What would you have done?

[PJDSR]

I was on the road yesterday during that huge storm. Even in my Grand Cherokee, it was rough, raining buckets and the wind blowing fierce. Andrews AFB measured a wind gust of 63 MPH and I measured rainfall of 1.5" in a little over an hour.

It got me to wondering what I would have done had I been on the water during that big blow. Obviously, the best option when you see a storm blow in is to get off the water. But what if that had not been possible? What if I had been rendering aid to another boater? Or god forbid, experiencing trouble with the OB? I drive a solid '99 Trophy 2002, but no one would have been safe on the water in those conditions. And with so many tragic boat accidents already happening this season, it reminds me you can't be too safe.

I would be interested in knowing the views of expert skippers on this safety question. What would you do if caught in a bad storm?

[bbcroaker]

Been there done that. Don't want to go there again. Thats why I put in close to where I fish. Don't like going far on the water any more.

[catman]

Been there and done that also. Let's just assume the storm came up so quick you couldn't get to a safe haven. First and foremost make sure everyone on board is wearing a PFD. If it's lightning the first thing to do is to drop your antennas and fishing rods and get everyone on board to the lowest part of the boat away from any metal. With winds that high anchor in at least 30' of water with at least 200 ' of rode out. The water is a lot calmer at 30' than 10'. The extra long rode will keep the hook in place. Now you just wait it out. It's the idiots that try to make it back to port that end up in deep trouble. Every boater should know exactly what to do in situations like this just as every boater has a responsibility to keep his craft in top shape.

[Fisheadgib]

If you pay close attention to your current weather forecasts and weather patterns, you will never be caught by suprise. You will realize the potential for a storm to form or move into your area and plan your trip accordingly.

[catman]

If you pay close attention to your current weather forecasts and weather patterns, you will never be caught by suprise. You will realize the potential for a storm to form or move into your area and plan your trip accordingly.If you knew the configuration of the upper Chesapeake Bay and spent any time on it you would see how a storm can be on you in a matter of minutes. I learned long ago not to trust NOAA.:rolleyes: :rolleyes: The two best warnings up here are static on an AM radio and a sudden shift in wind direction. The Chesapeake claims its' share of souls every season. So far this season we've lost at least 5. It ain't as forgiving as the lower bay or ocean.;)

[Lipyourown]

All that and you gotta realize that June tends to be squall season where they pop up and are on you real quick. You should really expect them every afternoon. This time of year, always keep one eye on the tree line. Any sign of trouble needs to be taken seriously.

[catman]

Most of our summer storms come out of the west or southwest and are pretty predictable. Ones coming out of the south (up the bay) can be spotted from a long way off and usually hold a lot of water. It's the ones that come out of the northeast that are very dangerous. They usually have high winds so if the wind shifts out of the NE it's time to get out of Dodge.:D

[Lipyourown]

Near PLO, you can watch slow moving storms coming down the Potomac, easy to avoid. You can see the ones coming out of the northeast too and they tend to be the fiercest but you can see them coming but it is sometimes hard to guage...looks like a small dark cloud with not much power but as it gets closer you feel its real power.

The dangerous ones for us are the ones out of the west, you can't see them comming if you are close to shore (say a mile out) becuase of the trees and they are between you and the port. Can't stress enough afternoons in June are risky...

[PJDSR]

Thanks for the feedback guys. That makes a lot of sense to head for deeper water where the waves have less river bottom to push up from. It must be daggone nerve-racking in the extreme to ride out one of those things. I know the Boat US Foundation says on open water you can secure your passengers in the cabin and try to punch through to the other side of a fast moving storm. But that assumes you have more open water than the size of the storm. In a skinny area like the Potomac, you're more likely to run out of river and be in the shallows right quick. I guess in the Bay, you may have more options to try this depending on where you are when the strorm rolls in.

In any case, I will continue to watch the skies like a hawk for signs of approaching storms. But I believe it pays to plan for all possible contingencies, so you will know what to do in the event your prefered plan doesn't work out so well.

[wizardude]

You fish the Bay long enough in the summer, and you will get caught off guard, period.

Anchoring in deep water on a "long" line, with everything dropped and secured is the best option in most cases, IMO. I never felt that as being a safe option for my boat, a 15foot Thundercraft/tri-V hull/low to the water. If it was really bad, I had no choice but to keep underway with just enough power to keep me heading into the wind or tide, whichever was stronger. I had to re-design, and re-structure the whole boat just for these situation, meaning I never took it lightly that the potential danger was there. Was trying to replace that boat with a 20 ft Starcraft, but just couldn't get it to drift right for Flounder. My catch went down 50% with the bigger boat, so it went instead :)