I have been reading about the boating incidents ov
- Thread starter thika
- Start date
Hi guys, a very interseting thread, I have always been a mono hull boat owner and recently purchased a cat,(I know launch from DSBC) I have done surf launchs from a number of spots as well as through the Tugela mouth where I lived for many years. What I would like to know from the experienced cat owners who surf launch is do you go straight into a wave as a mono or do you take it semi side on. There seem to be many conflicting answers around. My natural instinct and past experience tells me to go straight. If your gut feel is not right on the day don't launch.
Safety first.
Safety first.
Hi Guys
I did my skippers beach launch course with Anton Gets at shelley beach. The first thing he told us was never to hit the surf head on but rather at a slight angle
This he maintained with mono or cat hulls, He showed us some launches at shelly where the skipper hit the the waves head on with spectacular results but i also noted the skippers in most cases kept the power on or were on the plane when hitting the wave rather than the preferred taps off when having to punch
I did my skippers beach launch course with Anton Gets at shelley beach. The first thing he told us was never to hit the surf head on but rather at a slight angle
This he maintained with mono or cat hulls, He showed us some launches at shelly where the skipper hit the the waves head on with spectacular results but i also noted the skippers in most cases kept the power on or were on the plane when hitting the wave rather than the preferred taps off when having to punch
thika wrote:
We were at sea the other day on one of those "heavy" days ,you could feel the electricity in the air,we dropped anchor and started baiting up,the sea was like a lake and all was quite,I heard this wierd humming/buzzing noise,I could not figure it out,when I looked up I could see through the bottom of one of the stainless steel rocket launches,and one of the rods with a steel butt was still in the tube and it was arching green lighting between the rod and the tube,quite freaky
We were at sea the other day on one of those "heavy" days ,you could feel the electricity in the air,we dropped anchor and started baiting up,the sea was like a lake and all was quite,I heard this wierd humming/buzzing noise,I could not figure it out,when I looked up I could see through the bottom of one of the stainless steel rocket launches,and one of the rods with a steel butt was still in the tube and it was arching green lighting between the rod and the tube,quite freaky
yes thika
a very informative tread indeed.
we were tought, that kill switches are not need when launching and beeching.
last year with the aqua quad at vidal i had to stand up to get the boat lined up for beeching.
the wave came and i took it. as i sat down, the passenger grabbed hold of the kill switch line and pulled it out.
you can imagine what happened, no start and 3.8 wave opproaching.
luckily we did not sustain any injuries.
boat was up and running 3 hours later.
so i decided to use a fixed kill switch, just for this reason.
but i have to change over once inside, cause should it happen that one fall of a boat that is in gear, there is no way for you to catch it.
yes guys, be safe
a very informative tread indeed.
we were tought, that kill switches are not need when launching and beeching.
last year with the aqua quad at vidal i had to stand up to get the boat lined up for beeching.
the wave came and i took it. as i sat down, the passenger grabbed hold of the kill switch line and pulled it out.
you can imagine what happened, no start and 3.8 wave opproaching.
luckily we did not sustain any injuries.
boat was up and running 3 hours later.
so i decided to use a fixed kill switch, just for this reason.
but i have to change over once inside, cause should it happen that one fall of a boat that is in gear, there is no way for you to catch it.
yes guys, be safe
Yup, on a Ski-boat you would be in a bad way.
There is a misconception that boats are not at risk, which is generally true in the case of yachts, as the stays/shrouds create what is known a faraday cage. Lightning tends to run around the outside of a metal structure.
This is the same reason that it is generally safe in a car, nothing to do with rubber tires!
The lightning has just arced through a 1000ft of air, it has no problem arcing from a cars body to the ground. The charge simply runs around the outer skin of the car.
There are some great videos on youtube of planes being struck during takeoff, with the lightning striking near the nose, and another arc reaching from the underside to the ground. It is estimated that most commercial jets get struck once per year, generally not even realising it.
There is a misconception that boats are not at risk, which is generally true in the case of yachts, as the stays/shrouds create what is known a faraday cage. Lightning tends to run around the outside of a metal structure.
This is the same reason that it is generally safe in a car, nothing to do with rubber tires!
The lightning has just arced through a 1000ft of air, it has no problem arcing from a cars body to the ground. The charge simply runs around the outer skin of the car.
There are some great videos on youtube of planes being struck during takeoff, with the lightning striking near the nose, and another arc reaching from the underside to the ground. It is estimated that most commercial jets get struck once per year, generally not even realising it.
I checked outriggers lying on the floor at our moorings once... They had been struck by lightning and they actually looked like a black rope. the only way I could tell they were riggers was from the steel base. Do you reckon that persons on a boat would get fried if this happened while out at sea.
lightning is by no means a well understood phenomenon.
the theory would tend to be that a strike to an outrigger or rod over the side would travel to the gunwale and then down to the water line...
but fibreglass boats with minimal superstructure make application of the faraday cage concept difficult.
in the same breath they also present a less attractive target to lightning than a yacht or similar.
you wouldnt want to be holding a rod with your feed in water on the deck during a strike.
the theory would tend to be that a strike to an outrigger or rod over the side would travel to the gunwale and then down to the water line...
but fibreglass boats with minimal superstructure make application of the faraday cage concept difficult.
in the same breath they also present a less attractive target to lightning than a yacht or similar.
you wouldnt want to be holding a rod with your feed in water on the deck during a strike.
armgesukkel
New member
Thank You Guys this was the most rewarding posts i have been reading for a long time learn a lot here and also a reminder do not be a cowboy out there the sea does not take prisoners :sval: