Boating And You Get Caught In A Lightning Storm - Now What?

Boating and you get caught in a Lightning Storm - Now What?

Lightning! Your Boat's Been Hit - Now What?




If you've ever been to your marina during a thunderstorm, you've probably wondered how likely it is that your boat will be struck by lightning. The answer is, fortunately, not very. According to the most recent (2000-2005) BoatUS Marine Insurance claim files, the odds of your boat being struck by lightning in any year are about 1.2 in 1000. In fact, the claim files show no lightning claims for 13 states such as Idaho and Nebraska (no surprise). But, for those of you with boats in Florida, nobody has to tell you the odds are greater — much greater. Thirty-three percent of all lightning claims are from the Sunshine State and the strike rate there is 3.3 boats per thousand. Surprisingly, the second most struck area in the country is the Chesapeake Bay (twenty-nine percent), and those who boat there in the summer can attest to the ferocity of the sudden thunderstorms. Not surprisingly, the majority of strikes are on sailboats (4 per 1000), but power boats get struck also (5 per 10,000); Trawlers have the highest rate for power boats (2 per 1000) and lightning has struck houseboats, bass boats, and even PWCs.

One surprise: Multihull sailboats are struck more than twice as often as monohulls. Even accounting for the fact that a large percentage of multihulls are in lightning-prone Florida, the odds of multihulls being struck are still statistically much greater. Ewen Thomson, a well-known lightning researcher has a theory. Based on BoatUS supplied data, Ewen did an analysis of the "shielding effect" of nearby yachts. He theorizes that multihulls have a higher probability of being struck in a marina because their greater beam requires a wider berth. The result is less shielding from adjacent boats. Ewen cautions that his numbers contain a large uncertainty, though they appear to correlate with the BoatUS Marine Insurance claims history.



You Can Run, But You Can't Hide
Volumes have been written about methods to mitigate damage or even avert a lightning strike. Lightning, however, doesn't seem to read them. As an example, one boat, fitted with a popular "fuzzy" static dissipater at the top of the mast was struck twice in one year; ironically, the second time the bolt hit the dissipater even though the VHF antenna right next to it was higher (claim #0308082). Dewey Ives, a surveyor in Florida and member of the BoatUS Catastrophe Team who has seen his share of lightning damaged boats, says that lightning is unpredictable. "I've seen a small sailboat docked between two larger ones get hit and sometimes a powerboat in the middle of a marina filled with sailboats gets it. If lightning wants your boat, there's not much you can do about it." Ewen Thomson agrees, "Current research shows promise in mitigating damage from a lightning strike, but there is nothing that is effective in preventing a strike." Though not everyone agrees with that statement, in this issue of Seaworthy, we'll leave behind the sometimes contradictory expert opinions on how to prevent a strike and focus on what to do if your boat is hit.

First Things First
Often, according to Carroll Robertson, vice president of claims for BoatUS Marine Insurance, the extent of the damage from a lightning strike is not immediately apparent. Carroll advises that the first thing that should be done if your boat is struck (after calling BoatUS claims — 800 937-1937) is to get it short-hauled as quickly as possible for a quick assessment of the hull. The reason, Carroll says, is that when lightning exits your boat, it can leave via a through-hull fitting or even through the hull itself. Even if the force of the bolt doesn't blow out a through-hull or cause hull damage, it may cause a gradual leak that could go unnoticed and sink your boat. As part of its sue and labor provision, BoatUS Marine Insurance will pay to have your boat short-hauled to check for damage — the short-haul is not subject to a deductible. Once it's determined that the hull has no leaks, the rest of the boat can be examined for damage.



Damage
The amount of damage a boat sustains is determined in part by how the strike exits. In a properly bonded system that follows American Boat and Yacht Council standards, the strike should follow a low resistance path to a boat's keel or an installed grounding plate, though few boats are equipped from the factory this way. While no two lightning strikes are exactly alike, examining a typical claim can shed some light on the possible damages your boat might have if it's ever struck, some of which you may not have thought of. Claim #0104985: Priority, a 33-foot sailboat was struck in North Carolina during a July thunderstorm. Sailboats — and this one is no exception — are nearly always struck on the mast and a damaged or missing VHF antenna is typically the first sign that an unattended boat was struck — sometimes bits of a melted antenna are found on the deck. It's no surprise that electrical devices are susceptible to strikes; NOAA estimates a strike contains around 30,000,000 volts and a quick zap to a 12-volt device will certainly destroy it. But Carroll Robertson says that lightning is like horseshoes — close counts. There can sometimes be collateral damage when a nearby boat gets hit, either the result of the lightning's powerful electro-magnetic field (EMF), or the current induced by the field running through the boat's shorepower cord. This can create strange problems.

