# Bad weather ?



## Thunderstruck (Oct 21, 2007)

Saturday morning we were headed SE out of OB and the black clouds and lightning changed my mind. Decided to head to the SW toward the 252's, but the weather was building up in that direction too. Ok, lets troll for a while and let the weather move out. While we were trolling still headed SW one of the guys asked if the VHF antenna always hummed. I told them no. Has anyone else ever had their antenna start to hum, when you near bad weather?


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## Buzzbait (Oct 3, 2007)

Anteneas, riggers, rods, etc. Not a good feeling.


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## Fishwater (Oct 2, 2007)

I have had rods in my hand humming. You move them back & forth, sounds like a light saber. Usually coupled with your air standing up.


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## polar21 (Nov 5, 2007)

Yup. A couple years back we were fishing about 10 miles out of the pass and got caught in a mini perfect storm. VHF was singing a song above our head and it was not a good feeling. The only thing that made me feel better was knowing that our preacher was on board fishing with us. It was raining so hard and we were trying to dodge storms we actually made my brother put on a mask and snorkel to make sure we wouldnt hit something in the water. Our only saving grace was that the water was like glass, which was odd.


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## KLB1 (Feb 2, 2008)

> *Fishwater (7/27/2009)*I have had rods in my hand humming. You move them back & forth, sounds like a light saber. Usually coupled with your air standing up.


Best to just hold the rod till it gets soft in that situation.


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## Gulf Coast Outfitters (Oct 8, 2007)

All of what you guys speak of are signs of a close lightning strike, not good. But you dont have much of a choice if you are in the middle of it, cant really hide from it. Lightning can strike out to about 4 miles away from a storm.


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## Greenjeans (Jul 6, 2008)

Havent had the happen yet but I think about it. Not a good feeling to be in a center console with nowhere to hide.


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## Sea Monkey (Dec 26, 2008)

> *Buzzbait (7/27/2009)*Anteneas, riggers, rods, etc. Not a good feeling.


 The OLE close call.

+1


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## true-king (Oct 2, 2007)

Had it happen once before as well.


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## Ocean Man (Sep 27, 2007)

I've heard the rods buzzing in the rod holders a few times. Not a good feeling at all.


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## flipjohnson (Apr 14, 2008)

I havenever had that happen but I've had my neck hair tight and firm along with a few choice words


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## recess (Oct 8, 2007)

We have had it happen a couple of times. This passed saturday we were out somewere around 45 miles or so and with the cell closing in on us. Tim asked the question what all the sparking coming from the T Top. The humming just keep getting louder. I did not what to touch the ant's to put them down they were humming so loud. Thank goodness we did not have outriggers. But what are you going to do? Just hope I guess that's what we did. Worked out this time. But not a good feeling. Gene


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## fred (Dec 28, 2008)

LIGHTNING - GROUNDING YOUR BOAT

ftp://mdsg.umd.edu/Public/MDSG/lightning.pdf

Not so hard to do, especially if you are the type likely to get in this situation. It might save your life.

[EDIT] BTW, the USCG #8 wire has a cross section of approx 0.012 sq in, #4 has a cross section of approx 0.049 sq in. 12/3 Romex has a cross section of approx 0.016 - more than #8. 100 feet of 12/3 is pretty cheap and you've got enough for 2to4 runs on most boats, just be sure to bare enough wire at the tip and the ground.

You can mount it on surf rods in holders on both sides of your cockpit, or an antenna and a surf rod, even better would be to connect the two over your head.


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

There are good and bad reasons to use lighning protection especially on allot of the boats we use. You will actually be attracting lighning with the lightning protection.


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Check out

http://www.highvoltagephotography.com/

A force this powerful would be hard to deflect with 4 gauge wire


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## Kevdog540 (Aug 7, 2008)

Never had this happen. May be a dumb question but what causes them to hum like that?


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## lastcast (Oct 12, 2007)

Pretty sure it's the static charge in the air. Bad feeling, just waiting for the snap, crackle, pop!

Skip


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## Thunderstruck (Oct 21, 2007)

Thats what I was not going to wait for. We put the rods down and the hammers in the dash. It was going to have to hit a moving target.


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## Mullethead (Oct 4, 2007)

I have had this happen at least twice - the last time was last Sat- I was on the edge of the storm so I picked up and ran - my spark post in the offshore reports

The first time was little more dramatic - I was pretty lose to land in 21 cc with 225 o/b, and a dark squal line was forming up over land and moving offshore, I was close enough to make a run for it. Busting along at almost 40 knots, I crossed a line of weed and saw several cobia flush! I stopped wheeled back around, and was standing up on the bow pulpit with rod in had. 

I heard snapping and popping, and then saw a faint glow on the rod tip. My fishing partner said "what up with your hair?" as strands were starting to lift up.I looked at him and his hair was starting to frize out also! Yikes !! 

I stashed the rod and got deep into Mr Evinrude, my buddy was sprawled out face downon the deck- could not get any lower-I stayedat WOT right through the no wake zone and got to shelter


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## fred (Dec 28, 2008)

> A force this powerful would be hard to deflect with 4 gauge wire


The argument above that one is attracting strikes is valid. You makes your choice and takes your chance. 

The argument about 4 gauge does not hold water for a single strike. Lightning follows smaller feeder currents on its path. Once it has established its path along the line of least resistance it will follow the ionized air along that path. All this happens in milliseconds.

The argument about wire size has more to do with whether or not the lightning rod survives to work in another strike.


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## Redweiser (Jul 13, 2009)

> *polar21 (7/27/2009)*Yup. A couple years back we were fishing about 10 miles out of the pass and got caught in a mini perfect storm. VHF was singing a song above our head and it was not a good feeling. The only thing that made me feel better was knowing that our preacher was on board fishing with us.


Preacher's are ok ... but I think I'd rather have a doctor with me.


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## spiderjohn (Feb 3, 2008)

Not sure I would want a preacher on board in that situation...anyone seen Caddyshack - "I don't think the hard stuff is coming for quite a while yet."


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## P-cola_Native (Feb 5, 2008)

On my dad's shrimp boat we use to connect a pair of jumper cables to the rigging and throw the other endover the side when it got like that, not sure if it would do anything though.

We've done the same thing with the tuna tower on the fishing boat, but luckily never been hit to test it out.


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## recess (Oct 8, 2007)

Since I have no hair to stand up (LOL). I will just have to listen for the humm of the antenna to start buzzing. Gene


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## asago (Nov 11, 2008)

I feel stupid now... I was over in PC last week and noticed that sound as a storm was coming in. Now I know what it was!


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## Bigg J (Nov 7, 2007)

We were tied off to the 252 when that storm rolled over sat and it was nasty, 1st time for me riding one out like that. we usually run....definately some CLOSE lightning


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## Redweiser (Jul 13, 2009)

> *Bigg J (7/30/2009)*We were tied of...definately some CLOSE lightning


Question;... If it hit you ... would you have been looking for a preacher or a doctor?


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## noleveyor (Jul 26, 2009)

> *Redweiser (7/30/2009)*
> 
> 
> > *Bigg J (7/30/2009)*We were tied of...definately some CLOSE lightning
> ...


Neither. Your next of kin would be looking for a Funeral Director.


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