Carbon Cub Chick
Registered User
Little Rock
What is the worst storm you have been in while in an aircraft, watercraft, car or otherwise?
While thank goodness we weren't in a plane, I thought it might spur some interesting tales if I started out sharing what happened to us in our boat yesterday.
Yesterday, Jason and I and some friends were parked on an island, enjoying the sunshine and watching the kids swim, when we noticed a dark cloud brewing. We were unable to get cell phone coverage so could not access our radar feature, but assumed it was just another of the numerous hit or miss thunderstorms that pop up in the summer. Although it looked like the cloud was breaking up, the wind started blowing pretty hard, so we packed up. We should have headed back to the marina, but it looked like it was raining there, so we thought we’d just go to another part of the large lake and watch the storm blow by, just like we have done countless numbers of times.
We have a 30 foot double-decker pontoon boat that goes 20 mph top speed, but it has a hard top shelter in the back that keeps most of the rain out. The wind and rain were following us, and at this point we did not know how bad the storm was so we decided to beach at another island and wait it out. We should have gotten on the leeward side of the island and perhaps try to tie up, but it was a small island with not much protection, and again, we had no idea the strength of this storm.
As we beached, the wind caught us from behind and quickly shoved the rear of the boat to the left, pinning us sideways to the island. So there we were, t-boned to the wind, thinking the storm would be spent after 10 minutes or so, just like most summertime storms we've ever experienced. But the wind just kept increasing in intensity, hurling 4-5 foot waves onto our boat. The boat was rocking madly and bashing against the rocks with all of us in the back holding on the best we could. Although it is a pretty sturdy boat on those pontoons, if we had been broadsided out in the middle of the lake free floating, it's possible that we could have been swamped.
The front canopy that is stitched to aluminum poles was the first thing to go. That boat has easily been in 30 mph winds with the canopy holding up just fine, so we were speculating that the winds had to be in excess of at least 60 mph to just shred and rip the canopy off so quickly. I was able to get cell coverage then, and the radar on my phone showed a huge red cell just sitting over us, and in spite of knowing better, I was looking for an eye in that cell. :lol: Right, we're out on a large lake in the middle of Arkansas
, but a category one hurricane has a 4 to 5 foot surge with winds up to 74-95 mph, so it sure FELT like we were in one. 
For 45 minutes the waves and wind just kept pounding us; the rain felt like nails and was painful to be in. It was a complete white-out. At one point we heard this terrible screeching noise of the pontoons being raked over the rocks as the wind drove us sideways up onto the shallow, rocky beach. The kids were crying, while the adults all looked wide-eyed at each other wondering if the entire boat was going to break apart. :help
Finally, the wind started to abate, and we ventured outside of the boat to survey the damage.
The sheet metal of the side of the boat exposed to the wind and waves had been almost completely bowed in and torn from the frame. On the other side, a six foot portion of the beached metal pontoon had been buckled in (but thankfully not punctured). There was another boat down the beach from us with their motor down, so we thought for sure that their lower unit had been sheared off. But they were fortunate and were in an area of clay, so their prop just dug into the clay and was protected. We helped them get the prop out of the clay and to back off the island, and they in turn, help tow off the island our almost completely beached boat.
Amazingly, the pontoons held and our prop was still in good condition from having trimmed the motor all the way up before we were beached. When we got back to the marina, there was some damage to the docks, but it is in a cove and somewhat sheltered by the surrounding mountains. When we docked, we noticed bubbles coming out of what we thought was the non-damaged pontoon, but there are compartments in them and it soon filled and stayed floating.
Needless to say, the damage is in the thousands and we'll be filing an insurance claim. But we all came out of it unscathed, and that's all that really matters.
The weather forecast for that day was just the standard 20% chance of thunderstorms. Looking back at the radar loop, that cell formed right over the lake and headed south. I have never been in a storm with such intense, sustained winds!!!
