We poked our heads outside in a flash. I handed the binoculars to DJ so he could check on his boat Perseverance as she was anchored about 150 feet away. It didn’t take long to determine that she had been hit by lightning as the VHF antenna which usually stands proud at the top of the mast was nowhere to be seen. I dug out our handheld VHF radio and threw it to DJ as he roared off the in the dinghy amidst the howling wind and pouring rain to make sure his boat wasn’t taking on water. Coleen and I were saying prayers while we anxiously awaited word. As expected nearly all of his electronics were fried by the lightning strike: autopilot, radar, vhf radio, stereo and alternator regulator. Thankfully the hull was intact and the boat was still structurally sound.
In typical DJ fashion, he took it all in stride and was soon aboard the Glass Slipper ready to continue our 4th of July celebration. If the Glass Slipper had been struck, I would have been crying, moaning and generally feeling sorry for myself the rest of the day, but it takes a lot to ruffle his feathers.
As our cookout was cancelled due to weather, I made some yummy spaghetti and meatballs (red and white, served on blue plates). Yes, the “meatballs” were actually made with fake meat (TVP) but I didn’t tell the crew that little tidbit of information, and they scarfed it down. We played board games the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. It was not the day we had planned, but as always we made the best of it.