Available at hardware speciality stores)that has one screw pulling the two metal plates togeather. I put a fender washer on the end of the wire to create drag and attach to the leading port/starboard shrouds. Length should be calculated to drag short of the prop of course. A third one (Same length) is attached to aft stay and you keep on sailing. Suggest all parties go below and stay low away from the chain plates retainers due to the fact I've heard of lighting strikes that jump between the plates below deck. This kit attaches quickly and rolls up to stow out of the way.
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Vic
Best bet is to check out weather channel.
a lot of the time these summer storms seem to run up the west side of narragansett bay on a line from Pt. Judith to Fall River. You can get a good idea of their path on the local radar. Over the last 5 weeks I think we got one light shot of rain in the harbor. Grass is straw. I'm hoping for rain so I don't have to wash the seagull stuff off the bow. Rough to be at a mooring all summer. Vic
a lot of the time these summer storms seem to run up the west side of narragansett bay on a line from Pt. Judith to Fall River. You can get a good idea of their path on the local radar. Over the last 5 weeks I think we got one light shot of rain in the harbor. Grass is straw. I'm hoping for rain so I don't have to wash the seagull stuff off the bow. Rough to be at a mooring all summer. Vic
As the others have said
Summertime thunderstorms are normal. We were lucky earlier in the year when a pretty big one stayed over land while we were about 5 miles out. Lightening is scarey!!!! But my boat is 25 years old and has spent most of that time in the water without being hit. On our last boat I had thick copper cables attached to aluminum plates that I wrapped bare around the mast and ran through the shrouds into the water. I clipped one off the back stay too. A book gave the recommended area. The book said that edgelength was more important than area so the plates were about 1' X 3" and about twice what the book recommended for freahwater. After a couple of years I got lazy or brave or stupid and stopped worrying so much and stopped using the "protection". A straight path to ground is supposed to be best but that is hard with a deck mounted mast. I also worried about drilling a hole in the hull. You would expect a lightening strike to make the wire very hot and maybe blow a bigger hole and sink the boat. Tom
Summertime thunderstorms are normal. We were lucky earlier in the year when a pretty big one stayed over land while we were about 5 miles out. Lightening is scarey!!!! But my boat is 25 years old and has spent most of that time in the water without being hit. On our last boat I had thick copper cables attached to aluminum plates that I wrapped bare around the mast and ran through the shrouds into the water. I clipped one off the back stay too. A book gave the recommended area. The book said that edgelength was more important than area so the plates were about 1' X 3" and about twice what the book recommended for freahwater. After a couple of years I got lazy or brave or stupid and stopped worrying so much and stopped using the "protection". A straight path to ground is supposed to be best but that is hard with a deck mounted mast. I also worried about drilling a hole in the hull. You would expect a lightening strike to make the wire very hot and maybe blow a bigger hole and sink the boat. Tom
T
tom habanek
cleveland storms
We had two so far. One had hurricane winds, but it was a downdraft that hit our harbor airport. It flipped seven planes and two copters. Knocked over all the trailer buildings. yesterday we had one tha dropped 2" in 45 minutes with winds in excess of 50 knots. No gusts with this one and it was pretty to watch. The boat didn't rock much, but boy, the rain!!!
We had two so far. One had hurricane winds, but it was a downdraft that hit our harbor airport. It flipped seven planes and two copters. Knocked over all the trailer buildings. yesterday we had one tha dropped 2" in 45 minutes with winds in excess of 50 knots. No gusts with this one and it was pretty to watch. The boat didn't rock much, but boy, the rain!!!
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