Re: Caught In A Storm
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=200513&highlight=bimini
Interesting recent discussion on lightening in the above link . . .
I always wondered about this myself. I also just bought a VHF radio to possibly give me advanced warning of oncoming storms.
I fish the same Lake that the other poster mentioned. Lake George like many other Adirondack lakes in NY is surrounded by mountains. You can be fishing in the middle of the lake and the sky is clear, 5 minutes later there are black thunder clouds over your head.
This happened to me just week, I saw a band of black clouds miles in the distance to the west and quickly got underway back to the marina. I only have a 30 hp. I actually just ordered the 40 hp max for my boat just so I could outrun these types of fast moving storms. I can now only do about 20 mph and I don't feel safe. 20 mph was almost not fast enough for this storm and as I looked behind me I saw 5-10 bolts of lightening hitting the water where I just left. Several bolts were hitting the island that I had just pulled away from only 5 minutes ago.
Even with bolts of lightning hitting the water behind me I still several boats heading full speed directly into the path of the storm. I also passed an aluminum boat with two guys fishing like there was no storm even though they too could see the lightening heading their way.
Just as I got into my car the sky opened up and the hail and lightening was all around me. Amazingly to me, even as I was tying the boat up there was some dude just standing on the dock continuing to fish with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth talking on his cellphone about baseball!
See we need people like these for the statistics. These are the idiots are who are killed by lightning strikes.
On the way up to the lake this past Sunday the NOAA weather band was talking about how many people are struck each year. It's amazing. They said the news does not report it much because it's only one person at a time. The news likes reporting the tragedies were many people die at once (keeps you glued to the TV so you can watch their commercials) like a bus crash or flood etc. One golfer! Not news at all to them.
On the Mohawk river last week at the same place I launch my boat a 17 year old was struck by lightning and killed. Witness's say the lightning struck the grill not him! Yet another storm killed a golfer that same weekend on a golf course who took shelter under a tree.
If I were on a golf course I would head for the nearest sand trap and lay down in it, so I was below ground level and begin to pray!
Two girls standing in front of their porch two weeks ago were also struck by lightning, but lived, although one went to the hospital.
Seems most die not by taking a direct hit, but as in the golfers case he was found dead under a tree. The 17 year old was standing next to a grill which had it's metal post in the ground.
In many cases, it's not the direct hit. It's that lightning takes the shortest path to the ground most of the time. So if you're under a tree like the golfer, the lightening hits the tree, goes down the path in the ground through the routes and up through your feet. This is what must have happened to the 17 year old as he was also probably still wet from swimming.
What you did in my opinion was exactly what not to do. You put your family in danger by going under the tree. Even before you left for the day the weather probably had reports of the possibility of scattered thundershowers.
If this was in the report at all for that day, I would not venture to far from the dock. I would plan my day in a circle, so I did not have much distance between my boat and the dock. Because the safest place in a storm is your car (unless a tree falls on the car).
Or like another poster said, plan your trip so you have way points to duck into in case of sudden storms like a restaurant, some open boat houses along the way etc.
I had to re-read your post twice to see if you were kidding about running under a tree . . .
Remember that "you" are the Captain and it's your responsibility to plan for these events. Your family or guests are putting their lives in your hands. Take a boating course. My Wife took one with me two years ago. It's only a few hours out of your life on a Sat. I myself discovered after 30 years of boating couldn't belive how many stupid things I was doing wrong. Scary.
Read the link above. Check out the last posters comments on how he would duck and just toss some more chum in the water. If that response wasn't "tongue in cheek" than this is the type of boater that will probably have his fish cooked for him someday before he reaches the dock!
there like lightening rods