In one instance, the owner of a 28-foot sailboat noticed an amber LED on his battery charger that he'd never seen lit before and his depth sounder had quit working. He couldn't figure out what had happened until his neighbor told him his boat had been struck recently (claim # 0107363). On another boat moored next to a struck boat, the compass readings were 50 degrees off and slowly returned to normal after a few weeks. But a direct hit usually causes more obvious — and substantial — damage.

When a boat gets struck, lightning is trying to find its way to the water. In a sailboat, like Priority, gets struck, one of the paths it takes is down the mast; typically anything that happens to be close by on the way down can be destroyed — wind instruments, TV antennas, radar, lights, etc. Fortunately, the BoatUS Marine Insurance claim files have not shown that aluminum masts themselves get damaged; aluminum is a very good conductor and allows the strike free passage. However, wood and carbon fiber masts can get damaged since neither one is a good conductor. In one claim, a wooden mast that was partially rotted was destroyed when the charge heated up the damp mast causing the moisture to suddenly expand (witnesses said it "exploded". Standing rigging is another path lightning takes and although stainless steel does conduct as well as aluminum, damage to the rigging is rare.

Though mast-mounted components are the most likely to be destroyed, anything on the boat that is electronic can be damaged. In the case of Priority, the wind, speed and depth instruments were destroyed as was the air conditioner controls, the battery charger, autopilot, mast wiring, the refrigeration controls, the stereo, and of course, the VHF. In other cases, battery selector switches, power panel breakers, volt/amp meters, alternators, and even cabin lights were damaged. As a general rule, if the equipment works OK after the boat was struck, it probably wasn't damaged — it's unusual for electronics to fail months later. Dewey Ives says that often the first sign owners have that their boat was struck is that some of the boat's electronics don't work. "Look for fuse failures," he says. "If you have more than a couple of blown fuses, look to lightning as a possible cause." Power boats, he says, though not struck as frequently, are just as likely to sustain electronic damage.

Powerboats are typically struck on the VHF antenna or bimini top. One member who took his new 23-foot runabout out near Tampa Bay, saw a storm coming and turned around too late to get back to the dock,. He heard lightning strike the fiberglass VHF antenna ("A sound I hope I never have to hear again"). All of the boat's electronics were destroyed, but worse, the engine electrical system was damaged and the passengers had to endure the storm until the owner could wave down a passing boat. Although lightning struck an antenna that was only a few feet away, the passengers suffered nothing worse than temporary ringing in the ears. (Note: the fact that a boat's electronics may be destroyed during a thunderstorm — including the VHF — underscores the need for non-electronic signaling devices such as flares in case your boat is struck at sea and is taking on water, or worse, if someone is injured.)

Hull Damage
As hard as lightning is on electronics, it can be just as brutal to fiberglass. In the case of Priority, the lightning traveled down the mast as well as through the VHF coaxial cable. The cable had been disconnected and was resting against the hull inside the boat. When the strike exited the cable, it had no easy way to get to the water. After traveling a quarter of a mile through air, lightning has no trouble going through a fiberglass hull, and this is exactly what it did, blowing a three-inch hole on the way. Fortunately, the hole was above the waterline and the boat was saved from sinking. (Note: If you disconnect your VHF cable from your radio during lightning season, like some boaters do, be aware that anything near the connector, including you, can get zapped during a strike.) Other boats have not been so lucky.

Giving the lightning a low-resistance path to the water is a good idea, but if it's not done right, the damage can be even worse. The owner of a 27-foot sailboat bonded his through hulls properly with heavy wire, but didn't realize that underneath one of the seacocks, the through-hull fitting was made of Marelon — plastic. When the boat was struck, the lightning dutifully followed the wire, but instead of continuing to the water as it would have through a bronze fitting, it jumped across the plastic one, destroying it and partially sinking the boat.

