<< An article I read once about him recommended
that IF you feel the hair on your arms stanidng up you
should change your location quickly. >>
That is a very good suggestion. BUT, when out in the middle of a mountain
lake, caught in a storm on a P-15, very difficult to do. Been there, done
that.
When caught in this situation and scared, I once radioed the coasties on the
VHF and told them what I was encountering. They told me to stay where I was,
stay away from any metal on the boat and do not key the mic on the VHF again.
They said I could listen to the VHF, but do not broadcast. That did wonders
for calming me down (not)! At their insistance, they came out and towed me
away from the electrical storm. As a side note, they towed me at about 20
knots or so. That was probably one of the most thrilling rides I or my dog
ever got on our Potter. Whoever said you can't go faster than 4 knots?
I asked them what I should do in the future in a similar situation. They
said wear rubber boots, gloves and clothing. Again, not easy on a P-15. I
have since learned the wind and cloud formations that precipitate such an
event and stay either off the lake or very close to shore if there is any
possibility of electrical activity on a particular day.
I wonder if you use one of those electric outboards if it would be super
charged and give you extra H.P. to get in during an electrical event?! :-)
Geoff
P-15 Lollipop
N. Lake Tahoe, NV