[C320-list] Lightening

[clburti at gmail.com]

I can relate my experience for whatever that may be worth. We sail in an area prone to sudden summer squalls that are often accompanied by high winds, driving rain, hail and lightning. You are going to have to risk some foul weather if you are going to sail in the summer around here. That is not to say that I would voluntarily go out in a bad forecast. Enough experience with these squalls will make you just comfortable enough to forgo putting on a pair of Depends with your foul weather gear yet leave you as nervous as fox in a pack of hounds. 

When I see a squall line approaching, I immediately drop and secure all sails and lines. I rarely anchor because I don't trust a hastily set anchor in those conditions, though many do. Assuming that the squall will miss you is a sure invitation to disaster. However. they usually pass quickly, but you should expect the wind direction to reverse itself and end up with a significant shift. 

You should expect gusts in excess of 40 knots which can lay you over to 30 degrees under bare poles and will knock you flat if any sails are up or if they break free. Hail can be painful and horizontal driving rain will make it difficult to see. Visibility will drop to less than a boat length. I've seen lightning hit the water less than a boat length away on several occasions. 

I've been hit by lightning just once while aboard in over forty-five years of sailing. Wouldn't care to repeat the experience. I was at the wheel of a friend's Pearson and the rest of the crew was down below with instructions to stay as clear as possible of chainplates, mast and electrical panel. 

When the lightning hit, I saw a blinding flash, but didn't notice much sound. The crew later reported hearing a huge boom and feeling tingly, but didn't notice any flash...go figure. Immediately after the flash, I saw red hot molten metal hitting the foredeck. That clued me in to what had just happened. I then reflexively jerked my hands off the stainless steel wheel. My first conscious thought to myself was "Well Cap'n Stupid...that's a pretty dumb move...too late now for that!" 

Insurance (less the deductible) took care of the VHF whip, Wind sensor and Windex, all of which were melted into slag or vaporized, plus the haul-out and damage surveyand the replacement instruments. The only real damage to the instruments was that the SeaTalk capability was fried and the hull survey came out clean. 

if you keepyour head and make the difficult  and proper decisions  you will keep your vessel and crew as safe in trying conditions as you can. I have seen no substantiated, quantitative scientific evidence that any particular anti-lightning trick or device is materially any better than any other or even better than snake oil for that matter. Every one put forward has its fans and also someone who tried it and  got hit anyway. if your vessel gets hit, there is no safe place, it is simply a matter of luck either way. In this context, 'random' is more than a mere buzz word, pardon the puns. As I said, I was holding the wheel and escaped harm...go figure.




Fair Winds
Chris Burti
Commitment
Catalina 320, #867



From: Jeffrey Brown
Sent: ‎Thursday‎, ‎July‎ ‎11‎, ‎2013 ‎1‎:‎04‎ ‎PM
To: Catalina C320 List

Just curious, should you find yourself in the middle of a thunderstorm where's the best place to be in case of a lightening strike, besides not on the water.  Inside the cabin or on deck?

Jeff Brown
949-350-5123