Powerboats are also susceptible to hull damage and are less likely to have been fitted with a lightning protection system. Fortunately, the strike usually exits the boat through the props and rudders and aside from damage to the bottom paint, the running gear is not often damaged (although electronic engine controls sometimes are). Need another good reason to replace a leaking fuel tank? A 25-foot fishing boat with a small amount of fuel in the bilge exploded at the dock when it was struck, sending the contents of the boat's cockpit nearly 100 feet away. Occasionally, lightning enters a boat's electrical system and creates enough havoc to start a fire (claim #0107832). Fortunately, these types of claims are rare.



Minor Damage
One component that was destroyed in Priority were two shore power ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI). Marine surveyors say that they are nearly always destroyed during a strike and can easily be overlooked. Though they may still power appliances, the protection circuit is often non-functional; GFCIs can be easily checked by pushing the test button on the cover. Other small items to check are hand-held radios and GPS's, bilge pumps, inverters, lights, and fans. It should be noted that lightning is fickle and boat damage varies enormously — one owner saw his boat struck on the mast and yet none of the electronics were damaged, and in fact the only evidence the surveyor could find of the strike was a blackened area on the masthead.

 

Is your boat adequately protected from a strike?



I’m always taken aback when statistical long shots are described in terms of the chance of being struck by lightning. Sure, the odds of a person directly catching a bolt from the blue are quite low — about one in 700,000 in a calendar year, according to the National Weather Service. But put that same person aboard a boat and the likelihood changes — BoatU.S. insurance claim statistics show about 1.5 of every 1,000 powerboats are struck each year (as are roughly five sailboats). Is your boat protected if it should be one of those hit?

The short answer is: Probably not. Chances are, it would fare as well as my friend’s 60-foot sport-fishing boat that was struck by lightning at the dock hours before a planned fishing trip by what experts termed "a mild strike." All of the boat’s fixed electronics were rendered inoperative. The engines still ran, but they smoked and misfired horribly, with one unable to exceed 750 rpm. The shore power and both generators were knocked out, as were all the LED running lights. The bow thruster was activated and was stuck running hard to port. (The big DC solenoid literally melted and was making continuous contact.)

The lightning entered on its destructive journey through an outrigger. The charge found its way through the arm that holds the outrigger in its raised position and into the hardtop’s aluminum support rails. From there, the current flowed down the hardtop bonding wire, eventually exiting through the engine block, the transmission and the propeller shaft into the water. It also exited through the bow thruster and the shore power connection.

If it had such a clear path, a veritable freeway for its journey, how did it damage so much equipment along the way? "Lightning covers all frequencies, from DC to daylight," says James Coté, an electrical engineer and service manager at Ward’s Marine Electric in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Coté explains that high-frequency electricity will transfer from one wire to another without a direct electrical connection — known as electromagnetic induction. "As current passes through one wire, it will induce a current into any wire close to it," he says. So on my friend’s boat, by routing the lightning voltage through the hardtop bonding cable that lay next to wires feeding power and data to the electronics, induction energized those wires, which in turn damaged the attached equipment.

Damage to the engines occurred more directly. Like most yachts, this boat was properly bonded — meaning all underwater metal fittings and large metal objects were tied together electrically. Such component bonding protects people aboard the boat, collecting and routing the lightning’s energy safely. The problem was the boat’s exit ramp, so to speak. Propellers, with their large surface area and sharp corners, dissipate electricity well, providing an efficient path to ground. But using them for this purpose energizes engines and transmissions along the way. On my friend’s boat, the electronic brains of the engines, housed within grounded metal boxes, actually survived, but the lightning that flowed through the engines wiped out sensors that monitor everything from turbo boost to injection timing. This resulted in the boat running horribly; but it still ran. (According to diesel mechanics familiar with lightning damage, this is typical, although in rare instances one or both engines won’t run at all.)

