john i think its very dangerous to be out in the middle of thunder and lightning for the reasons you mentioned plus the metal guides on your rods the downrigger cable you are one big lightning rod.even as a young dumb kid i would head for cover when a storm blew in.personally i just dont think its worth it.BE CAREFUL rich

Like I said, it's not allways possible to head for cover when you are miles from safety or a dock, guess you have to heed the forecast. I just never heard of anyone getting hit by lightning in a boat, but from what you guys say it has to be a common occurance I would think..

I can also remember one time when we were young getting caught in an open boat out on the broads, very dangerous, but we survived. Boat crashed onto the rocks trying to get er in, lost a motor, damaged the boat, quite a mess, it was a rental, we were about 16, could have been a serious disaster.

Like I said Adrien likes Hurricanes, but he has all those horseshoes, LOL.

John S.

One of my brothers was struck by lightning while fishing in Fla. Went right through his wrist! He got checked out at the ER and was ok, but very lucky!

WOW, I'll say he was lucky.

We have to get out again one of these days, yur Lake or mine, but seems like Winni is doing better these days. Maybe August come out on Squam with me, I owe ya one..

John S.

That goshdarn Donkey has been on my back for so long now I'm starting to look like the friggin Hunchback of Norte Dame UGHHHHHHHHHHHH Somebody help me get rid of this stupid "Donkey" UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Take Care God Bless and tight Lines LOL Donkey Dave From up North The Backwards Frenchman

As soon as they put the feed bag on again on my Lake, I'll get you down here, there's plenty in there to take care of both our Donkey's.

John S.

I can recall an UN- NAMED FISHERMAN and myself tied up to steel bridge to get out of the rain during a wicked lightning storm. Can't say that was one our proudest momments. Never the less we can laugh about it now.

Type in Google "Thunder and Lightning Storms" and you can get a host of info and BTW one of the most dangerest places to be is on the water.

According to Ron Holle, a meteorologist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, OK, one of the most dangerous situations for lightning is a "Bolt Out of the Blue". A B.O.B. can occur before or after a thunderstorm occurs, and gets its name because people may not even know a thunderstorm is forming.

The six most common dangerous activities associated with lightning strikes, in order, are:

Work or play in open fields.

Boating, fishing, and swimming.

Working on heavy farm or road equipment.

Playing golf.

Talking on the telephone.

Repairing or using electrical appliances.

Thanks for doing the research, very interesting, guess even if we watch the weather closely we can be at risk..

Good thing Adrien has all those horsehoes, between the farm and fishing maybe adding the 6 more he mentioned are in order.

John S.

Being caught in a tornado in Okeechobee Fl, on the Taylor River eight years ago with out warning at 2 AM, I put in a weather alert VHF radio in the camper and the boat in order to get a heads up of pending dangerous weather in the area. It has come in handy on Lake Ontario and Champlain in past years giving plenty of time to get to a safe place.

They say that you can only hear thunder 5 miles away that is too late to pick up your stuff and bag it to safety. Storms traveling at 25 to 30 miles per hour, only gives you 10 to 15 minutes to make it to safety, while a VHF radio with a weather alert give you much more time.

In our business we have to keep a very close eye on the weaher al the time, today was no exception. I have been watching the radar all day, we just had two pop up storms hit us that came from nowhere. But forecasters have been predicting it all day to be this way.

I finally convinced my son to get off Winnisquam, he was lucky as many sever storms were skirting the area.

Coming down in buckets now with lightning very close by, time to sign off.

Thanks for all the info, maybe with this discussion we helped someone avoid having a serious problem in the future.

Shutting down now,

John S.

You're a sitting duck on a lake in an electrical storm. Lightning will hit the tallest object in the area. So, if you're out on the lake and there are tall trees on the shore, and you're a few hundred yards out, it will hit you first because you are the single tallest object in the area, even though those trees are bigger.

Several years ago a guy on vacation fishing with his family got hit hit a killed while fishing on Kanastka in Moultonboro.
You can ask Trav and Colan of th Kripple II, if your fishing with me and we see a storm with lightning we are heading for cover! We have had some close calls here and on Champlain. I will even take cover on an island if I can't make the dock!
When you are talking with Trav sometime ask him about our experience with a bad storm on Squam and Trav telling Colan and I to "shear the pin" on Winni one evening in a storm on Winni! We laugh now , but it is nothing to fool with!
Good Luck to All!

I was fishing with my neighbor drifting live smelt and our lines started rising up in the air from the electricity and decided it was time to head in!!

That could have been your electrifying personality Salty :>)
Cal

Dont' mess with lightning in a boat.
While it's true that in a car you are protected by the metal frame around you, as it tends to conduct the voltage around, rather than through you, and the rubber tires do give some grounding protection.
But, in a boat it's the complete opposite...YOU are the ground! You're toast (just put the jam in your pockets.)
I've never seen a boat hit by lightening, but a buddy reported seeing one (alum. hull) he said there were hundreds of holes in the hull where the voltage sieved it.
Hey, nothing's worth the risk. The fish will be there another day. Getting dead really sucks.

Just my 2 cents worth,

All the Best,

Gary

2 cents worth a million.

John S.