Re: Sitting on boat during thunderstorm?
Since so many boaters with cabins spend most of their time just docked at their marinas why would anyone just sit on their boat when approached by a lightning storm???
If you drove to your boat and your at your home port why not just walk back to your car and sit it out insulated by the 4 rubber tires. The biggest danger would be a falling branch or tree so drive to an open field until it passes. They usually only last a few minutes.
Or go into the marinas enclosure.
But the best solution is to learn to read the weather and the clouds. Listen to the forecast and pull up the radar on a computer before you go to the dock. I wait until it passes before putting the boat in the water.
If the storms are scattered I stay within a few miles of the ramp, so I can get back into my car to wait it out.
A simple portable AM radio can warn you miles off, by hearing the static.
I used to bring my 3 lb netbook to check the radar during the day. I connected thru a Verizon card that connects to the Internet over their satellites, but that was a $59 a month subscription).
Now I view the same free radar site on my Blackberry for a $29 unlimited data subscription plan, which I'm paying for anyway.
Severe storm areas will be surrounded by a colored square on the screen.
You can click on the radar map and zoom right into your area or zoom out to see whats coming towards you.
Since most weather moves from West to East you can scroll over to the left and see oncoming cells hours away.
When I'm on big lakes, it's easy enough to cruise away from the oncoming threats. But if it's spread out I get back to the ramp and sit it out in my car ASAP.
Last season we had a memorable lightning storm that I saw approching us and we made it back to our launch site just in time. As we stood under the marinas enclosure we watched people sitting there still fishing and saw one boat pulling skiers right into the storm.
This was the loudest scariest thunder and lighting storm I've ever seen. All hell broke loose for 45 minutes. Finally it cleared up and we went back out.
Check out a free site like this one for your area on a computer before you leave for the docks:
http://www.wunderground.com/radar/r...42.64765167&lon=-73.75354767&label=Albany, NY
Listen to the forecast and turn on the weather alerts on a fixed or handheld VHS when you are on the boat.
Best prevention is learning to read the clouds and using the latest technology
to keep you off the lakes or ocean before the lighting hits.