This past weekend I stayed overnight in Elliot Key on Biscayne Bay in So. Florida. At night anchored, I lived thru the worst Lightening storm ever, and have to confess I was a bit scared becuase I did not know what would happen. Does anyone know what you should do in such conditions, and/or what can happen if the mast get's struck? Anything you should have to "prevent" it or minimize the damage?
Lightening Storm
- Thread starter Drock
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Just don't touch anything metal.
I have survived many lighting storms including one that hit my boat. Just stay away from anything metal. By boat survived the hit because the lightning could go directly from the mast to the water. It hit my VHF ant. and exploded the fiberglass. It then came down the RG52U heavy cable to the VHF. It jumped from the VHF to the SSB because it was the best ground thru the engine or keel. I saw the fireball jump. The VHF was not damaged but the SSB was fried. No other damage at haul out. RG52U was usable after ant replacement.
I have survived many lighting storms including one that hit my boat. Just stay away from anything metal. By boat survived the hit because the lightning could go directly from the mast to the water. It hit my VHF ant. and exploded the fiberglass. It then came down the RG52U heavy cable to the VHF. It jumped from the VHF to the SSB because it was the best ground thru the engine or keel. I saw the fireball jump. The VHF was not damaged but the SSB was fried. No other damage at haul out. RG52U was usable after ant replacement.
Pray
Having been hit once I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing you can do other than pray. Don't bother disconnecting anything, if you are hit the charge will go all through the boat from stem to stern. It'll fry everything whether it's connected to your electrical system or not. You might try putting a hand-held vhf in the oven to protect it, that's about all. Also start your engine because you might not be able to after the strike. After you're hit , inform the coast guard (on your hand-held), check for damage, call and report to CG again.
Having been hit once I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing you can do other than pray. Don't bother disconnecting anything, if you are hit the charge will go all through the boat from stem to stern. It'll fry everything whether it's connected to your electrical system or not. You might try putting a hand-held vhf in the oven to protect it, that's about all. Also start your engine because you might not be able to after the strike. After you're hit , inform the coast guard (on your hand-held), check for damage, call and report to CG again.
extra ground
Although never tested, I carry a set of automobile jumper cables on board. In the event of a storm I attach one end to shroud and hang other end in the water. Theory is you give a direct ground to the water without traveling thru a good part of the boat.
Although never tested, I carry a set of automobile jumper cables on board. In the event of a storm I attach one end to shroud and hang other end in the water. Theory is you give a direct ground to the water without traveling thru a good part of the boat.
Move ....
..to a harbor where your mast is smaller than all the others.
Correction on the lightening strike from above, the strike originates in the water and travels up not the other way round. The hole that would be made in your hull is an entry wound not an exit. Just thought I'd throw that out for clarification.
..to a harbor where your mast is smaller than all the others.
Correction on the lightening strike from above, the strike originates in the water and travels up not the other way round. The hole that would be made in your hull is an entry wound not an exit. Just thought I'd throw that out for clarification.JEFF, please tell me you were joking...
You would get off your sailboat and get into a dinghy when an electrical storm is approaching? Are you aware that lightning sometimes travels more than 20 miles through the air before striking a ground target? Are you also aware that lightning does not always strike the highest point?
You would get off your sailboat and get into a dinghy when an electrical storm is approaching? Are you aware that lightning sometimes travels more than 20 miles through the air before striking a ground target? Are you also aware that lightning does not always strike the highest point?
in the same storm
while not on the water i was in my marina when the storm went through -- it was a good one -- a year ago i had just dropped anchor in chub cay and a lightening storm blew through and while i did not get a direct hit a little side stike did take out everything electronic on the boat from the alternator, to the reefer to the chartplotter to the radar -you name it electrical and it got fried -- not to start a new thread - but we did have a disinpator that some said prevented a direct hit and others say had no effect -- who knows -- by the way a boat in the marina also got a side hit during the same storm and i noted that he did not have a disinpator whereas most others did -- did it help or hurt -- who knows chuck and soulmates
while not on the water i was in my marina when the storm went through -- it was a good one -- a year ago i had just dropped anchor in chub cay and a lightening storm blew through and while i did not get a direct hit a little side stike did take out everything electronic on the boat from the alternator, to the reefer to the chartplotter to the radar -you name it electrical and it got fried -- not to start a new thread - but we did have a disinpator that some said prevented a direct hit and others say had no effect -- who knows -- by the way a boat in the marina also got a side hit during the same storm and i noted that he did not have a disinpator whereas most others did -- did it help or hurt -- who knows chuck and soulmates
Bob G
Bob G, I thought about that. A welding cable, bared in the center and looped arond the mast with the ends in the water. It seems like it would at least redirect the bulk of the current. Last year somebody had a link to a Florida school that studied this topic.