The lightning protection system installed on the boat in question is not uncommon and reflects production boat standards. The boat was built by a well-known company, and an equally reputable firm installed the tower and outriggers. But it could have been more effectively protected. Coté explains that if a heavy wire (out of close proximity to other wiring) had been run from the base of the outrigger — a likely potential target for a lightning strike — to proper lightning grounding strips in contact with the water, damage to the electronics may have been avoided, or at least reduced. This strategy could have spared the engines as well. If the tower and outriggers had not been bonded, the current would have used the electrical equipment’s wires to reach ground, causing even more devastation.

A well-maintained bonding system tied to at least one square foot of underwater metal typically protects people and prevents fire and structural damage. While some misinformed old-timers say this encourages a strike by providing a clear path to ground, the simple fact is a boat will always be a better conductor than air, so if it is near enough to a strike, it will become part of it. If we don’t provide an appropriate path to ground, the lightning will improvise, jumping from one conducting object to the next — called "side flashing." It will make its way through galley appliances, water tanks, engine blocks and possibly people until it reaches the water.

Ewen Thomson is a former electrical engineering professor at the University of Florida and a marine lightning expert. He examined one sport-fishing boat after its ungrounded outrigger was struck. "Once the voltage got inside the boat, it started flashing all around," Thomson says, explaining that once theses flashes were close enough to the water to overcome the resistance of the air, they jumped directly to the water and through anything in their way. "There were 40 large holes and hundreds of smaller ones through the hull," he says. Tying large metal objects together via the ship’s bonding system helps prevent side flashes. Thomson strongly recommends running main lightning conductors out near the hull sides, not down the boat’s center, and providing multiple exit terminals around the boat. "What we want is a series of conductors toward the outside of the boat that form a cage," he says. "People and equipment inside that cage are all at the same voltage, and therefore protected."

Thomson, a Ph.D. who has studied lightning since 1972, has also come to understand that lightning isn’t seeking a path underwater, but rather a path to the surface of the water. In simple terms, lightning is a buildup of static electricity, generally consisting of a positive charge on earth and a negative charge in the clouds. When the charge builds high enough to overcome five miles of the atmosphere’s resistance, lightning bolts neutralize these two charges. "But you can’t build up a charge inside a conductor," Thomson explains. "The charge flows through the conductor until it reaches the surface." This is an overriding principle in how Thomson designs lightning protection systems.

Directing lightning below the surface of the water before it exits the protection system, then back up to the water’s surface, actually raises voltage because the water, says Thomson, "causes an impediment to the current flow — impedance in electrical terminology. As impedance goes up, voltage goes up, and every conductor on the boat is at risk of forming side flashes." Thomson also points out that people are excellent conductors. For this reason he places through-hull electrodes — effectively reverse lightning rods — around the boat near the waterline to dissipate the strike.

 

What can you do to minimize a lightning strike to your boat?

Lightning can enter your boat several ways. It can make a direct hit through something elevated and conductive, such as an antenna, a tower or other metal, or the current can jump through the water, through your shore power cord or from one boat to the next.

Most damage comes from overcurrent that’s transmitted through the wiring and then terminated at the end of the wire at a piece of equipment. Lightning strikes nearby can also generate electromagnetic pulses that can affect all of your boat’s electronic equipment.

What can you do to lessen the chance of a strike on open water? According to the University of Florida’s “Boating Lightning Protection” by William Becker, it’s better to run for protection than remain in the open, so long as you can make it all the way back to shore and take shelter in your car or an enclosed building and are not caught at the shoreline.

If that’s not possible, do what is. Lower antennas. In an open boat, stay low, keep arms and legs inside. If there’s an enclosed cabin go below to the center. If your boat has a lightning protection system, avoid touching anything connected to it such as a mast. Turn off any electronics and don’t touch them. That includes avoiding the VHF if possible, disconnect your marine antenna from the VHF radio. If you can, remove it and store down below.

Lightning will always take the most direct conductive path to earth by striking the highest object in the area. Unfortunately, on the water, the highest and most attractive object to a lightning bolt just might be your boat. Be advised that when lightning strikes your boat or even near your boat, your electronics are vulnerable to damage. Here’s how to be prepared.

