Water Spouts and Lightning in the Gulf of Mexico

[pillum]

When we were sailing in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this month we saw quite a few water-spouts, as well as one or two lightning strikes to the water pretty close by. What's your normal MO for these?

We have the mast-stepped mast connected to the iron keel via a rubber insulated cable (looks like 70 sq mm or so). We were ready disconnect all electronics from antennae, and to connect a cable to the back-stay and drop one end overboard, but judging from the arc and bloom that the watchkeeper saw from the closest strike, this may have been totally inadequate.

For the water-spouts, they were pretty distant, our plan was just to haul down all sail if they got close.

[capngeo]

Yup, you got it about right... The Gulf is shallow, if you are near a lee shore toss the hook and go below for the ride.