Sitting on boat during thunderstorm?

[saildan]

Re: Sitting on boat during thunderstorm?

Is there anymore harm in sitting on the boat at the dock than anywhere else? I notice only a few die hards staying on their boats all weekend even during the thunderstorms. Someone told me fiberglass hulls are more conductive. I can?t see how.

Fiberglass is a good insulator - glass & plastic, but that's all relative to the size of the charge. After leaping a mile or two through the air, to a typical lightning bolt containing 1 billion volts, a little boat hull ain't nuthin' for lightning to zap right through.

Photo - Sailing Anarchy.com
​

The conductors you have onboard are - wiring, radio antennas, bimini frames, ski towers, engine blocks, and oh yeah - 95% saline filled, carbon based life forms. These are all even more conductive than the surrounding air so will be the path of choice should they be near the strike point.

- Disclaimer -
If you work for TV news you may
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These websites contain factual materials that
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Lightning and Boats - US Weather Service
http://nsgl.gso.uri.edu/ncu/ncug95004.pdf

Lightning on the water - Boat Safe.com
http://boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/lightning.htm

Lightning and boats - Power & MotorYacht Magazine
http://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/columns/electronicsc/0503electronics

Video - When Lightning Strikes - NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
http://oceantoday.noaa.gov/lightning/welcome.html

 

[KermieB]

Re: Sitting on boat during thunderstorm?

Wish we had lightning storms here in Socal, I miss them

EVERY DAY during the summer here in SC..... EVERY FRICKIN DAY....!!! If it doesn't hit you, you can probably still see it in the distance.

 

[seabob4]

Re: Sitting on boat during thunderstorm?

Eye on your surroundings, first sign of weather building, get the hell out!

I don't mess with Mother Nature...

 

[KermieB]

Re: Sitting on boat during thunderstorm?

We saw a storm coming Sunday while we were on the lake and headed back to the landing. There is a shelter between two piers and the first person gets to pull in and get out of the weather. We were first. Watch this video and you can see and hear the storm just skirting us without every really coming directly over us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SslobYoSh8

In the video, to the right you can see a power line tower. That tower is 1/3 mile from us, and notice all the kids just in front of me still playing in the water like nothing was happening, and their parents didn't see the need to seek shelter. You can see the flashes and hear the thunder. It was striking really close.

STUPID PARENTS

 

[saildan]

Re: Sitting on boat during thunderstorm?

We saw a storm coming Sunday while we were on the lake and headed back to the landing. There is a shelter between two piers and the first person gets to pull in and get out of the weather. We were first. Watch this video and you can see and hear the storm just skirting us without every really coming directly over us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SslobYoSh8

In the video, to the right you can see a power line tower. That tower is 1/3 mile from us, and notice all the kids just in front of me still playing in the water like nothing was happening, and their parents didn't see the need to seek shelter. You can see the flashes and hear the thunder. It was striking really close.

STUPID PARENTS

No kidding -

The Discovery Channel's Raging Planet - Lightning program reports lightning has been observed to strike out away from a storm up to 10 miles. You don't need to be under the edge of the clouds, you could still be in sunshine.

Discovery Channel's Raging Planet - Lightning Part 1 of 5

 

[amanphoto]

Re: Sitting on boat during thunderstorm?

I've been out in lightning storms in my boat also. It's a little unnerving. I can see if you middle of a lake where there is nothing around you. We where in a protective cove.

My question is..... People leave the boats sitting in metal hoists, attached to metal docks - nothing happens to them. There a millions of boats sitting in the water all summer long anchored.

 

[seabob4]

Re: Sitting on boat during thunderstorm?

Remember, the chances of being struck by lightening are actually very rare, whether on land or water. But when it's popping all around you, it seems like EVERYTHING will get hit!