Mitigating lightning danger

So, I hired a marine consultant who gave me a list of things to buy to protect my vessel, but a lot changed from then and now.

Wife and I got caught in a doosy of an electrical storm Friday last and I was quite terrified to be at the helm. If you zoom the picture, you'll see the helm is covered with a T top and the framework is all aluminum.

Our anchor was not set for holding and the wind grabbed us and I had to throttle to help, but not overrun the anchor... joy!

We ended up beaching for the night and another bad batch came through, but this time the front bow extensions were on the beach.

I sat there wondering about all the ways to mitigate physical harm to me and my wife, but was not really sure.

The high point on the tower is the flagpole, but not grounded to the tower and tower not grounded to engines, etc. Not sure the helmsman would survive a strike unless a spurious Faraday effect.

Once on the beach; pathways to ground are through the fiberglass hull sitting on the beach. From the tower to bow extensions; the pathway is a little unknown. I wondered if it would travel through our quarters.

I probably ought to send the lightening guy some more money, but wondered people opinions.

It is night, a river 100-500 yards wide and bad storm hits. Best strategy?

Best strategy 40 miles offshore? Set autopilot and run in the dark; remote radar inside the cabin?

Be braver?

I was once in a lightening rvent so bad we were crouched on shore and 3 strikes hit within a few hundred yards of us and we could smell ozone. Maybe I just have ptsd from years back. Be kind.

 

Re a lightning ground for your lovely cat @fallguy there seems to be so much conflicting info out there about what you should or should not do.
I know various sailing yachts (ie with masts that stick up) that have been hit by lightning - the lightning hit the mast and then went to ground by the most convenient (least resistance?) route.
Invariably the electronics on board got fried, although not always - it does seem to work in very strange ways indeed.
A pal was convinced that his ground (a battery cable clamped to a chainplate, and hanging in the sea) would be an effective conductor. I would be interested in the thoughts of others re this theory / method.

Changing tack slightly, this photo below is currently doing the rounds on FB here (in Barbados) with gusto this evening - the vessel that is apparently being barbecued is the Jolly Roger, an old timber party schooner moored in Carlisle Bay, which is in very poor condition.
I think it is more likely a lightning strike much further out to sea, and it is conveniently 'hidden' behind the Jolly Roger.
Or maybe it is just a poor attempt at drawing a white line on the photo
BTW, the cat in the foreground is a 27' Stiletto.

 

Dan

You should read: Shelter from the storm, part 1 and 2, in Proboat magazine, April/May issue 202 and June/July issue 203.
It is all covered in there.

 

Thanks a bunch. I may have the issue here.

 

I only have all the issues to 142. Gonna have to find a way to get these.

 

Go to Professional Boatbuilder 184 - Apr-May 2020 http://backissues.proboat.com/

 

Ike beat me to it.
Or, I can email them to you Dan

 

I bought them tonight. Gotta see what happened to the download; it appears to have bombed.

 

I can't get past 184 that way?

 

Just sent to you.

 

I paid for the issues $8.95 each, but the downloads failed. Thanks AH