No one injured when lightning strikes Spirit of S.C.

Lightning hit the Spirit of South Carolina off the coast of Rhode Island on Sunday afternoon, damaging electronic equipment but sparing the passengers any injuries, according to the nonprofit organization that runs the tall ship.

The bolt struck about 3 p.m. while the ship was about 4 miles off Block Island in heavy seas, said Meaghan Van Liew, deputy director of the S.C. Maritime Heritage Foundation.

No injuries were reported among the 12 guests or nine crew members on board. Six other guests already had debarked, anticipating bad weather, she said.

"When the lightning came, it was a huge, bright blast," Van Liew said.

The Spirit lost power after the strike, and had to be towed. Crew members contacted the U.S. Coast Guard.

Crew member Phil Frandino said the ship had to sail the old-fashioned way, without the use of its electronics.

"You can't depend on GPS and similar technologies all of the time," he said. "You have to learn the old-fashioned principles of sailing, and we teach that on the ship."

Maritime Foundation Director Brad Van Liew, Meaghan Van Liew's husband, said the ship appeared to be in good shape aside from some malfunctioning electronic equipment. A lightning-protection system helped prevent additional damage. The crew began troubleshooting the electronics when the ship was dropped off at Newport Yacht Services in Rhode Island.

"The reality of the situation is that we need to go through the boat and see what electrical components need to be fixed," Brad Van Liew said.

He did not expect the mishap to affect the ship's itinerary, which includes an educational sailing trip from Maine next month and a race in Nova Scotia in September.

Frandino said the crew handled the lightning hit as best they could given the circumstances.

"You can't really prepare for a lightning strike, but we have drills for man overboard, fire and abandoning ship in case the boat has to go down," he said. "We've been drilling all summer long with all the student groups and visitors that come on board."

The captain has always told the crew that the first thing to do in an emergency is to step back and assess the problem, develop a plan and execute, Frandino said.

Normally used as a floating classroom, the Spirit has been on a three-day New England getaway. Guests paid $600 each to sail from Newport, R.I., to Martha's Vineyard, Mass. It already was on its return trip to Newport on Monday.

The Spirit is scheduled to return to Charleston in October, after the worst of hurricane season is over. The ship was sailing in Northern waters to escape tropical storms, which would have significantly affected the insurance rates, according to Meaghan Van Liew.

Nathan Frandino contributed to this report. His father was aboard the ship. Reach Noah Haglund at 937-5550 or nhaglund@postandcourier.com.