Lightning danger versus no-wake zone rules

[Dad sold the C * C]

I believe I know one of the storms Winnisquamer is talking about if it was a weekend. It formed quickly and came at the lake from an odd direction. Many people were caught at the sand bar or up in the Loon sanctuary. I got docked and covered just in time to watch a bunch of people going north and a bunch going south. I was happy to be in the house surrounded by really tall Hemlocks

I'm a huge fan of checking radar on phones and other devices, it really helps make an OK day when the forecast is "scattered thunderstorms".

[Winnisquamer]

I can't remember the date. But if my memory is correct the forecast was clear as could be and somewhere just off the lake had a microburst and we caught the outskirts of it. Lasted maybe 20 minutes, felt like an hour.

[NoBozo]

i can't speak for a small powerboat on the lake. I have been out on Narragansett Bay in Rhode island in a Pearson Ensign (22 foot Sailboat w/o and inboard engine) ..during an electrical storm. I touched the jib sheet track on deck with my hand and could feel a "Tingle" of electricity.

The jib sheet track was NOT Bonded.

Twice..Later on, I sailed to Bermuda and back single handed in a larger boat that WAS Bonded. Same conditions. No problems. Electrical storms happen all the time.

What is BONDED. All the significant metal on the boat is physically "Wired" together to ground...like through hull fittings, a propeller shaft.etc...including the mast.. all goes back to the battery.

So what does this do: You have a mast sticking up into the sky. It is grounded to the water..Good. There is electrical energy flying around in the air above your boat..as Static Electricity. The Static Electricity "sees' your mast and and "goes to it" ...and DISSIPATES...just bleeds to ground because you are bonded.

If you were not grounded, the electrical energy flying around would Build Up (Not seeing ground) until it could not contain itself..And THEN EXPLODES on your un-grounded boat.

Solution: Be Bonded. All the through hull fittings on the boat (Outdrives, Outboard motors, etc.) and significant above deck fittings are physically "wired" together. NB

PS: WIRED means Wired...with wires running from one fitting to another.

[SIKSUKR]

IMO even more important than watching forecasts is to have a weather app on your phone. The ones I have are free and you get up to the minute live radar loops. T-storms can be hit or miss so when seeing clouds building, check that radar and see whats headed for your area. I have local apps from WMUR and NECN which have great zoomable radar links.

[jbolty]

Many, many ,many years ago I was in an aluminum canoe on squam with a buddy. Clear day but out of nowhere a storm blew up with lightning. Some people on the shore waved us over and we spent the afternoon at their camp eating and drinking and afterward they loaded up our boat on a truck and dropped us home.

Fond memory from some 35 years ago

[Rich]

I know this is an old OLD thread, but now we have more technology.

My FAVORITE boating app is 'Radar NOW', it's an Android app that has all the weather radar showing in real time. That's all it does, weather radar.

I check it before I leave the dock, and check it periodically while on the water if there is a possibility of a summer storm. I can usually watch the storm cells floating across NH and have a very good idea of where they are tracking.

Check it out:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...adar_now&hl=en

I don't know if they make an equivalent iPhone app.

This one is unique in that it does ONE thing very well, Weather RADAR. Yes, I know there are other weather apps out there, but this one is outstanding IMHO for this purpose. Oh, did I say it's FREE!

[salty dog]

Originally Posted by Rich

I know this is an old OLD thread, but now we have more technology.

My FAVORITE boating app is 'Radar NOW', it's an Android app that has all the weather radar showing in real time. That's all it does, weather radar.

I check it before I leave the dock, and check it periodically while on the water if there is a possibility of a summer storm. I can usually watch the storm cells floating across NH and have a very good idea of where they are tracking.

Check it out:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...adar_now&hl=en

I don't know if they make an equivalent iPhone app.


This one is unique in that it does ONE thing very well, Weather RADAR. Yes, I know there are other weather apps out there, but this one is outstanding IMHO for this purpose. Oh, did I say it's FREE!

That's a good one, Rich. My son has it on his Galaxy. The best one I've found fore the iphone is "WeatherBug" The same thing, it has really good live radar plus a thing called "Spark" which tells you in seconds how near the closest lightning is to your location. I've relied on that many times at the lake.

[upthesaukee]

We wanted to go out on our boat a few years back, leaving from Parker Marine in Alton Bay, and go out to Chestnut Cove / Robert's Cove for a little peaceful anchor time and swim to cool off. Hot humid day.

Checked the weather radar just before leaving, and there was a line of thunderstorms in upstate NY and VT moving basically east. I even clicked on the "cell direction tracker" feature, and it also showed the storms moving basically east, and would remain north of the Ossipees, up toward No. Conway. Headed out as planned.

