What would have been the best thing to do?

[SEADANCE]

Hi Guys and Gals,We got nailed with a BAD thunderstorm on Sunday in the Back Bay while trying to get back to the Marina. This was the very worst we have ever experienced while out on the water. The winds hit 55mph, rain felt like needles and the lightning..over us..to the left and right..front and back. I have never seen lightning that big or that close. Had a bad feeling all morning about going out even with the weather being beautiful..should have stuck to my gut feeling. My question...I stayed up on deck with hubby and we put the kids below in the V-Berth....my oldest was terrified..my youngest..well all he wanted was a hard boiled egg. Where would have been the safest place for the kids to be in the event the mast got hit with lightning? What could I do to be better prepared for something like this again? Should I have kept the kids with me in the cockpit? Slowly getting more seasoned...My Thanks,B/Seadance

 

[letterman]

under the apple tree

100 miles away!We had high winds yesterday too, with predictions from all of possible severe storms. In addition, we had a storm pass by in the morning that was filled with lightening. 155 hits before it hit Cleveland. So, what happened. Some sailboaters went sailing, some went out and quickly returned, and many, like me, know what Lake Erie can turn into and just watched the day go by from the marina. My point: over time sailing into potential- storms, high winds, or whatever, becomes less and less fun. We just feel it's not worth it.

 

[Bill Roosa]

Finding a safe place

The safest place is probable in the V-birth or a aft cabin away from the back, front, or side stays and the mast support in the salon. This is a relative safety thing and praying is probably a better course of action. I'm not aware of anybody getting killed when lightning struck their boat. I'm sure it has happend in the history of the world but you don't hear about it happening much.As for being prepared, keep a weather eye out and the all hazards radio turned on.I had a similar experience with my kids. Our first thunderstorm and we put the three boys in the V-birth. They thought the whole thing was great cause the V-birth was bouncing them around like ping pong balls. The wife and I are worried to death and they are SCREAMING WITH GLEE!!! It was certainly an odd juxtaposition of feelings.

 

[Marcia]

An interesting question

What WOULD have been the best course of action? Assuming you can't get back to port fast enough, do you heave to and let the storm pass? Drop anchor? Drop sails? Reef heavily? What if you only have one reef point? We've not been in this situation yet, but inevitably will some day. Storms crop up, sometimes without much warning.

 

[bffatcat]

electrical storms

The best thing of course is not to get caught out in them. And there really isnt too much you can do when you are caught out. most keel sailboats are groundedLightning hits the top of the mast and runs down through the keel and into waterwhich is a conductor of electricity. If your boat has a keel stepped mast so much the better. The best thing to do if you are unfortunate enough to get hit by lightning is not to touch any metal surfaces or wires. About 15 years ago A boat I owned was hit by lightning while on a mooring in the harbor. No one was aboardThe lightning traveled down the deck stepped mast and into the cabin by way of the mast wiring. It blew a 3 inch hole through the hull when it exited at a point forward where the keel joined the hull. The boat sank. The insurance cohauled it up. beside the 3 inch hole all the wiring was burned up and the insideof the cabin had scorch marks. This is what can happen

 

[Liam]

Electronics

They say that when you are in conditions that would make lightning strike a possibility it is best to put your electronics in the oven to insulate them and they will not fry their circuits.Don't know about the kids though!We really don't have that worry out here on the left coast.

 

[Ross]

Everything anybody has done during a lightning storm

and reported afterwards was the right thing to do. The pure randomness of lightning makes any effort seem worth while. But when a massive strike occurs there is very little that a person on the surface can do or fail to do that will make a difference.

 

[David Underwood]

Just the kind of thing

we worry about here in the Atlanta area. We sail Lake Lanier. It's a man made lake with many turns, some large open areas and lots of coves. Needless to say, our visual of an approaching storm is limited, sometime only 5 or 10 minutes to prepare. Many years ago, a sailboat got caught in such a storm here at the lake. The father sent his children down below to be safe. I think they were in the vberth to ride the storm out while the adults were above deck. It was the high sudden winds and perhaps the lack of preparation and experience that got these sailors into trouble. The boat capsized trapping the children below, the boat sank, the father tried to swim down to rescue and also became a victim. There was a lot of talk about this at the time. Perhaps, in trying to protect we endanger. I think I would keep them close by with life jackets, perhaps just inside the companionway. Not touching metal is definately a good idea!

 

[Doug Burton]

Last August

in FL. we were sailing all night to Key West from Tampa. The biggest lightning storm I ever saw was developing before my eyes. I woke the boss to tell her I was changing course to avoid it as it appeared to be moving north but now was the time to reef. She took a look at the charts and determined we would go aground near the everglades if I kept that course too long. My response was good, at least we'll be able to walk to shore if that thing catches us! It continued due north, we caught a nice breeze off the back of it and made Key West in the AM.

 

[Paul Brinkley]

Hey, David Underwood...

...we heard a lot last fall and winter about how low Lake Lanier was, but I haven't seen anything lately. How are the water levels now? I hope better.  -Paul

 

[Rich (P303)]

No problem...

you did the right thing!Kids were away from the mast and and shrouds... you were with hubby lending a helping hand and moral support if needed.Nothing like 55mph winds. I was on a town mooring with gusts to 65 knots... bigger boats were dragging moorings past us! Felt like I was on a ride at an amusement park. It is amazing what wind can do. Good job!

 

[David Underwood]

Lanier is still very low

We have made some progress with the winter rains and the Corp restraining somewhat from releasing as much water downstream, but we are still hurting. I believe last report was 13 ft below pool. Sad, if we don't get some powerful rain soon, it will be worst than last year. Thank you for asking and your concern. It has really put a damper on some of the activities at the lake.