Create a Short Circuit
There is no absolute protection against lightning aboard a boat. But there are steps you can take to avoid or minimize damage. The most likely targets are antennas, fishing rods, towers, T-tops or any elevated electrically conductive surface. You can’t prevent a lightning strike, but you can create a safe path for lightning to travel.




NOAA Ocean Today Video: 'When Lightning Strikes'

Published on Mar 18, 2013
Not only can lightning strike twice, but it can also strike the ocean. If you hear thunder get out of the water. If you are in a boat, get back to land. If you can't, stay low in the boat or in the cabin. http://oceantoday.noaa.gov/lightning/...

TRANSCRIPT follows:

NARRATOR:
Lightning is a rapid discharge of electrical energy in the atmosphere.

Each spark can span over five miles in length, reach temperatures hotter than the surface of the sun and contain 100 million volts of electricity.

Lightning strikes are not only dangerous, they can be deadly.

The electrostatic discharge occurs within a cloud, between clouds, or between a cloud and the ground.

Lightning doesn't strike the ocean as much as land, but when it does, it spreads out over the water, which acts as a conductor. It can hit boats that are nearby, and electrocute fish that are near the surface.

If you're at the beach and hear thunder or see lightning, get out of the water. Get off the beach and take shelter in a building or in your car. If you're at sea, head back to a shelter on land. If you can't, either stay low in the boat or retreat to a cabin. Do not use electronic equipment during the storm.

Every year, millions of lightning flashes fill our skies. Each one has the potential to cause a devastating and shocking impact.


also see

http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/

http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/magazine/2015/january/lightning-facts.asp

http://www.marinelightning.com/

 

In a storm that you cannot out run, and the seas are not heavy anchor and disconnect your antenna and shut off your fuse panel, then get below deck if possible in a cabin or squat down and do not touch anything that can conduct electricity, have your epirb, life preservers and ditch bag handy (within reach)

if you are in heavy seas, you should always keep your bow into the storm and do not anchor, anchoring will pull you bow under the waves surface and full you vessel with water, making you boat list and sink.

If you lose power and can not keep you bow info the storm, use a boat sea anchor



Also read

Weather Conditions Today - Rough Water Seamanship - Every Boater Should Read
http://www.shrimpnfishflorida.com/f...ter-seamanship-every-boater-should-read.8174/

 

How to Survive Lightning Storms While Boating
Check out these 29 strategies for surviving lightning strikes when boating

Powerful, dangerous, highly unpredictable — all are common descriptions of lightning storms. A direct strike that results only in ringing ears and a few roasted electronics would be considered lucky. Unlucky would be through-hulls blown out, a sunk boat or worse — possibly serious injury or death.

Many powerboaters like to think that they’ve got the speed to simply outrun or get out of the way of lightning storms, or they figure they’re safe if they go boating only when it’s clear and sunny. That’s an attitude aided by the low odds of a boat being struck by lightning, which BoatU.S. pegs at about one out of 1,000 boats in any given year. No worries, right, mate?


Count the seconds after a thunderclap and divide by 5: the result is the distance in miles from the storm.

Boating Magazine

Wrong. Engines can malfunction; big lightning storms can leave no room to escape; sunny mornings can turn into dark, threatening afternoons. If yours is the only boat in the area during a lightning storm, the odds of being struck go way up, leaving you and your crew vulnerable to millions of volts raining down from the skies. While manufacturers can build in a degree of protection, lightning protection begins with boaters being informed and prepared to take action in the event of a thunderstorm or actual strike. You should know the following techniques and strategies.

A harrowing lightning adventure in real life!


Most strikes occur between noon and 6 p.m.

Boating Magazine


White clouds that rise to the customary flat “anvil” top are a good indication to clear the water and seek shelter. The "anvil" points in the direction the storm is moving.

Boating Magazine

Timing
A strategy of boating only on sunny, cloudless days may work well in places like Idaho and California, but that would mean almost never using the boat in places such as Florida, Louisiana and much of the Midwest. For example, most of Florida — the Sunshine State — has at least 70 to 80 thunderstorm days per year, with some parts having more than 100 thunderstorm days per year (with increased activity during the summer months).


Listen to NOAA Weather Radio for special alerts on VHF channels 1-9 (most often it’s Channel 3).

