I am a passionate sailor and love to have as many experiences on the water as I can.
After a great deal of anguish I bought a 38ft yacht in Athens about 8 years ago, an Apollo 12. Built in Greece by Dromor Yachts.
We spent a season getting to know the boat and putting to right all the niggles and problems including an overheating engine. In 40degs that is a big problem.
With excitement and intrepidation we then started the long journey back to the UK. We made our way through the Corinth canal with its 65ft sides into the Gulf of Corinth. During the night a storm blew up. The winds were not too strong but the rain reduced visibility to only a couple of hundred yards. Then came the lightning! The bolts when they came lit up the surrounding land masses but were striking the sea within a few hundred yards of us. We were nervous that at any moment the next strike would be the mast of the yacht.
Not sure of our next step I was mainly concerned about having fried batteries if the massive shock of a lightning strike were to somehow short the electrics. So I decided to isolate the batteries which meant everything had to be turned off. And so we waited........
The next lightning strike missed us but again lit up the entire area increasing our visibility to reveal....... the largest floating block of flats I have ever seen. This was a big passenger liner steaming fast towards the canal and we were a sitting duck in its path with no lights. Evasive action was taken and all of the available lights on board were turned immediately on including torches and headlights.
Thankfully we did not collide and we continued on our journey unscathed but a great deal wiser with a few more grey hairs having appeared.
A lesson learnt – never lose your ability to be seen by other vessels, particularly at night.
It has been suggested that to avoid damage from a lightning strike that a couple of turns around the mast with the anchor chain and then allow the chain to be submerged in the sea will ensure any strike will be earthed into the sea and not the batteries.
Fear is the staple diet of thrill seekers!
Alan Price, Birmingham