We got out there, found our favorite (secret) spot, and dropped anchor. All the way out the bay, we could see the storms over toward the Meredith end of the lake, still looking well north or northwest of the lake, and it still looked good. As I was opening the bimini, and walking forward to hook the tiedowns, I glanced at the Ossipees, and the left edge (NW end) were obscured by rain. We stared at it for a few minutes, and decided that discretion was the better part of valor.

While I put the boot back on the bimini and pulled the anchor, my wife pulled out her phone and checked the radar. The line had turned more southeast, and was now bearing down on the lake. Fired up, and headed back to the dock. We got tied up and buttoned up, and as we pulled out of Parker's parking lot, the skies opened up.

Thank God for being smart enough to look around, check the weather radar once again, and being smart enough to get the heck out of Dodge!!!!

[SIKSUKR]

This is exactly why you need to watch a radar loop and not just a static radar shot. It clearly shows whats coming, which direction and its easy to time it to your location by watching how far it moves in that particular loop length of time. They all have it clearly marked and matched with the time. I've bookmarked both my apps on the radar loop so they is no going through menus and it works just like what Rich was posting about. Very easy to zoom in and out and move around with typical finger swipes used on phones.

[Dave R]

Weather radar is awesome, but sometimes the storms simply form out of thin air (literally) right on top of you. Had that happen a couple of times hiking in the mountains. Oh well, gotta die of something...

[ishoot308]

Living on Welch Island all spring, summer and fall allows me to see some weather that occurs that can catch anyone off guard, I don't care what kind of weather app or radio you have! I have seen micro bursts form so fast and be so violent that you swear a tornado just touched down! Sometimes they only last a couple minutes and their gone, but they are very violent!

I was caught by one on the lake 2 years ago fishing near diamond island. I didn't even have time to get back to Welch. I could see it forming over Welch heading towards me. Instead I immediately docked at someone's camp on Diamond and rode it out safely. It only lasted a few minutes and I was on my way. There were no warnings issued on the radio until after it was over.

Point is, while a weather app or radio is a good tool to have, never let it take the place of common sense, experience and good instinct. Do whatever you have to do to keep yourself, your crew and your vessel safe. ALL shoreline landowners should welcome and help anyone in this kind of situation.

Dan

[SIKSUKR]

Dans correct but if you keep an eye to the sky in the direction they should be coming from you usually have time to see it building. Most apps have almost up to the minute radar display. As Dan said I have watched storms pop up really fast on the radar and then fade away to nothing all within 20 minutes. Which is exactly why I want that technology in my hand. There is nothing better imo.

[PaugusBayFireFighter]

You can be 5-10 miles from a thunderstorm and get struck. In sunny skies!
If you're close enough to hear thunder, then you're close enough to be struck by lightning!
Lightning is the only thunderstorm threat that can reach outside the periphery of the storm.
Mother Nature is a mad scientist!

[CrownRay]

had a similar situation, only it was on in a popular cove on the ocean. We are all just sitting there dumb and happy, and WHAM! Big storm comes in. Swells were picking up in this usually flat-water area and lightning all around. We all pulled up anchor and began to high-tail it out of there. Of course, all these boats trying to squeeze out of the only entrance to the cove was comical. With the winds getting uncomfortably strong, I decided, screw it...and I pulled into the nearest un-occupied dock I could find! I sat tied up to this dock in front of some guy's house. Looking off in the distance, I watched all the boats dissapear into a near zero visibilty rain. I then saw the owner of the house in his kitchen window. He just waved to me. A little while later, the storm let up, and I was back on the anchor

[ApS]

Originally Posted by upthesaukee

We wanted to go out on our boat a few years back, leaving from Parker Marine in Alton Bay, and go out to Chestnut Cove / Robert's Cove for a little peaceful anchor time and swim to cool off. Hot humid day. Checked the weather radar just before leaving, and there was a line of thunderstorms in upstate NY and VT moving basically east. I even clicked on the "cell direction tracker" feature, and it also showed the storms moving basically east, and would remain north of the Ossipees, up toward No. Conway. Headed out as planned. We got out there, found our favorite (secret) spot, and dropped anchor. All the way out the bay, we could see the storms over toward the Meredith end of the lake, still looking well north or northwest of the lake, and it still looked good. As I was opening the bimini, and walking forward to hook the tiedowns, I glanced at the Ossipees, and the left edge (NW end) were obscured by rain. We stared at it for a few minutes, and decided that discretion was the better part of valor. While I put the boot back on the bimini and pulled the anchor, my wife pulled out her phone and checked the radar. The line had turned more southeast, and was now bearing down on the lake. Fired up, and headed back to the dock. We got tied up and buttoned up, and as we pulled out of Parker's parking lot, the skies opened up. Thank God for being smart enough to look around, check the weather radar once again, and being smart enough to get the heck out of Dodge!!!!

Good observation!

Take it from a sailor who always has his AM radio on, and keeps his eyes on the weather:

If you're on the lake, there is probably no better assurance that you're going to get wet if the western end of the Ossipee Mountain Range is obscured by rain.

.