Re: Thunderstorm safety
as a mid-Atlantic small boat guy, here are your risks:
Overall I think the best thing after you have tried to outrun it and it has caught you is to go into the teeth of it straight on. You have better control and will shed water better bow first (unless you have a scoop bow!)
Hard gust up to 45 mph at the leading edge. If it catches you broadside, or up under your bow when bouncing over a frontal wave, you can lose control or worse. (be ready; slow down)
blinding rain (goggles)
Heavy rain (run the bilge pump or in the right boat, plug out. Have two bailing devices clear and ready, and tied off)
Steep waves (go into them at about 45* even if that is not the way you want to go. Don't get broadside and be wary of following seas)
Scary thunder (ignore. If you hear it, the lightning already got someone else)
Lightning: biggest threat. In the past two weeks I have seen lightning bolts come out of the sunny part of the cloud line easily 5-10 miles from the rain storm/dark clouds, straight to earth. Besides staying low i don't think there's much you can do about it. My uninformed thought is to be 1/4 mile away from a tower, just not under it, so the lightning will choose it instead of you.
High sustained wind: the wind won't get you but the waves will. Keep enough power to be in control. Be mindful of the spray/splashing fillling the boat. I've seen water blowing up off the surface, like rain in reverse)
MOB: (put PFD's on everyone, buckled tight. If it's evening they should each have a light (#1) and whistle (#2). You may not be able to turn around and get them right away.)
Waterspouts: (nothing you can do; don't outrun but sidestep)
Shallow water: shallow water is rougher where there are waves, so you don;t want to get in worse trouble going to "shelter" unless it is truly protected.
One technique is to drag a sea anchor (which can be a 5 gallon bucket to keep your bow straight into the wind. There's a technique for using them in following seas but I don't know it; I think it keeps the boat from rolling off point though.
Another technique is "laying by:" put out the anchor, long line, lay down on the deck and let the shape of the boat do its thing--the bow will be into the wind (start that way with a tight line) and will probably drive itself better than you can over the waves. Even if the anchor drags, you are pointed the right way. But before you commit to this technique be certain you can be blown with the storm, out of control, and not into danger.
Last Sunday my wife and I got caught in one but I was able to get under a low bridge at the exact time the wall hit us--it was a hairy race b/c the wall was coming directly at our side and we had to run about 2 miles. If we had run out of time I would have turned into it.
Storms can move faster than their winds--one about 2 weeks ago travelled 70 MPH across land and bay even though the winds were 30 mph. They also turn and follow geographic features, like running down a river.
