GL: Lightning woe

[lrzeitlin at aol.com]

Guy in neighboring slip in a Monk 36 was out in the Chesapeake when 
lightening struck. Everybody OK, diesel kept running, mechanical linkages to 
throttle and steering kept working, but all electrical and electronic was 
out. Imagine yourself in that situation.

I think we all have gotten too dependent on GPS, either with paper charts or 
with chartplotter, that we would be literally lost without it.

I think good practice is to occasionally do dead reckoning for a day.

-- Jim 


 

Nothwithstanding the fact that it always wise to have alternate navigational means, a handheld GPS in a metal box with a few spare batteries is virtual proof against anything but a direct lightning strike on the boat. In that case you have more serious things to worry about than your position. A metal box forms a Faraday Cage and? protects any electrical equipment inside. If the box is big enough yu can crawl inside too. Better safe than sorry.
Larry Z