How does the boat yard or anyone else for that matter, protect thier sailboat from lightning strikes while in the boatyard/drydock/storage yard. I am planning on extended work on my boat and it will be masted in my driveway for a while. Just wondering if anyone has any advice. Thanks all. Bob
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ionizer at top of mast
a friend told me of a device. i can find out more details tomorrow and send another reply. this device costs about $80 dollars. my friend had a direct hit which wiped out several thousand dollars of electronic equipment and says he has not had any problems since he installed this unit. insurance companies will give a discount if this device is installed. his boat stays in the water in charleston, sc, in salt water and is 65' loa. some type of de-ionization which dissipates static electricity. his ins. agent told him that he has never heard of lightning hitting a boat with this device installed. will try to find out more for you - dpat
a friend told me of a device. i can find out more details tomorrow and send another reply. this device costs about $80 dollars. my friend had a direct hit which wiped out several thousand dollars of electronic equipment and says he has not had any problems since he installed this unit. insurance companies will give a discount if this device is installed. his boat stays in the water in charleston, sc, in salt water and is 65' loa. some type of de-ionization which dissipates static electricity. his ins. agent told him that he has never heard of lightning hitting a boat with this device installed. will try to find out more for you - dpat
Ionizers are bunk!
Drive a 'ground rod' next to the cradle, and connect it to your mast, with a minimum #6AWG wire.
Drive a 'ground rod' next to the cradle, and connect it to your mast, with a minimum #6AWG wire.
Save your money
Bob, the ionizers on boats just don't work. A boat here at the marina had one blown off the mast. We watched it go flying by. It was a pretty red, orange, glow as it went by. The boat was in the storage yard and the only boat to take a hit that year. The ionizer brushes were meant for tall buildings where they do seem to have some benifit. Below 110 ft. they dont do squat. Fair Winds Cap'n Dave
Bob, the ionizers on boats just don't work. A boat here at the marina had one blown off the mast. We watched it go flying by. It was a pretty red, orange, glow as it went by. The boat was in the storage yard and the only boat to take a hit that year. The ionizer brushes were meant for tall buildings where they do seem to have some benifit. Below 110 ft. they dont do squat. Fair Winds Cap'n Dave
Lightning is not commom from November to
March. In most marinas the boats are placed so close that the odds of any specific boat being struck by lightning are very small. As to grounding a boat, the last time I looked trees are pretty well grounded and every summer a few get hit while a few hundred in the same wood lot don't. I believe that sail boats get hit by lightning at about the same frequency as people on the beach and houses in a development. To install lightning protection and say it works 100 percent will take a lifetime of testing. However if it gives you peace of mind by all means do it.
March. In most marinas the boats are placed so close that the odds of any specific boat being struck by lightning are very small. As to grounding a boat, the last time I looked trees are pretty well grounded and every summer a few get hit while a few hundred in the same wood lot don't. I believe that sail boats get hit by lightning at about the same frequency as people on the beach and houses in a development. To install lightning protection and say it works 100 percent will take a lifetime of testing. However if it gives you peace of mind by all means do it.
Who has had problems in drydock?
It would be interesting to hear from board members who have had a lightnign strike in drydock. In my experience they are quite rare, though I did apparently suffer one a number of years ago. Rig inspection in the spring turned up a burn mark on my shroud about the size of my little fingernail. That was the only damage.
It would be interesting to hear from board members who have had a lightnign strike in drydock. In my experience they are quite rare, though I did apparently suffer one a number of years ago. Rig inspection in the spring turned up a burn mark on my shroud about the size of my little fingernail. That was the only damage.
A boat Struck a few years Ago at Turner Marine
While we were at Turner Marine in Mobile a few years ago a dry storage boat was struck by lightening and suffered serious damage.
While we were at Turner Marine in Mobile a few years ago a dry storage boat was struck by lightening and suffered serious damage.
Question
How are you getting the boat to your driveway with the mast up? Why would you put it up if it wasn't? Protected or unprotected, if you take a hit you will need to start over with the eletronics. A grounding rod may increase the odds some of a hit but decrease the damage if hit, while ungrounded would carry a lesser chance of a strike but greated damamge if you take a hit. Isn't that helpful. If you figure out the correct answer let me know.
How are you getting the boat to your driveway with the mast up? Why would you put it up if it wasn't? Protected or unprotected, if you take a hit you will need to start over with the eletronics. A grounding rod may increase the odds some of a hit but decrease the damage if hit, while ungrounded would carry a lesser chance of a strike but greated damamge if you take a hit. Isn't that helpful. If you figure out the correct answer let me know.
Is an ionizer the same as a diffuser?
