Hi all, Bad news. Our boat was hit by lightning last week. All electronics damaged, 3 holes in side of hull above waterline. largest hole about and inch or more accross. At least 3 holes below waterline. Largest near rudder stock and also about an inch in diameter. large sections of lightning tracking around the below waterline holes, near almost all of the through hulls and in numerous other places on bottom and sides of the boat. Insurance company obviously has been advised. Boat did not sink. Boat was at fresh water mooring at the time. A fender on deck had a hole blown in it. A quick examination of the interior indicates no obvious damage inside boat. Please everyone, share your experiences and wisdom. The boat is a large hunter. I want to make sure that ALL damage is identified properly and repairs remove ALL damage caused by lightning. I am concerned that any repair work would damage integrity of hull, floor pan etc. I am concerned that it may be difficult to identify all damage. We rely on our boats to keep us safe in rough weather conditions. The integrity of the boat has to be restored. There can be no compromise here. Any comments or questions welcome.
boat hit by lightning in fresh water
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insurance!!!!
have the adjuster total the boat if he can!! damage can be throughout the wirirg and holes throughout the hull. good luck mike
have the adjuster total the boat if he can!! damage can be throughout the wirirg and holes throughout the hull. good luck mike
What ins co?
Can't offer any advice, but please keep us posted on what you learn in the process. Others here have had similar experiences so be sure to review the archives. What ins co do you have?
Can't offer any advice, but please keep us posted on what you learn in the process. Others here have had similar experiences so be sure to review the archives. What ins co do you have?
archives
I have tried reviewing the archives with little luck. I cant seem to cant more than 1 or 2 years back. I can try to post pictures of the holes a little later.
I have tried reviewing the archives with little luck. I cant seem to cant more than 1 or 2 years back. I can try to post pictures of the holes a little later.
Hunter struck in Toronto
were you the hunter struck at NYC? I would talk to Bristol Marine in Pt Credit. I think they did the repair on a C&C 41 ( Northern Dancer) that was struck ( almost the same mooring!) several years ago.
were you the hunter struck at NYC? I would talk to Bristol Marine in Pt Credit. I think they did the repair on a C&C 41 ( Northern Dancer) that was struck ( almost the same mooring!) several years ago.
I was hit
A few years ago my Hunter was struck while attached to a buoy. 41 holes similar to those in your pics were located around the water line (a few were well below) and there were hundreds of small holes (pin sized) blown out at relatively random locations throughout the portion of the hull below the water line. All electronics were fried and most internal wiring vaporized leaving black streaks where the wires had been. The masthead antenna for my VHF was totally blown apart and paritally melted. The wiring in the mast and mast rigging survived with no apparent damage. The insurance company was very slow to take care of the situation. It took me nearly an entire year to get the repairs completed and required continual oversight to make certain the repairs were appropriate. The main problem was the insurance company did not have anyone involved locally that knew much about fiberglass boats and kept thinking auto repair. Despite that, I did get a good repair job and am fairly happy with the results. I did change my insurance company. The electrical discharge through the hull probably created a lot of heat. Water in the glass most likely vaporized and may have created some areas of delamination between the glass layers. Delaminated areas (I had some that were 4 inches in diameter) had to be cut out and glassed. The repair of the delaminated areas was actually far less involved than I had expected and have held up well. The strike also removed some of the water barrier (many coats) on the hull. The repair included a touch-up of the barrier ccoat, but it was not quite as thick as before and I ended up with a few unexpected blisters a year later as a result. Each was in an area that had been repaired with new barrier coat application. I fixed them and seem to have fixed the cause with a few spot paintings of barrier coat. My inboard engine was not damaged, but did need some wiring replacement. A boat that was located close to mine was also struck (same strike?) and had some spacer material over the keel essentially blown to pieces. In another situation, a boat on trailer at my marina was struck. The current passed through the keel to the ground (about a foot of air space) and melted a small portion of the lead keel. That same boat was later struck while at dock, but suffered only minor damage and was renamed "Strike II" after the event. From the history at my marina, I can say that attempts to protect from strikes seem to have made no difference. Hits seem to have been random and involved protected and non-protected boats. Mine was, theoretically, protected by a bonding and grounding system.