It was just a reminder of what mother nature can throw at you regardless of the weather forecast.
While thank goodness we weren't in a plane, I thought it might spur some interesting tales if I started out sharing what happened to us in our boat yesterday.
Yesterday, Jason and I and some friends were parked on an island, enjoying the sunshine and watching the kids swim, when we noticed a dark cloud brewing. We were unable to get cell phone coverage so could not access our radar feature, but assumed it was just another of the numerous hit or miss thunderstorms that pop up in the summer. Although it looked like the cloud was breaking up, the wind started blowing pretty hard, so we packed up. We should have headed back to the marina, but it looked like it was raining there, so we thought we’d just go to another part of the large lake and watch the storm blow by, just like we have done countless numbers of times.
We have a 30 foot double-decker pontoon boat that goes 20 mph top speed, but it has a hard top shelter in the back that keeps most of the rain out. The wind and rain were following us, and at this point we did not know how bad the storm was so we decided to beach at another island and wait it out. We should have gotten on the leeward side of the island and perhaps try to tie up, but it was a small island with not much protection, and again, we had no idea the strength of this storm.
As we beached, the wind caught us from behind and quickly shoved the rear of the boat to the left, pinning us sideways to the island. So there we were, t-boned to the wind, thinking the storm would be spent after 10 minutes or so, just like most summertime storms we've ever experienced. But the wind just kept increasing in intensity, hurling 4-5 foot waves onto our boat. The boat was rocking madly and bashing against the rocks with all of us in the back holding on the best we could. Although it is a pretty sturdy boat on those pontoons, if we had been broadsided out in the middle of the lake free floating, it's possible that we could have been swamped.
The front canopy that is stitched to aluminum poles was the first thing to go. That boat has easily been in 30 mph winds with the canopy holding up just fine, so we were speculating that the winds had to be in excess of at least 60 mph to just shred and rip the canopy off so quickly. I was able to get cell coverage then, and the radar on my phone showed a huge red cell just sitting over us, and in spite of knowing better, I was looking for an eye in that cell. :lol: Right, we're out on a large lake in the middle of Arkansas
, but a category one hurricane has a 4 to 5 foot surge with winds up to 74-95 mph, so it sure FELT like we were in one. For 45 minutes the waves and wind just kept pounding us; the rain felt like nails and was painful to be in. It was a complete white-out. At one point we heard this terrible screeching noise of the pontoons being raked over the rocks as the wind drove us sideways up onto the shallow, rocky beach. The kids were crying, while the adults all looked wide-eyed at each other wondering if the entire boat was going to break apart. :help Finally, the wind started to abate, and we ventured outside of the boat to survey the damage.
The sheet metal of the side of the boat exposed to the wind and waves had been almost completely bowed in and torn from the frame. On the other side, a six foot portion of the beached metal pontoon had been buckled in (but thankfully not punctured). There was another boat down the beach from us with their motor down, so we thought for sure that their lower unit had been sheared off. But they were fortunate and were in an area of clay, so their prop just dug into the clay and was protected. We helped them get the prop out of the clay and to back off the island, and they in turn, help tow off the island our almost completely beached boat. Amazingly, the pontoons held and our prop was still in good condition from having trimmed the motor all the way up before we were beached. When we got back to the marina, there was some damage to the docks, but it is in a cove and somewhat sheltered by the surrounding mountains. When we docked, we noticed bubbles coming out of what we thought was the non-damaged pontoon, but there are compartments in them and it soon filled and stayed floating.
Needless to say, the damage is in the thousands and we'll be filing an insurance claim. But we all came out of it unscathed, and that's all that really matters.
The weather forecast for that day was just the standard 20% chance of thunderstorms. Looking back at the radar loop, that cell formed right over the lake and headed south. I have never been in a storm with such intense, sustained winds!!!
It was just a reminder of what mother nature can throw at you regardless of the weather forecast.
Party boat! 
