Rum_Pirate
Well-Known Member
Anyone seen it on their yacht?
St.Elmo's fire
- Thread starter Rum_Pirate
- Start date
Adonnante
Well-Known Member
Anyone seen it on their yacht?
No, but I saw it run along a garden fence in the storm of 16th October 1987.
Peter.
Poignard
Well-Known Member
Didn't Captain Ahab call them corpusants? (or something like that).
Danny Jo
Well-Known Member
I saw something like it walking to Great Shelford station at about 0600 about 30 years ago - a glowing ball of light about 20 metres ahead, two metres off the ground, about half a metre in diameter, lasting a couple of seconds, with no apparent connection to anything. The morning was still, overcast, slightly misty and only just light. I am not prone to hallucinations, I was not under the influence of any drugs. It made me think - life is full of surprises - and then dismiss it as one of those things that would never be explained.
FWB
N/A
Never seen it on a boat but have seen it a lot around the flight deck windows in my flying days.
Once when flying a TriStar we were struck by lightning and Ball Lightning went through the flight deck door and right down the cabin.....really scared the passengers !
I wasn't too impressed either.
Once when flying a TriStar we were struck by lightning and Ball Lightning went through the flight deck door and right down the cabin.....really scared the passengers !
I wasn't too impressed either.
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GrahamM376
Well-Known Member
Saw it at night over the Amazon rain forest on 737 400 in severe storm. Pilot had to slow down to keep within operating envelope. Not a happy passenger!
Monique
Well-Known Member
Never seen it on a boat but have seen it a lot around the flight deck windows in my flying days.
Once when flying a TriStar we were struck by lightning and Ball Lightning went through the flight deck door and right down the cabin.....really scared the passengers !
I wasn't too impressed either.
Had exactly the same thing but on a CL44 (oversized Britannia airliner) ... I was not impressed either. To top it off, I was the captain
binch
Well-Known Member
St Elmo's Fire
If sailing in the tropics it is wise to be in a steel boat with metal masts and over-size standing rigging.
St E F manifested itself at night as a ball of white light at the masthead. In one case it was about 20 ft across. Standing in the cockpit one had a feeling of being lifted off one's feet. Unable to move. Breath suspended. Finished with a lightning strike. Was thrown to the deck, but recovered after a few seconds. Actually did not have much idea of passage of time.
That one, the worst we had, was accompanied by a waterspout.
There's not a lot one can do about it. But do have a good effective earth from the mast and rigging.
If sailing in the tropics it is wise to be in a steel boat with metal masts and over-size standing rigging.
St E F manifested itself at night as a ball of white light at the masthead. In one case it was about 20 ft across. Standing in the cockpit one had a feeling of being lifted off one's feet. Unable to move. Breath suspended. Finished with a lightning strike. Was thrown to the deck, but recovered after a few seconds. Actually did not have much idea of passage of time.
That one, the worst we had, was accompanied by a waterspout.
There's not a lot one can do about it. But do have a good effective earth from the mast and rigging.
Gerry
Well-Known Member
Yes!
Crossing the Atlantic in 2004/5, hit by a nasty squall one evening. Was like balls of blue light rolling along the spreaders, bit scary!
Can't remember exactly how long it lasted as we were knocked down shortly afterwards and my attention was diverted...
Crossing the Atlantic in 2004/5, hit by a nasty squall one evening. Was like balls of blue light rolling along the spreaders, bit scary!
Can't remember exactly how long it lasted as we were knocked down shortly afterwards and my attention was diverted...
Cruiser2B
Well-Known Member
Sounds more like ball lightning.
Habebty
Well-Known Member
Yes most definitely, sailing past Orford Ness about ten years ago in thundery weather and torrential rain. Standing rig glowed green from the spreaders up and compass went US for a while. All the instruments died and the battery went instantly flat. Instruments did recover next day.
Orford Ness is a strange place at the best of times subject to all sorts of Cold War sites and high power transmission masts (google the now defunct project Cobra Array- over the horizon radar)
Also the scene of assorted alleged UFO sightings and a even a downed plane last year.
Although now largely deserted, the Ness still has a presence about it??
More recently my chart plotter suddenly went a bit wobbly and told me I was in Stockholm as I passed what I believe to be the BBC World Service masts.
The place is starting to gather a bit of the Bermuda Triangle type atmosphere (in my mind anyway
)
Been watching too many X files I think
Orford Ness is a strange place at the best of times subject to all sorts of Cold War sites and high power transmission masts (google the now defunct project Cobra Array- over the horizon radar)
Also the scene of assorted alleged UFO sightings and a even a downed plane last year.
Although now largely deserted, the Ness still has a presence about it??
More recently my chart plotter suddenly went a bit wobbly and told me I was in Stockholm as I passed what I believe to be the BBC World Service masts.
The place is starting to gather a bit of the Bermuda Triangle type atmosphere (in my mind anyway
)Been watching too many X files I think
