Boating is all fun and games until strong winds come knocking. Suddenly, your survival instincts kick in, and all you can think of is a way out. What’s worse? It could be a thunderstorm. Every seasoned boater knows that boating during a thunderstorm is probably one of the scariest experiences. Here in this article, Ingman Marine is going to show you some safety tips you can apply if you are caught boating during a storm, and why this is particularly crucial for you if you are boating in Florida.
If you live in Florida, then thunderstorms are nothing new to you. The United States Coast Guard Boating Safety states that there are at least 70 to 80 thunderstorm days per year in Florida. What this means is that there’s a thunderstorm at least once every four days. Now, those are high odds to go against for a boating enthusiast living in Florida.
Ultimately, you may just find yourself boating during a storm one of these days. While it is incredibly dangerous and should be avoided at all costs, it is not necessarily a death sentence. There are certain boat safety measures you can take to increase your chances of survival.
The survival tips below are general boat safety tips that should always be at the back of your mind before you climb into a boat. I suggest you make time to familiarize yourself with the dos and don’ts in the case of a storm. The steps are divided into two situations:
You might be lucky enough to notice the change in the weather before the thunderstorm finally hits. Or maybe the storm is somewhat in the distance. In this situation, you have some time. Here’s what you should do:
There is no way to completely avoid being struck by lightning, but there are things you can do to help your odds.
Lightning protection systems aim to prevent damage to the boat, injuries, and loss of life while boating during a storm. One way to do this is through electrical bonding. Bonding electrically connects all the metallic parts of the boat, to provide an alternative path that directs the lightning strike through the metal and down to the ocean floor. This is an attempt to direct the strike away from the cabin and other places where passengers could be hurt.
Everyone aboard must know exactly what to do in this situation. In the middle of a crisis is not the best place to teach boat safety rules. However, you may not have a choice. So, ensure everyone is wearing a life jacket, staying away from electronic and metal equipment, maintaining a low position, and is as close to the center of the boat as possible.
If you happen to be boating in a storm, reducing the likelihood of lightning hitting you should be the priority. To do this, you have to ensure that you turn off all electronic devices. You should turn off your phones, radios, and unplug other electronics. If your boat’s cabin has a microwave, place all of your electronics and important papers inside. Your microwave will act as a faraday cage, which blocks electromagnetic fields from getting to your devices and should be elevated enough to protect any papers from possible water damage.
Here’s what you can do if your boat gets hit by a lightning bolt
Severe damages could include situations when the lightning strike destroys your electronic system or hits an important part of the hull. This could be a part higher up, which could let in huge volumes of rain into the cabin. Or, in the worst-case scenario, it hits a part of the hull below the waterline; this could lead to the boat sinking. If your bilge pump doesn’t come on automatically, pump out the bilges to keep the boat high in the water. Since bilges are electronically controlled, you may not have much of an option if the lightning fries your electric system. The option you’re left with is to try to plug the hole to the best of your ability, and manually bail the water to avoid sinking.
Minor damages include situations when you lose some of your electronic functions and your engine temporarily stops. If the engine stops, drop the anchor from the bow of the boat to prevent drifting. Close all hatches, ports, and work the bail bucket if you have to, to avoid swamping – and sinking eventually.
If hit by a bolt of lightning, the first move should be to check for life. Are all the passengers safe? Is anyone unconscious? If so, you need to immediately start administering CPR. Do this without hesitation. Don’t worry, there’s no danger of being shocked by a person hit by lightning.
The type of boat you own could determine your likelihood of making it out of a storm or it’s path. Owning an open model boat (no-cabin) could spell disaster if you get stuck in the middle of a storm, but with enough horsepower may boost the likely hood of making it out of the storms’ path. Boats with masts, like sailboats, are among the most likely to be struck by lightning and move slower than power boats. Cabined boats are considered the safest because they offer shelter to your passengers.
Being caught in an open boat during a storm can be a terrible experience. In this case, lightning isn’t the only threat; you are open to the wind, rain, and rising waves. The best boat safety measures you can employ is to stay low and central, while also avoiding metal parts and bailing out water to avoid swamping.
By far the safest boat to be in while boating during a storm is a cabined boat. If your engine and electronics fail, you can always drop the anchor and retire to the safety of the cabin. This way, you don’t get to feel the harshness of the wind and rain directly on you. Moreover, you stand a better chance of not being struck directly by lightning when you are within the cabin.
Sail Boats/ Mast Boats
Sailboats are sometimes even more vulnerable to lightning than open boats. This is because lightning strikes the highest points, which in this case would be the masts. You would need to unplug all the masthead units, but realistically, in severe storms, they are bound to be damaged.
Having boat insurance is a necessity, especially when you live in a state like Florida. This is because, as we mentioned earlier, Florida is more likely to have boat-wrecking thunderstorms than most other states. It doesn’t matter if your boat is at the docks when the storm hits, that is not necessarily a safety net.
Boats at the dockyard too can get damaged by lightning. The primary difference between boating during a storm and having a thunderstorm hitting your boat at the dock is that with the latter, no one should be on board, which significantly lowers the chances of injuries and death.
Many companies offer various kinds of insurance coverage to boat owners. But on proper examination, the policies can be streamlined to these two areas:
Generally, given the likelihood of boats being struck by lightning, boat insurance covers for such damages. Boat damage insurance usually protects the boat from damages as a result of theft, vandalism, lightning, fire, etc.
This type of insurance protects the passengers and crew members aboard the vessel at the time of the incident. It covers the medical bills, lawsuit expenses, and other fees that can arise as a result of bodily injury or loss of life.
All boaters in Florida should take storm season seriously. Even during off season, Florida’s sub-tropical climate is a haven for rain and in most cases that includes thunder and lightning. You should have a storm plan, plenty of life jackets, non-electronic navigation, and boat insurance before ever launching your vessel. As for your passengers, you should always inform new passengers of the storm plan and routinely re-evaluate your plan with your family to keep it current and in their minds.