 

[Tom23352]

Poor man's radar

Hi SeadanceOne thing you can do is have internet access activated on your cell phone then subscribe to accuweather premium ($2.99/month). Then you can access local and regional weather radar and see storms developing while on the boat and you can actually "loop" the images and see where the storms are headed and estimate speed. It's not bad for about $8/month. The motion on that thunderstorm complex was a little unusual as it moved from east to west. I saw the storm off towards Mobile and assumed the motion was going to be NW to SE. Told my wife not to worry about the storm and go for her walk. Had to go and get her with the car.....if looks could kill!Tom s/v Miss Jenna

 

[Chris Burti]

Can't tell you about the Gulf

But around here in Eastern NC, the only sure way to avoid TS's in the summer is to stay home or close to the dock. They are usually in our forecasts most summer afternoons. As to preparedness, if you are speculating about being hit by a squall, it is already time to douse the sails and either start the engine or anchor. Sailing around a squall is a matter of luck as they can travel over 45 mph. I don't trust the anchor in a squall, particularly if it is set in a hurry, so I crank the engine.Check your charts and head for the clearest course into the wind. Get out the foul weather gear, you can get hypothermic pretty quickly as the temps drop dramatically...and cover your head...hail is very painful otherwise.Get everyone below that is not required to operate the vessel safely. If your stays and mast are properly grounded, I believe the safest place to be is in the main salon. Nobody knows for certain where the safest place to be is and opinions vary dramatically, so decide for yourself. Personally I suspect that the grounded rigging and mast may operate a bit like a Faraday cage.I've been hit...wait ...let me rephrase that...the boat was hit while I was at the helm. I saw the flash and then the molten metal from the antenna and wind instruments hitting the deck...very eerie. the rest of the crew below-deck reported hearing a huge boom, feeling static in the air and smelling sulfur. I missed all that while feeling pretty stupid for jerking my hands off the wheel after the fact.Only damage we suffered was to the aforementioned smelted metal on top of the mast and fried Seatalk circuits in the instruments.

 

[Don12364]

Nobody has Mentioned the Fadaday cage

The shrouds, backstay and forestay all form a Faraday cage and should protect those within its volume - provided the mast is bonded to the keel.Long ago, as a student physicist, I worked in Faraday's original laboratory but am not at all sure this concept is 100% effective because the space between the wires hardly makes it a "cage".Anyway I make sure we are all within the wires and NOT in the forepeak because the forestay terminates directly above so any lightning making a dash for the sea might punch right down from the end of the wire. Also it is in contact with the anchor chain stowed under the forward berth. I bring my people into the main cabin and I also put my laptop in the microwave oven.A final thought; many thunderstorms are quite localised, are only a mile or two across and are tracking in a certain direction - often against the local wind. I have sometimes been able to sail round these storms and at least avoid the lightning and sometimes the squalls as well.In retrospect though "Yer pays yer money and takes yer chance" and as others have said, it is all a matter of luck.

 

[higgs]

A few points

I agree with David that the forward berth could be hard to get out of if that should be necessary.Getting hit by lightning is pretty rare in a sailboat, and as pointed out before, rarely fatal because of the Faraday cage the mast and standing rigging supply. For comfort in these situations I just remind myself of all the distance races on the Great Lakes that sail through T storms every year. In my 30 some years of sailing I have never heard of person being killed by lightning on board a boat. I have heard of boats sinking after a strike.All in all, I think we are pretty safe. Certainly scary and something to avoid if possible. Even with T storms, I think the most dangerous part of sailing is the drive in the car to get to the boat.

 

[MoonSailer]

All below decks!!!!! Except helmsman

When we get caught in a storm I put everyone below decks. If I get struck by lightning maybe my wife can save me. But if she and I get struck we are both dead. I have a autopilot with a remote and have sat under the dodger steering using the remote. If possible I like to anchor in a cove surrounded by trees. Here on the lake high hills around the cove is a plus but this is not usually possible down on the gulf. Heavy wires attached to the standing rigging and running into the water can help the electricity go to ground and may provide some protection. Of course a keel stepped mast on a iron keel gives plenty of grounding!!!! Good News!!!! My boat is 28 years old and never struck by lightening!!!! The odds are with you.

 

[Rick Webb]

In the Back Bay

It may have been best to drop the anchor. You did not mention it but I am sure the kids had their vest on already and you and your husband donned yours as well.

 

[SEADANCE]

anchoring

Thought of anchoring but its too shallow outside the chanel in the Back Bay for our boat and we had some heavy traffic coming thru at the same time..large bardges. Worse came to worse we wound have run aground into a Marsh patch out of the chanel...that was the only plan we came up with. Kids are always in their life jackets...they are never allowed to take them off..dad's rule..Donalex..never heard of the Fadaday cage. Am passing this one on to hubby.Thanks guys for the advice. Like I said it was a gorgeous day with no call for bad weather and not a cloud in sight. It came out of nowhere and it put me in my place really quick. When we saw the lightning to the East we thought we had enough time to get back to the Marina after passing the Highway 90 bridge and CSX train bridge. Nope. We got whammied. When hubby told me to start praying I got nervous..but he got us home safely...don't think I want to see anything like that again..our ears were "burning" and buzzing some good time after we got back in.

 

[MoonSailer]

Part of Sailing

Unfortunately storms are part of sailing. We drug anchor one night in Andrew's Bay. Storms are like 18 wheelers on the interstate. If you want to drive anywhere they are part of the equation. NOW for the good news!!!! A thunderstorm can generate winds when otherwise you are windless. Seadance investigate lightening protection. Do a google search. Though nothing is absolute having everything well grounded can make a lightening strike less dangerous. http://www.thomson.ece.ufl.edu/lightning/