A few years ago my Hunter was struck while attached to a buoy. 41 holes similar to those in your pics were located around the water line (a few were well below) and there were hundreds of small holes (pin sized) blown out at relatively random locations throughout the portion of the hull below the water line. All electronics were fried and most internal wiring vaporized leaving black streaks where the wires had been. The masthead antenna for my VHF was totally blown apart and paritally melted. The wiring in the mast and mast rigging survived with no apparent damage. The insurance company was very slow to take care of the situation. It took me nearly an entire year to get the repairs completed and required continual oversight to make certain the repairs were appropriate. The main problem was the insurance company did not have anyone involved locally that knew much about fiberglass boats and kept thinking auto repair. Despite that, I did get a good repair job and am fairly happy with the results. I did change my insurance company. The electrical discharge through the hull probably created a lot of heat. Water in the glass most likely vaporized and may have created some areas of delamination between the glass layers. Delaminated areas (I had some that were 4 inches in diameter) had to be cut out and glassed. The repair of the delaminated areas was actually far less involved than I had expected and have held up well. The strike also removed some of the water barrier (many coats) on the hull. The repair included a touch-up of the barrier ccoat, but it was not quite as thick as before and I ended up with a few unexpected blisters a year later as a result. Each was in an area that had been repaired with new barrier coat application. I fixed them and seem to have fixed the cause with a few spot paintings of barrier coat. My inboard engine was not damaged, but did need some wiring replacement. A boat that was located close to mine was also struck (same strike?) and had some spacer material over the keel essentially blown to pieces. In another situation, a boat on trailer at my marina was struck. The current passed through the keel to the ground (about a foot of air space) and melted a small portion of the lead keel. That same boat was later struck while at dock, but suffered only minor damage and was renamed "Strike II" after the event. From the history at my marina, I can say that attempts to protect from strikes seem to have made no difference. Hits seem to have been random and involved protected and non-protected boats. Mine was, theoretically, protected by a bonding and grounding system.
More questions
How many bildge pumps do you have? How long was it in the water before you were able to get it hauled out? What kind of battery charger did you have going (solar, wind generator)? Were you on the boat when it happened? Sorry for so many questions but I've always been worried about getting a leak in my hull and the boat sinking. You were able to get 3 holes and didn't sink. That's cool but I always thought that if you got a nice sized hole, like an inch, in the hull and you weren't there to plug it, the boat would sink.
How many bildge pumps do you have? How long was it in the water before you were able to get it hauled out? What kind of battery charger did you have going (solar, wind generator)? Were you on the boat when it happened? Sorry for so many questions but I've always been worried about getting a leak in my hull and the boat sinking. You were able to get 3 holes and didn't sink. That's cool but I always thought that if you got a nice sized hole, like an inch, in the hull and you weren't there to plug it, the boat would sink.
answers
We only had the standard pump that came with the boat. Very little water entered the boat. The holes did not go all of the way through. I was not there at the time of the strike. The boat was hauld about 2 days after the strike. We had a standard Freedom 25 charger. There is a standard solar charger that also no longer works. The vhf antenna at the top of the mast went limp and now looks corroded.
We only had the standard pump that came with the boat. Very little water entered the boat. The holes did not go all of the way through. I was not there at the time of the strike. The boat was hauld about 2 days after the strike. We had a standard Freedom 25 charger. There is a standard solar charger that also no longer works. The vhf antenna at the top of the mast went limp and now looks corroded.
Our H340 was hit a year ago
BoatUS insurance reimbursed us for all damage except for our deductible! Also, they were very cooperative (through the local adjuster) in my desires to upgrade much of the electrical equipment with our paying the extra cost. Also no hassles on replacement costs vs. depreciated value. And the policy changed only the amount of the "no claim discount". This is the way insurance is supposed to work. We had no hull damage, as the current apparently discharged out via the mast to keel ground wire and via the shore power cables (not to the dock, but burst out through the insulation to the water). Partial list of replaced items (you need to check every device and every breaker): All instrumentation, VHF and AM/FM radio, galvanic isolator, volt meter, shore power charger, house and starting batteries, running lights, mast head lights (anchor and steaming), vhf antenna and cable down mast, TV antenna and cable down mast, windex, refrigeration, air conditioning control panel and circuit board, misc interior lights, light in compass, shore power cords, shore power connector, several breakers and light bars on AC and DC panels, alternator, engine control panel, tach, water tank gauge, altogether about $12K.
