Hey ya'all. Last weekend up on Prineville Reservoir here in the Oregon high desert, we had a nasty storm blow all our Memorial day weekend plans to the winds. Some very challenging sailing in 3o+ winds before we headed for home. I was simply not comfortable with allthe lightning coming down all around us. So I am very seriously asking this forum, What would happen aboard the H26 should it be struck by lightning? Would the aluminum mast be melted? Would the boat catch fire? Would we all be electrocuted? Would we disappear without a trace? Or is this boat grounded somehow and allow all that power to pass through...? Please help me and my family know if we're just paranoid or that its just best to get out of the way... And how is any sailboat armed against serious lightning? I've read of the old wooden masts simply exploding! Thanks.
If Lightning Strikes?
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F
Franklin
Not much experience
I've asked these questions before and haven't found anybody who has been struck. That right there should tell you something. Answers I got were 1) Boat isn't grounded so it's not a big target like a tree. 2) Biggest fear is that the bottom will blow out. 3) Best thing you can do to protect yourself and these may not work: put all electronics in a steel box. Run jumper cables from a shroud to the water. Get inside but stay way from the mast. I don't know if these are accurate but the fact that lots of boats get suck out in thunderstorms (including me last weekend) and not many get struck, I see that as a good sign.
I've asked these questions before and haven't found anybody who has been struck. That right there should tell you something. Answers I got were 1) Boat isn't grounded so it's not a big target like a tree. 2) Biggest fear is that the bottom will blow out. 3) Best thing you can do to protect yourself and these may not work: put all electronics in a steel box. Run jumper cables from a shroud to the water. Get inside but stay way from the mast. I don't know if these are accurate but the fact that lots of boats get suck out in thunderstorms (including me last weekend) and not many get struck, I see that as a good sign.
Archives
There are tons of posts on this model.I fear and respect lightning, but have gotten stuck out in it a few times. Check out the archives for some learned responses. There are two lines of thought: ground or not ground. Both camps have some data, but I don't think it's conclusive. In any case, the consensus is mostly your electronics will fry just by being in proximity to the strike, even if your boat isn't struck directly. Do stay away from the mast at all costs. Since the 26 mast isn't grounded, the strike is likely to go down the outside of the boat and could cause damage to the hull. I have a H26 and have been thinking about buying about 14 feet of 2 or 4 gauge cable and running it from the base of my mast to the water as a temporary ground when lightning is in the area.
There are tons of posts on this model.I fear and respect lightning, but have gotten stuck out in it a few times. Check out the archives for some learned responses. There are two lines of thought: ground or not ground. Both camps have some data, but I don't think it's conclusive. In any case, the consensus is mostly your electronics will fry just by being in proximity to the strike, even if your boat isn't struck directly. Do stay away from the mast at all costs. Since the 26 mast isn't grounded, the strike is likely to go down the outside of the boat and could cause damage to the hull. I have a H26 and have been thinking about buying about 14 feet of 2 or 4 gauge cable and running it from the base of my mast to the water as a temporary ground when lightning is in the area.
Lightning protection
Pete, If there's a local branch of the United States Power Squadron in your area, join it. The educational programs are second to none. Paraphrasing from USPS "Marine Electronics": With your shrouds and mast grounded (that is connected to an external copper or bronze grounding plate, a "cone of protection" exists from the highest point of the mast at an angle of 60 degrees from the vertical to the water. If your mast and shrouds are properly connected to an external ground, you have an unbrella of protection for yourself, your boat and your crew. Don't relay on a battery cable clamped to the shrouds, trailing in the water. There's not enough surface area in a length of wire to provide an area sufficient for the electrical charge to disipate. Check the boating catalogs for Guest bronze grounding plates, follow the instructions, and good luck!
Pete, If there's a local branch of the United States Power Squadron in your area, join it. The educational programs are second to none. Paraphrasing from USPS "Marine Electronics": With your shrouds and mast grounded (that is connected to an external copper or bronze grounding plate, a "cone of protection" exists from the highest point of the mast at an angle of 60 degrees from the vertical to the water. If your mast and shrouds are properly connected to an external ground, you have an unbrella of protection for yourself, your boat and your crew. Don't relay on a battery cable clamped to the shrouds, trailing in the water. There's not enough surface area in a length of wire to provide an area sufficient for the electrical charge to disipate. Check the boating catalogs for Guest bronze grounding plates, follow the instructions, and good luck!
R
Richard Bryer
Lightning is not good!
There have been a couple of boats in our club struck by lightning. One - a Catalina 30 was under sail- in fact racing- the helmsman ( whom we now call Sparky)- was knocked unconscious and spent the night in the hospital. Apparently there is a common delayed reaction to getting hit that can cause some inportant body functions- like breathing- to shut down some time after. He recovered fine, the boat electronics were toast but that was the extent of it. He is reluctant to repeat the experience tho. The other was a C&C 41 hit while on a swing mooring. Lot of pock marks in the keel. some damage to electronics People talk about a boat sinking after a hit at the Youngstown regatta several years ago. Loud noise, puff of smoke and a boat rapidly getting lower in the water All in all bad stuff- pretty certain to fry the electronics. Touching masts and shrouds bad idea. Just hope it doesnt blow a hole in the bottom. Me- I look for taller boats and stay close to them!!
There have been a couple of boats in our club struck by lightning. One - a Catalina 30 was under sail- in fact racing- the helmsman ( whom we now call Sparky)- was knocked unconscious and spent the night in the hospital. Apparently there is a common delayed reaction to getting hit that can cause some inportant body functions- like breathing- to shut down some time after. He recovered fine, the boat electronics were toast but that was the extent of it. He is reluctant to repeat the experience tho. The other was a C&C 41 hit while on a swing mooring. Lot of pock marks in the keel. some damage to electronics People talk about a boat sinking after a hit at the Youngstown regatta several years ago. Loud noise, puff of smoke and a boat rapidly getting lower in the water All in all bad stuff- pretty certain to fry the electronics. Touching masts and shrouds bad idea. Just hope it doesnt blow a hole in the bottom. Me- I look for taller boats and stay close to them!!
K
KennyH
I have been struck
I will try to give you my experence. It may not apply completely as the boat was a Cheoy Lee Clipper 33 with wooden mast. The strike exploded the VHF fiberglass ant. at the top of the main mast into a million pieces. The lighten came down RG8U coxial cable to the vhf. It jumped from the vhf to a single sideband which was grounded extremely well. It also jumped to a TV set with no ground. It fried the SSB and TV. The vhf continued to work. I saw the fireball as it jumped from one device to the next. The shrouds where all grounded to an external iron keel. Did not make any difference that they where grounded. It took the highest item and the path of least resistance which was the large coxial cable and found the best ground which was the SSB. SSB was grounded to iron keel and engine.
I will try to give you my experence. It may not apply completely as the boat was a Cheoy Lee Clipper 33 with wooden mast. The strike exploded the VHF fiberglass ant. at the top of the main mast into a million pieces. The lighten came down RG8U coxial cable to the vhf. It jumped from the vhf to a single sideband which was grounded extremely well. It also jumped to a TV set with no ground. It fried the SSB and TV. The vhf continued to work. I saw the fireball as it jumped from one device to the next. The shrouds where all grounded to an external iron keel. Did not make any difference that they where grounded. It took the highest item and the path of least resistance which was the large coxial cable and found the best ground which was the SSB. SSB was grounded to iron keel and engine.
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