My encounters with thunderstorms at sea have all been in sailboats. The two most memorable were both on southern Lake Michigan on a 30 footer while racing. Boiling green/black clouds preceded multiple lightning strikes within a hundred meters of the boat. Really spectacular. There were over 60 boats in the fleet, and not a one of them was struck. We shortened to storm jib and double-reefed main when we first spotted the thunderstorm, then I sent the crew below decks to sit on the cabin floor. The heaviest rain followed the lightning. Just as another poster commented the rain laid down three-foot seas to almost flat. The other thunderstorm was not as spectacular for lightning. However, it was preceded by a period of almost dead calm, then very large wind. There were water spouts astern of us... as many as seven at one time. They would drop down to the sea surface for awhile, then dissipate, only to be replaced by other funnel clouds. Again, in a large fleet of boats about 20 miles offshore, none were struck by lightning or the water spouts. I have read everything I could get my hands on about lightning over the past 30 years of sailing and boating. One can sum up all those articles by saying that lightning strikes do not seem to follow any predictable pattern. Boats with grounded rigging and rigging not grounded to the water seem to get hit with equal frequency and with equal damage. Common sense says the get into the trees and hunker down approach is as good as any advice. Being lucky is even better. Steve King New to Paddling/Old to Sailing *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
We had a lenghty discussion about thunder storms here in FInland as well last summer. I have been three times in a bad thunderstorm, and the strong winds were the biggest threat. Getting to the shore is important, if the wind might take you to the open sea. Once a friend got swept to the open sea and capsized because of the gusts (strong sudden wind?). We had no time to worry about lightnings, as we had to concentrate in not getting too far to the open sea. That time the thunderstorm broke so suddenly we had no idea it was going to get to us. The wind was from SW and the thunderstrom started in two minutes with strong northern winds. I guess thats typical of thunderstorms. The second bad thunderstorm was in Estonia last summer, and we only had 100 meters to get to the shore, but it was really hard work. The third one was one night in a National Park in Finland: we were camping on a really small island. There were 20 000 lightnings during the night, the rock beneath my mattress was trembling from the noise. I did not sleep well. It was the worst thunderstorm in the area in 20 years. Anyways, in the Finnish newsgroup sfnet.harrastus.melonta (it means about the same as rec.paddle...) there was this discussion, and it ended with the note of an expert: a lightning researcher from Finnish Meteorological Inatitution thought it might be possible that a kayaker would get hit on the water. He wrote that if the air gets really full of electricity, you will notice it, because hair will get up (it was logical, if this sounds stupid its due to my lack of English skills), you have reason to worry. He recommended, that one should take the paddle in right hand, invert one blade into the water and if the lightning strikes, the upper paddle blade would direct the electricity along the paddle shaft to the water. And the right hand - not the left, because the electricity would be less likely to hurt your heart that way. But PLEASE, do not try this at home... The idea of feeling the electricity in the air is useful. Last summer I experienced my hair standing up once, and quite soon it started: thunder and storm, but I had just had time to get to the shore. Personally I would believe that on the water, staying low would reduce the risk, but this is just an amateur guess. At least staying low reduces the effect of strong stormwinds. Anna Leena Lind alli_at_iki.fi Helsinki, Finland *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
----- Original Message ----- From: Stephen King <steveking2000_at_home.com> To: <PaddleWise_at_paddlewise.net> Sent: Monday, March 26, 2001 8:12 PM Subject: [Paddlewise] Thunderstorms > My encounters with thunderstorms ..... Being "Stephen King" your name, and Thunderstorms the topic, I can not think of anything but a real threatening and scary story ..... ..... ..... ;-) Sorry, I couldnīt resist ..... Fernando Lopez Arbarello Kayak Argentina - Sea Kayaking Mailing List www.topica.com/lists/kayak_argentina kayak_argentina_at_uol.com.ar *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
-----Original Message----- From: Stephen King <steveking2000_at_home.com> >I have read everything I could get my hands on about lightning over the >past 30 years of sailing and boating. One can sum up all those articles >by saying that lightning strikes do not seem to follow any predictable >pattern. Boats with grounded rigging and rigging not grounded to the >water seem to get hit with equal frequency and with equal damage. Preparing for the crossing of the Gulf of Mexico (20 days and 728 miles of open water) I knew the one thing I had no control of was lightning. I also read as much as I could get my hands on. I was able to speak to experts in the lightning capital of the USA, Florida. The most informative book for the layman (that's me) was "Lightning and Boats" by Michael V. Huck Jr. Seaworthy Publications ISBN: 0-9639566-0-4 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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