Bob G, I thought about that. A welding cable, bared in the center and looped arond the mast with the ends in the water. It seems like it would at least redirect the bulk of the current. Last year somebody had a link to a Florida school that studied this topic.
Quickly get out your golf clubs
This one came from Lee Trevino: He said to reach in the bag, take out a one-iron, and hold it straight up as high as you can reach, because "the Lord Himself can't hit a one-iron!"
This one came from Lee Trevino: He said to reach in the bag, take out a one-iron, and hold it straight up as high as you can reach, because "the Lord Himself can't hit a one-iron!"
Like the lottery
Maybe it'll hit and maybe it won't,I never hit the lottery (not that I play)but I was hit by lightning 12 years ago,*yks the only reason I'm still alive cause I was on my knees in a trench checking telephone wires that I cut with a machine,the lightning hit within 20,30 feet and all I remenber was the hair on my arms and neck standing up and the sound was like an M80 just went off in my face,I woke up facing the sky and had no physical damage and my telephone butt set was fried. The owner of the home saw the whole thing and figured great now my electrician is dead on the front lawn. I'm a master electrician and for 30+ years I've been very lucky that I have not gotten juiced (I am very cautious)so the worst electric voltage in the world almost hits me. I included some links on the subject
Maybe it'll hit and maybe it won't,I never hit the lottery (not that I play)but I was hit by lightning 12 years ago,*yks the only reason I'm still alive cause I was on my knees in a trench checking telephone wires that I cut with a machine,the lightning hit within 20,30 feet and all I remenber was the hair on my arms and neck standing up and the sound was like an M80 just went off in my face,I woke up facing the sky and had no physical damage and my telephone butt set was fried. The owner of the home saw the whole thing and figured great now my electrician is dead on the front lawn. I'm a master electrician and for 30+ years I've been very lucky that I have not gotten juiced (I am very cautious)so the worst electric voltage in the world almost hits me.
I included some links on the subjectGod, I'm so glad
that on the left coast, we only worry about earthquakes and tsunamis. (You want to hear a story about a tsunami? I never thought I was a surfer until I was coming into Half Moon Bay when....)
that on the left coast, we only worry about earthquakes and tsunamis. (You want to hear a story about a tsunami? I never thought I was a surfer until I was coming into Half Moon Bay when....)
The channel into Elliot Key Harbor
has a controlling depth of 3 feet at MLW. Just secure your anchor with additional scope, get in your cabin, stay away from metals and pray your time ain't up.
has a controlling depth of 3 feet at MLW. Just secure your anchor with additional scope, get in your cabin, stay away from metals and pray your time ain't up.
jumper cables
I've read that you should attach jumper cables to two shrouds and put the other end of the cables in the water. I've got them aboard to use in the future.
I've read that you should attach jumper cables to two shrouds and put the other end of the cables in the water. I've got them aboard to use in the future.
Jumper cables
I think it's unlikely that jumper cables from teh shrouds are going to help. There was a commercial product available 5 or so years ago, may still me out there, that had large clamps to attach to the mast and very large gauge wire into the water on both sides. THe problem with these solutions is that they propose to shunt hte strike's energy to ground. THe amount of current involved is so large that they would quickly fuse open and then the next least resistance path would take over. With that much energy, jumper cables aren't goign to help. Think about it - jumper cables get warm when jumping a car, with only 60 or 75 Amps flowin gfor a few seconds. How about a million Amps at a million Volts?
I think it's unlikely that jumper cables from teh shrouds are going to help. There was a commercial product available 5 or so years ago, may still me out there, that had large clamps to attach to the mast and very large gauge wire into the water on both sides. THe problem with these solutions is that they propose to shunt hte strike's energy to ground. THe amount of current involved is so large that they would quickly fuse open and then the next least resistance path would take over. With that much energy, jumper cables aren't goign to help. Think about it - jumper cables get warm when jumping a car, with only 60 or 75 Amps flowin gfor a few seconds. How about a million Amps at a million Volts?
