Anyone fancy a thunderstorn whilst at sea!

[haydude]

Thunderstorm is what I fear most

A thunderstorm is what I fear most, because there is nothing I can do about it, if I find myself in the middle. As a skipper, when one is forecasted the only place I plan to be is in a marina well tucked together with several other boats to reduce statistically the chance to be hit.

My experience with English skippers is that, perhaps due to lack of experience with this type of weather, they normally underestimate the danger and plan sailing into them as if they were just normal squally weather.

 

[satsuma]

A thunderstorm is what I fear most, because there is nothing I can do about it, if I find myself in the middle. As a skipper, when one is forecasted the only place I plan to be is in a marina well tucked together with several other boats to reduce statistically the chance to be hit.

My experience with English skippers is that, perhaps due to lack of experience with this type of weather, they normally underestimate the danger and plan sailing into them as if they were just normal squally weather.

By that, do you mean Brıtısh or Englısh? In any event, I don't thınk that ıs true at all! Indeed I know not one sıngle person who has 'planned' to saıl through a thunderstorm, or ındeed planned to go out when one ıs even remotely forecast!
But lıke most thıngs at sea, despıte scourıng over forecasts for hours, usually days ın advance, once at sea for any length of tıme, You get what you're gıven! Then you get on wıth ıt, usıng your best knowledge and experıence to ensure you lıve through ıt!

 

[Sybarite]

My biggest fear at sea was thunderstorms.

Here's a video of one that passed over us whilst moored off New York.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRS_7wckZdc

The boat next to us was struck and lost all electrics.

Listen to the weather warning being broadcast on the VHF at the beginning, then watch for the lightning strikes on the buildings, the helicopter that turns and gets the h*ll out of it and the the moment our RIB is picked out of the water by the wind and pinned against the stanchions. (Between 1min and 1min 40).

It was a short but intense storm and we later found out that it blew down over 100 trees in central park.

On my first trip to the Iles of Scilly we had a severe thunderstorm. My sister was in the cabin with the sleeping bag over her head and she could still see the flashes.

I trailed a chain overboard from the shrouds.

The worst moment came when a freighter loomed out of the murk about a 100 yards in front of us.

 

[haydude]

By that, do you mean Brıtısh or Englısh?[

I am afraid we in foreignland use those terms interchangeably, or rather we always use "English", meaning British. It is only after having lived on the island for a while that we realize the difference.

In any event, I don't thınk that ıs true at all! Indeed I know not one sıngle person who has 'planned' to saıl through a thunderstorm, or ındeed planned to go out when one ıs even remotely forecast!

I am afraid that is my true experience: I was with two British yachtmasters.

Me: I think we should be leaving today because there is bad weather with thrunderstoms forecast for tomorrow in this area and we want to leave that behind
Yachmasters: No we will leave tomorrow morning, you are not afraid of just some rain are you?
Me: But there is going to be lightning, did you see the forecast also on TV?
Yachtmasters: yeah OK ...

Next morning: lightning and thunder extremely close by, poor visibility, yachtmasters making tea whilst sailing right through it. Bravery or lack of common sense? Or just because the boat wasn't theirs?

Having lived near mountains for most of my life I knew what happens when hot and cold air masses meet together and we were close to both land and mountains, which is right where you shouldn't be in these cases.