Boating Magazine

Absolutely, boaters should track VHF, Internet and television weather reports and make responsible decisions about whether to go boating depending on the likelihood of lightning storms. Short-term forecasts can actually be fairly good at predicting bigger storms, but small, localized storms might not be reported. This is when knowing how to read the weather yourself can come in handy. (The U.S. Power Squadrons offers great weather courses for boaters, and there are many books that cover the basics.)


Use radar to spot a distant storm.

Boating Magazine

Lightning strikes typically occur in the afternoon. (Florida estimates 70 percent occur between noon and 6 p.m.) A towering buildup of puffy, cotton-white clouds that rise to the customary flat “anvil” top is a good indication to clear the water and seek shelter — or move out of the storm’s path if possible. That’s if the storm is at least somewhat off in the distance (most storms are about 15 miles in diameter and can build to dangerous levels in fewer than 30 minutes). If lightning and thunder are present, just count the seconds between the lightning and corresponding thunder and then divide by 5 — this will provide a rough estimate of how many miles away the storm is.


Some boaters opt to steer with a wooden spoon and keep their other hand in a pocket if forced to man the helm during a storm.

Boating Magazine

A storm that builds directly overhead might be less obvious until those pretty white clouds that were providing some nice shade moments ago turn a threatening hue of gray as rain dumps on you and the wind starts to howl or, worse yet, boom with thunder and lightning that are right on top of each other. Now is the time for a mad dash to the dock and shelter if close by. Like the National Weather Service says: “When thunder roars, go indoors!” If out on open water or too far from shore and shelter, it’s time to hunker down and ride it out.


Wait 30 minutes after the last strike before resuming normal activities (swimming, skiing, tubing, fishing, etc.).

Boating Magazine

Caught!
Boaters who have been struck by lightning often begin their stories with “I was caught in this storm … ” before they share their miraculous or harrowing tales of survival and destruction (BoatU.S. has a number of first-person storm stories archived online: boatus.com/seaworthy/swthunder). Even though getting caught in a storm is not always avoidable, there’s still plenty that boaters can do to minimize the chance of a strike and lessen injury and damage if there is a strike.


How to Stay Safest in a Thunderstorm
Research shows boats without a protection system do suffer more damage. Larger enclosed boats, trawlers and sailboats will sometimes come with a conventional protection system installed. With open boats it’s typically up to the owner to carry a portable pole with attached wire and ground plate that can be deployed in a storm.

Boating Magazine

We all learn in grade school that lightning seeks the highest point, and on the water that’s the top of the boat — typically a mast, antenna, Bimini top, fishing rod in a vertical rod holder or even the tallest person in an open boat. If possible, find a protected area out of the wind and drop anchor. If the boat has an enclosed cabin, people should be directed to go inside and stay well away from metal objects, electrical outlets and appliances (it’s a good idea to don life jackets too). Side flashes can jump from metal objects to other objects — even bodies — as they seek a path to water.

Tips for protecting marine electronics from lightning


A Microwave Oven is a Faraday Cage
Anything inside a Faraday cage is safe from lightning. Automobiles, airplanes and microwave ovens are examples of Faraday cages. Stow backup handhelds, laptops and other electronics inside the microwave to protect them during an electrical storm. Just wrapping them in tinfoil can also do the trick.

Boating Magazine

Lowering antennas, towers, fishing rods and outriggers is also advised, unless they’re part of a designated lightning-protection system. Some boaters also like to disconnect the connections and power leads to their antennas and other electronics, which are often damaged or destroyed during a strike or near strike.


Electrode
Multiple lightning rods and side-arc electrodes are part of a new-wave approach to boat lightning protection.

Boating Magazine

Under no circumstances should the VHF radio be used during an electrical storm unless it’s an emergency (handhelds are OK). Also, be careful not to grab two metal objects, like a metal steering wheel and metal railing — that can be a deadly spot to be if there’s a strike. Some boaters opt to steer with a wooden spoon and keep their other hand in a pocket if forced to man the helm during a storm, while others like to wear rubber gloves for insulation.


