By Capt. Cefus McRae, Nuts & Bolts of Fishing Series
Summer is in full swing. Time to spend some quality time on the water…fishing, swimming, skiing, or just enjoying a relaxing boat ride. Here in the southeast we are fortunate to have a variety of lakes, reservoirs, rivers and coastal areas to explore.
If you own a boat and have never been caught in a summertime squall, then you probably haven’t owned a boat very long. A beautiful day with bluebird skies can turn to a dark, formidable storm in a matter of minutes. As the squall line approaches, the wind speed picks up dramatically, causing even small lakes to become a torrent of waves and spray. Wind gusts from 20 to 50 miles an hour can seemingly come from nowhere, and that pleasant afternoon on placid water turns into a white-knuckled ride to shelter.
Obviously, the key to not getting caught in these dangerous conditions is to avoid being there when it happens. And with today’s technology, you have tools that can do just that.
The first of these is your brain. You don’t have to be a certified meteorologist to know the basics of an approaching weather event. Keep an eye on the horizon. When those puffy white clouds begin to rise high in the sky, or begin to darken on the bottom, it may be time to head to the barn. If you feel a change in the wind direction, or the air temperature suddenly gets a bit cooler, that’s another signal to start heading home.
Your smartphone can be a huge help as well. Weather apps can keep you appraised of conditions in your immediate area. But cell service can be sporadic or non-existent in certain areas. Updates may be as much as 10 to 20 minutes apart; and that kind of gap can allow you to be caught off guard; so I don’t rely completely on my cellphone.
A VHF marine radio is a huge asset because you can get information on the atmospheric weather in your area as well as the surrounding areas. Plus you get sea state conditions from buoys and other monitoring stations. Unfortunately, the computer-voiced NOAA weather reports can take a while to cycle through all the regional reports and notices until you get the local weather conditions.
There is another option that delivers accurate information with a robust stream of contemporary data, and it appears as an overlay right on your chart plotter. SiriusXM Marine Weather gives you detailed visual imagery showing weather fronts, precipitation, lightning strikes, wind speed and direction, wave height, buoy data and more. More importantly, all this data is transmitted to your chart plotter via satellite . Now, you don’t have to worry about being out of cell range, or your phone battery dying on you. As an added benefit, you get all the SiriusXM tunes for when the weather is perfect outside. The monthly subscription is less than a cooler full of ice and the beverages you put in it. And believe me, when the rain is horizontal and the waves are soaking you r family, you’ll wish you had it. It’s helped me get back to the dock before the storm hit so many times.
Summertime squalls can be dangerous, even life-threatening. These fast-moving storms have the potential for lightning, high winds and waves … all bearing down on you at the same time. Even for the most skilled boater, there may be an occasion where you simply get ‘caught’. For those times, you need to know when and how to ride it out. My recommendation is to take a safe boating course offered by the US Power Squadron. These courses are packed with information you can use the next time you’re on the water and they include dealing with emergency situations.
Summertime is for spending fun days on the water with family and friends. You can’t control the weather, but as a responsible skipper you should be familiar with how to recognize and avoid potentially dangerous situations. So, take the time to gain the knowledge, skills and technology that will help you keep your family safe. That way, every day can be a fun day on the water.
Tight lines and Calm seas!
Capt. Cefus McRae
cefus@nutsandboltsfishing.com