Re: [Paddlewise] Lightning?

John,

There is a story in 'SEA KAYAKER' Oct. 1996 Vol 13 NO.4
titled 'BAHAMA TRAUMA'. This story gives an account of
Miguel Hernandez's experience of a lightening encounter
while paddling through a 101-mile open water crossing
through the Florida Straits to Cuba.

He tells of the following event Twelve hours out of Stock Island,
outside of Key West:

..... "the first storm hit. Bolts of lightning cut the 
black horizon. From the cockpit, through curtins of rain,
Hernandez began to notice a loud, continuous crackling.
Then for the next forty-five minutes, green sparks shot
from the tips of his paddle. It was pretty , he says.
And I thought I was going to get electrocuted." 

Now, just what are the possibilities if one happens to
be paddling a nylon skinned, aluminum framed kayak under
such circumstances. Should there be cause for alarm or
does one just reconcille themselves to the idea that
they just might be sitting in an electric toaster?  %^)
I am slightly concerned here.

Cheers,

Philip 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


John Winters wrote:
> 
> Larry wrote;
> 
> -
> >AND in the john winter's logic mode: paddle a tandem and be sure that your
> >partner is taller than you, or if he/she is shorter, have them stand up...
> >are you with me John?
> 
> Absolutely, I have the bow person hold a copper wire overhead and trail it
> in the water. That way I can do all the paddling while the rest and hold up
> the wire. I assure them that the lightning will travel down the wire and be
> dissipated in the water. I have never lost a partner to lightning. Most
> partners appreciate my consideration.
> 
> If one studies the movement and formation of thunderstorms it is possible
> to minimise your contact with them especially when on the water. Of course,
> Florida is another problem. Lived and sailed in Tampa (the lightning
> capital of the world so they say and so I believe) and boats struck by
> lightning weren't all that common given the number of strikes but it still
> scares one.
> 
> Once I was installing some electronics on a mast at the yacht club when a
> storm passed. The owner who had winched me up the mast was in the club
> having a drink and either forgot I was out there or thought he could avoid
> paying his bill.
> 
> No strikes but you sure learn how to control your bowels when you are top
> man on the lightning rod.
> 
> Lightning isn't often a problem since most discharges are in the cloud
> layer rather than to the surface. Like tornadoes are drawn to trailer
> parks, lightning seems to be drawn to golfers. I guess one could protect
> oneself by always paddling with  a golfer.  In the lake region you can
> paddle in the zone of protection most of the time. I have had a strike no
> more than fifty yards away and could smell the ozone. Makes you jump a bit.
> 
> Have never had a storm sneak up on me though. When you sail in Florida you
> learn to know what conditions will breed thunderbumpers. My friend at
> Environment Canada says that "if the thunder bumpers don't build before two
> in the afternoon they aren't likely to make it at all" So far that seems to
> be valid. Just keep and eye on the clouds. They are high and easy to see if
> they are building. It takes about an hour for a thunderhead to build  and
> usually (unless you are well offshore) that is enough time to get to shore.
> Of course, I have heard people say the storm just popped up out of nowhere
> but that is just a failure to watch the sky and listen to the weather
> reports.
> 
> Far more dangerous than the lightning is the wind and wind shift that
> precedes a storm.
> 
> The weather forecast can't predict exactly where thunder storms will be as
> they are highly localised but if they say that conditions are ripe to breed
> them you should think twice about going paddling and, if you do, stay close
> to shore. If you see cumulus clouds starting to build (don't have to be an
> expert to recognise that) then get your fanny back near shore.
> 
> Cheers,
> John Winters
> Redwing Designs
> Specialists in Human Powered Watercraft
> http://home.ican.net/~735769/
> 
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