BoatUS insurance reimbursed us for all damage except for our deductible! Also, they were very cooperative (through the local adjuster) in my desires to upgrade much of the electrical equipment with our paying the extra cost. Also no hassles on replacement costs vs. depreciated value. And the policy changed only the amount of the "no claim discount". This is the way insurance is supposed to work. We had no hull damage, as the current apparently discharged out via the mast to keel ground wire and via the shore power cables (not to the dock, but burst out through the insulation to the water). Partial list of replaced items (you need to check every device and every breaker): All instrumentation, VHF and AM/FM radio, galvanic isolator, volt meter, shore power charger, house and starting batteries, running lights, mast head lights (anchor and steaming), vhf antenna and cable down mast, TV antenna and cable down mast, windex, refrigeration, air conditioning control panel and circuit board, misc interior lights, light in compass, shore power cords, shore power connector, several breakers and light bars on AC and DC panels, alternator, engine control panel, tach, water tank gauge, altogether about $12K.
My 2002 H410 was hit a month ago..
in her slip just days before planned departure on a 3 week Chesapeake to Newport, RI trip. I am very disappointed to have to postpone the trip to next year, but very happy it didn't happen while in the middle of the Atlantic. Boat was hauled and surveyor found no structural damage at all. Only visible sign is that the stainless VHF whip antenna melted off at the top of its coil. However, it appears that everything electronic is shot; the entire Raymarine system including radar, all wiring in the mast, dual RL70CRCs, autopilot head and drive and course computer, wind, depth, speed, gps, all transducers, VHF & RAM mic, batteries and battery charger, tank indicator system, the yanmar control panel, stereo & cd changer, and they've reserved judgment on most of the other systems until they can get the new charger and batteries installed. The bright side is the replacement for the RL70 system is the new E series, a nice upgrade!
in her slip just days before planned departure on a 3 week Chesapeake to Newport, RI trip. I am very disappointed to have to postpone the trip to next year, but very happy it didn't happen while in the middle of the Atlantic. Boat was hauled and surveyor found no structural damage at all. Only visible sign is that the stainless VHF whip antenna melted off at the top of its coil. However, it appears that everything electronic is shot; the entire Raymarine system including radar, all wiring in the mast, dual RL70CRCs, autopilot head and drive and course computer, wind, depth, speed, gps, all transducers, VHF & RAM mic, batteries and battery charger, tank indicator system, the yanmar control panel, stereo & cd changer, and they've reserved judgment on most of the other systems until they can get the new charger and batteries installed. The bright side is the replacement for the RL70 system is the new E series, a nice upgrade!
lightning
Warren, Sorry to haer about your misfortune. We have had a few boats in the past few years hit a t our marina; some hull damage, mostly pin hole size damage, nothing like your pictures show. Ed's experience was interesting in that he suffered only electrical damage. He noted he had a mast to keel cable. Question for everyone... what is the best way to minimize damage from lightning????
Warren, Sorry to haer about your misfortune. We have had a few boats in the past few years hit a t our marina; some hull damage, mostly pin hole size damage, nothing like your pictures show. Ed's experience was interesting in that he suffered only electrical damage. He noted he had a mast to keel cable. Question for everyone... what is the best way to minimize damage from lightning????
NEEDS EXTENSIVE FIBERGLASS REPAIR
My boat has not thankfully sufered any lightening strike but I have read extensively on the topic. General conclusion is that no matter what you do... there is nothing you can do to protect. Once it happens, there are numerous pin holes in the boat and those can lead to water saturation of the hull. Over time it will leak and become heavier and heavier. The only remedy is to completly strip a few outer layers of gell coat and a few layers of fiberglass and paractically rebuilt the boat. All the electrical components of course have to be replaced as well. The bad news is that this process is extremly expensive and may exceed the value of the boat... sooo... possible write off. hopefully the insurance will see it the same way...
My boat has not thankfully sufered any lightening strike but I have read extensively on the topic. General conclusion is that no matter what you do... there is nothing you can do to protect. Once it happens, there are numerous pin holes in the boat and those can lead to water saturation of the hull. Over time it will leak and become heavier and heavier. The only remedy is to completly strip a few outer layers of gell coat and a few layers of fiberglass and paractically rebuilt the boat. All the electrical components of course have to be replaced as well. The bad news is that this process is extremly expensive and may exceed the value of the boat... sooo... possible write off. hopefully the insurance will see it the same way...
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