Salties, how do you protect against lightening?

[Beefer]

Re: Salties, how do you protect against lightening?

Getting back to the actual question....

I live/boat in the Lightning Capital of the World, Tampa Bay and the nearby Gulf of Mexico. In the summer, there isn't a day without lightning somewhere in the area.

Open water is (obviously) different then a lake, in that it is wide open. No trees or hills or mountains to obstruct a view of the sky 50+ miles away. Just that gives you enough time to take evasive action. When I see one off in the distance, I will monitor it and the Wx channel, and if it doesn't break apart, or if it's headed for me, I just move to avoid it. Sometimes that's 2 miles, sometimes it's 15 miles. If the weather forecast was for a lot of t-storms, I won't go out, probably just stay inshore, or stay home. If you're out there a lot, you'll have one form right where you are. That's never fun. In that case, you can try and outrun it, or wait it out. If you're waiting it out, turn off your battery(s), lower antennas, remove rods from rod holders, and get in the cabin. If it's a windy storm, toss out a sea anchor or a 5 gal bucket for a more comfy ride. Don't fish during a storm. The fish won't bite anyway.

I've been caught in storms twice that just appeared. Outran one before it got really nasty, and the other I just rode out in the cabin. To some degree, it's part of boating life here.

 

[cyclops2]

Re: Salties, how do you protect against lightening?

If I were in Tampa with you. I would Get a expensive hand held GPS Weather mapper if only for a " fighting chance " ??
At the intersection area of Lake Ontario & the Saint Lawrence River, we get a minor version of your description several times a year. I am very lucky to have a Chaparral 2002 186 SSI with a 5 L V8 that can ALMOST let me run away from fast fronts. Scarry when I must swing around behind a Island & keep ideling around untill the 5' to 6' frothy white caps pass by. The winds are well above 40 mph for a few minutes. Sitting in a 19' bow rider in the open puts the hair up on me & I have a good back ache after the storm passes. Nerves I guess.

 

[sasto]

Re: Salties, how do you protect against lightening?

We built large Sportfish with lightening protection. No need for me to get into the details here, I think it has already been said.....a bonding system.

Having traveled the Atlantic for years while living on a boat, and currently doing so, we have encountered many storms. Sometimes all the planning in the world can't escape lightening. Many here live on their boat year around. There comes a point where we can't worry about it.

I don't personally know of a vessel that has been struck at sea, but a couple at the dock. One in Michigan and one in FL. The one in Michigan appeared to hit an antenna which blew a large hole on the flybridge mounting point. Took out some electronics. I was docked next to him with higher antennas and aluminium outriggers which extended much higher than the struck boat. I don't recall where the on in FL was hit, but it damaged most all the electronics, all the galley equipment, along with a couple A/C's.

Ironically both were built by the same manufacturer, Ocean Yachts.

I view lightening the same way I do sharks. While diving under a boat doing repairs or cleaning off barnicles (chumming for sharks) I don't look down! If stuck in a storm with nowhere to go....I don't look up!

 

[Ike-110722]

Re: Salties, how do you protect against lightening?

You are in the lightning capital of the world. There are more strikes per square mile in mid Florida than anywhere else. So your concern is very real and appropriate. And taking a risk on no system is one alternative but not a very viable on.

The first of the links I provided above is to Ewen Thompson's web site. He was a professor at the University Of Florida running their lightning study. The U of F has done more research on lightning than anyone else in the country or the world for that matter. The techniques that he shows on his website are the outcome of that research. They also are the basis of ABYC's standard on lightning protection systems, TE-4 which you can get free at http://www.marinesurveyorschool.org/seminar_files/Lightening Protection.pdf It is an old version and may be out of date, but it will give you a basis for starting to install a system A current copy can be purchased from ABYC at http://store.abycinc.org/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=ABYC&Category_Code=DL_STANDARDS

A lightning protection system does not guarantee you or your boat will not be hit by lightning, or that you will survive a lightning strike. But it will provide better protection than no system. Do not be fooled by those things that claim to prevent lightning strikes. They don't work! the only thing that works is a system that directs the strike to earth while preventing side flashes and hopefully protecting delicate electronics.

And just for the record, yes I know Prof Thompson, but I have no financial interest in his company or any lightning protection products.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Salties, how do you protect against lightening?

I lived in Bradenton not too far from Tampa. if you keep your boat in water, it is when and not iff your boat will be hit by lightening. The best you can do is make sure you have proper insurance. that is one reason why boat insurance in Florida is way more than boat insurance in other areas.

FWIW, I know many people from Palma Sola Bay to Terra Ciea to Palmeto to Bradenton that have had their boat hit by lightening. each and every boat hit was an insurance claim because something had the magic smoke let out.

 

[Beefer]

Re: Salties, how do you protect against lightening?

The OP doesn't live in TB, he lives in MO. Seems that the posts after mine thought I was the OP.