Well, thanks to all
Thanks for all the good discusssion. At least I know I did the right thing then, pray!!
Thanks for all the good discusssion. At least I know I did the right thing then, pray!!
Cables Attached to the Mast
For several years I carried some heavy cables with rectangular pieces of aluminum attached. I wrapped them bare wire to the mast and hung one on each side. I also had a simular rig attached to the backstay. After several storms I stopped using them and they are in my garage. The grounding strip must be sized correctly and longer strips are more effective than shorter stripps of the same area. I think that with a deck stepped mast the cables might help. There is a lot of resistance going through the boat and even if you only reroute a portion of a strike it might help. The other side of the coin is that being well grounded might actually increase your odds of being struck. As the charge is moving along the surface of the water you are providing a path of least resistance to the charge in the clouds. On the other hand, to a cloud several thousand feet in the air a mast of 50' or so isn't that high.
For several years I carried some heavy cables with rectangular pieces of aluminum attached. I wrapped them bare wire to the mast and hung one on each side. I also had a simular rig attached to the backstay. After several storms I stopped using them and they are in my garage. The grounding strip must be sized correctly and longer strips are more effective than shorter stripps of the same area. I think that with a deck stepped mast the cables might help. There is a lot of resistance going through the boat and even if you only reroute a portion of a strike it might help. The other side of the coin is that being well grounded might actually increase your odds of being struck. As the charge is moving along the surface of the water you are providing a path of least resistance to the charge in the clouds. On the other hand, to a cloud several thousand feet in the air a mast of 50' or so isn't that high.
Lightning storm
Recently we had a hugh strike on a tall tree in our yard. While having the damage assessed, I talked to a Bartlet Tree expert (the company who installed and keeps up the tree lightning protection systems on all the original trees planted by George Washington at Mount Vernon, VA.) Each tree has a lightning rod ,grounded via a cable and stake and a short bypass with a fuze link in it. He says you can't avoid a lightning strike on a tree, or a boat by grounding (Bonding the mast to the keel of the boat, etc.) He says that all of George's trees get hit now and then but with no resulting tree damage, because the lightning rods and grounding systems bleed the strike off into the ground with no damage to the tree. Bartlet can tell if a strike has occurred on any tree because of the fuze links installed in each tree's ground system bypass (fuzes installed for that purpose). If what he says is correct, then the difference between boats and trees is that an effective ground (bonding) system on a boat should protect the hull just as they protect the Mt Vernon trees, but there is no protection against the electromagnetic force field created by the strike as it passes thru your ground system. As a minimum the EMF will act thru the air to fry your electronics, just as it will do at home, if the strike is close enough. It might also damage your mast since that is a part of the bonding system. George's trees don't have electronics, so they escape tha EMF problem!!! So with luck, you will have only lost all your electronics. Doesn't that give you a warm and fuzzy feeling?
Recently we had a hugh strike on a tall tree in our yard. While having the damage assessed, I talked to a Bartlet Tree expert (the company who installed and keeps up the tree lightning protection systems on all the original trees planted by George Washington at Mount Vernon, VA.) Each tree has a lightning rod ,grounded via a cable and stake and a short bypass with a fuze link in it. He says you can't avoid a lightning strike on a tree, or a boat by grounding (Bonding the mast to the keel of the boat, etc.) He says that all of George's trees get hit now and then but with no resulting tree damage, because the lightning rods and grounding systems bleed the strike off into the ground with no damage to the tree. Bartlet can tell if a strike has occurred on any tree because of the fuze links installed in each tree's ground system bypass (fuzes installed for that purpose). If what he says is correct, then the difference between boats and trees is that an effective ground (bonding) system on a boat should protect the hull just as they protect the Mt Vernon trees, but there is no protection against the electromagnetic force field created by the strike as it passes thru your ground system. As a minimum the EMF will act thru the air to fry your electronics, just as it will do at home, if the strike is close enough. It might also damage your mast since that is a part of the bonding system. George's trees don't have electronics, so they escape tha EMF problem!!! So with luck, you will have only lost all your electronics. Doesn't that give you a warm and fuzzy feeling?
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