Lightning crashes

You ever have one of those moments when you think maybe you’ve screwed up? I had one out on the water last Friday.

I was out with Larry, who had asked me to help him learn a bit about fishing on Charlotte Harbor and show him a few things about his GPS/fishfinder unit. As we discussed the trip on Thursday evening, I mentioned the weather and said we would be keeping a close eye on any developing storms.

We launched at the Edgewater (Spring Lake) ramp in Port Charlotte and headed out. We spent a little time on the GPS, looking at how to enter and delete waypoints and how to read bottom structure. Then we went south and I showed him a few good fishing spots around Gasparilla Sound.

The sky was still gray with African dust, which made it more difficult to spot developing rain clouds. I was taking a peek here and there at my phone’s weather radar apps to avoid being caught unaware. Still, by the time I recognized the system building to the north, it was a little later than I would have liked.

Seeing that the rain was going to end up between us and the ramp if we didn’t get a move on, we started the trip back to port. By the time we were crossing over the Pirate Harbor Hole (there are three 20-foot holes; this one is in the middle), the sky to our north was looking pretty dark. I checked my lightning app and was happy to see no strikes.

“Well, Larry,” I said, “we’ve got two choices. We can run into it and probably get pretty wet, or we can go for shelter and wait it out.” Larry said he was not a weenie and a little rain didn’t bother him. I agreed and forward we went.

As we drove on, I told Larry that there have been fatal boating accidents on Charlotte Harbor. A lot of people don’t recognize the danger that is inherent in operating a boat pretty much anywhere. You’re in water deeper than you can stand and you don’t have gills. If you get swamped or capsize, that’s a life-threatening situation — even if you’re “only” a mile or two from shore.

The wind that had been at our backs (from the south) was shifting and coming in from the north. We slowed down because the waves were now slapping together and hitting them too fast was spraying us. I took that opportunity to check the lighting app one more time.

Uh-oh. The app showed a couple dozen strikes now, and all of them were between us and the ramp. Continuing north would mean driving right into that. I showed Larry the screen and told him it was time to call an audible. We turned right and headed for Alligator Creek.

We still had no rain over top of us, but it was obvious there was ugly weather to the north. We discussed the change in plans and agreed that too many boaters adopt a macho “send it” mentality that results in taking unnecessary risks.

As we approached the channel, I pointed out the markers. He noted there was a pontoon boat coming out of the channel despite the weather. I told him they’d probably change their minds soon. I didn’t realize how soon.

I was slowing down and looking over my shoulder when the flash came, so I barely saw it. But there was no mistaking the enormous ka-BOOM!! that came a half-second later. I looked at Larry, Larry looked at me. We both looked at the pontoon boat making a rapid 180.

“That was close,” said Larry. “Where did that come from? It’s not even raining here.”

I wasn’t exactly surprised. In a thunderstorm, you can expect lightning to strike up to 10 miles away from the rain. I had hoped it wouldn’t, but at least it was far enough away to only startle us. I told him we needed to lay the rods down on the deck (fishing poles are also lightning rods), and that we should be prepared for another strike nearby.

We drove into the creek, and yes, we slowed down to a proper speed when we hit the minimum wake zone. I thought maybe we’d have some empty dock space at the Riviera Bar & Grill, and we did. After tying up, we went in for an unexpected lunch break that lasted almost two hours.

Once the storm settled down to a lightning-free drizzle, we resumed our trip back to the ramp. I told Larry the Harbor would probably be calm after the storm’s passage, and it was near-slick on the uneventful ride back.

Where did I screw up? I kept us out 30 minutes too long. It’s a common mistake in Southwest Florida this time of year. Those storms can pop up and turn nasty pretty quickly.

It’s been said over and over again that there are two types of Charlotte Harbor boaters: Those who have run aground, and those who are going to. The same is true for getting caught out by a thunderstorm. Still, don’t take it lightly. Watch the weather, both with your eyes and whatever electronic means you have available. Try to stay safe out there.