Protection
A conventional lightning-protection system consists of an air terminal (lightning rod) above the boat connected to a thick wire run down to an underwater metal ground plate attached to the hull — large metal objects like tanks, engines and rails are also connected. New studies suggest multiple terminals and multiple ground paths work better.

Boating Magazine

An open boat like a runabout is the most dangerous to human life during lightning storms, since you are the highest point and most likely to get hit if the boat is struck. If shore is out of reach, the advice is to drop anchor, remove all metal jewelry, put on life jackets and get low in the center of the boat. Definitely stay out of the water and stow the fishing rods.

If all goes well, the storm will blow past or rain itself out in 20 to 30 minutes. It’s best to wait at least 30 minutes until after the last clap of thunder to resume activities.


There’s a Zap For That
A smartphone coupled with real-time National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) lightning tracking information can make a powerful tool for avoiding storms. Some apps will even notify you if there is a strike near any of your designated areas. Do an Internet search for “lightning app NOAA” — there are a number of iPhone and Android apps available. A little early warning could give you just the time you need to make it back to shore and seek shelter.

Boating Magazine

Hit!
Knowing what to do in a storm and having the best lightning-protection system installed on the boat is by no means a guarantee that lightning won’t strike. The immediate checklist for a direct hit is very short:

1. Check for unconscious or injured persons first. If they’re moving and breathing, they’ll likely be OK. Immediately begin CPR on unconscious victims if a pulse and/or breathing is absent — there’s no danger of being shocked by someone just struck by lightning.

2. In the meantime, have someone check the bilges for water. It’s rare, but lightning can blow out a transducer or through-hull — or even just blow a hole in the boat. Plug the hole, get the bilge pumps running, work the bail bucket — whatever it takes to stay afloat. An emergency call on the VHF is warranted if the situation is dire. If the radio is toast, break out the flare kit.


Lightning seeks the highest point, and on the water that's the top of the boat.

Boating Magazine

If there are no injuries and no holes or major leaks below, just continue to wait it out. Once the danger has passed, check the operation of the engine and all electronics. Even a near strike can fry electronics and an engine’s electronic control unit, cutting off navigation, communication and even propulsion. Some boaters stash charged handheld VHF and GPS units and a spare engine ECU in the microwave or a tin box for this very reason. These makeshift Faraday cages have saved equipment.


One in 1,000 Boats Are Hit by Lightning Per Year
BoatU.S. gathered insurance claim data from a 10-year period and found that the odds of being struck are about one in 1,000 in any given year (see below for a breakdown by boat type). Location, however, matters a great deal. Florida accounted for 33 percent of all claims, and the Chesapeake Bay area accounted for 29 percent.

Boat Type - Chances per 1,000
Multihull Sail - 9.1
Auxiliary Sail - 4.5
Cruiser - 0.86
Sail Only - 0.73
Trawlers - 0.18
Bass Boat - 0.18
Runabout - 0.12
Houseboat - 0.11
Pontoon - 0.03
PWC - 0.003

Boating Magazine

Obvious damage will need to be assessed and set right. Even those lucky enough to come away completely unscathed after lighting storms, with no apparent damage should have a professional survey done just to be sure. Minor damage to through-hulls can result in slow leaks, and all manner of electrical wackiness can emerge — sometimes much later. It’s best to catch these issues right away and get that information to the insurance folks for coverage.


Is Just a Ground Plate Enough?
An immersed 1-square-foot ground plate with hard edges creates a low-resistance path for lightning current to flow through (instead of through the boat or its crew!). But expert Dr. Ewen Thomson (marinelightning.com) believes multiple rods and near-water electrodes provide better protection.

Boating Magazine

Write the Check!
On many levels, robust insurance coverage plays a huge role in your lightning-protection plan. Knowing how to avoid lighting storms and read the weather are certainly important, being ready for action in the event of a storm or strike is crucial, and an upfront investment in lightning protection can lessen destruction. When it comes to dealing with the aftermath of a damaging strike, however, extensive lightning strike coverage can’t be beat.

Take it from a luxury trawler owner who sustained more than $1 million in damage from a strike: “Boat insurance turns out to be the best investment we have made in the past 10 years!” he said. “We will never again grumble about writing a check for an insurance premium.”

 

Sailboat struck by lightning