Save your money from those gadgets. There has been a long age argument among sailors whether to electrically ground or not a boat. One of the most poular theories is that a grounded boat may attract a strike but will lessen its damage. The problem is that no controlled testing has been carried out. There is no explanation why a lightning strike chooses a particular boat in a marina among a hundred similar ones. There is no explanation why a boat that is hit may suffer very little damage while another may be sunk. There is talk about a protection cone for the occupants aboard which extends from the top of the mast to a circle at the surface with a diameter the same as the mast's length; but there is no proof. We have to deal with what we know and understand and that is that when talking about boats, lightning strikes at random with random intensity and follows an unpredictable path causing unpredictable damage. The logical conclusion with what we know would be to do nothing. Our ancestors would blame the "Gods" and we call it "Luck".
Save your money from those gadgets. There has been a long age argument among sailors whether to electrically ground or not a boat. One of the most poular theories is that a grounded boat may attract a strike but will lessen its damage. The problem is that no controlled testing has been carried out. There is no explanation why a lightning strike chooses a particular boat in a marina among a hundred similar ones. There is no explanation why a boat that is hit may suffer very little damage while another may be sunk. There is talk about a protection cone for the occupants aboard which extends from the top of the mast to a circle at the surface with a diameter the same as the mast's length; but there is no proof. We have to deal with what we know and understand and that is that when talking about boats, lightning strikes at random with random intensity and follows an unpredictable path causing unpredictable damage. The logical conclusion with what we know would be to do nothing. Our ancestors would blame the "Gods" and we call it "Luck".
mast is up because.....
Guys, my mast will be up as it is REALLY in the way when down. And It is easier to put up than take off the boat. My boat is trailerable (mac 25) so that is why it is in the driveway rather than the marina. It will be the only sailboat within 90 miles....so no other boats to hit. I live on the side of a hill (in Iowa) so the mast will be a little taller than that of the surronding trees, buildings, ect. Thus the question on my mind is about how much of a target am I offering the Gods here and what could be done to lessen the odds of a hit.
Guys, my mast will be up as it is REALLY in the way when down. And It is easier to put up than take off the boat. My boat is trailerable (mac 25) so that is why it is in the driveway rather than the marina. It will be the only sailboat within 90 miles....so no other boats to hit. I live on the side of a hill (in Iowa) so the mast will be a little taller than that of the surronding trees, buildings, ect. Thus the question on my mind is about how much of a target am I offering the Gods here and what could be done to lessen the odds of a hit.
My boat is 26 years old
Odds of getting struck must be pretty low as in 26 years of sitting around mostly in water it hasn't been struck... It can and does happen but only rarely.. I'd find something else to worry about if I was you. I must admit that it is scarey being caught out on the water by a thunderstorm. Or even worse when you are at anchor and a storm comes through in the middle of the night. But the odds are in our favor and that should give a little comfort. I once happened to see lightening strike a churche's chimney. It was impressive. The chimney exploded throwing bricks and cement across the parking lot and into the street. The odds of me looking at the church the instant it was struck must be enormous.
Odds of getting struck must be pretty low as in 26 years of sitting around mostly in water it hasn't been struck... It can and does happen but only rarely.. I'd find something else to worry about if I was you. I must admit that it is scarey being caught out on the water by a thunderstorm. Or even worse when you are at anchor and a storm comes through in the middle of the night. But the odds are in our favor and that should give a little comfort. I once happened to see lightening strike a churche's chimney. It was impressive. The chimney exploded throwing bricks and cement across the parking lot and into the street. The odds of me looking at the church the instant it was struck must be enormous.
Probabilities
Axiom: The probability of a given structure or system being struck by lightning is directly proportional to its value. Corollary: If two structures or systems of equal value sit next to each other, the one that will be struck by lightning is the one in which replacement parts are no longer available.
Axiom: The probability of a given structure or system being struck by lightning is directly proportional to its value. Corollary: If two structures or systems of equal value sit next to each other, the one that will be struck by lightning is the one in which replacement parts are no longer available.
static charge dissipator
have some more info on the static charge dissipator, wasnt able to get the manufacturers name however this unit looks like a tube with small stainless steel strands coming out of it. it can be secured to the mast with two screws making sure you have good contact with the mast, no paint, metal to metal with di-electric grease. no other electrical wiring is needed. all the equip that was lost on friends boat had external wiring thru the mast. it seems like a quick disconnect for all the high dollar stuff might be some good insurance when not in use. i've got a hunter 22 in the driveway and i made some supports to keep the mast supported about 18" inchdes over the top of the cabin and i am able to work around it without too much trouble. i support it at the bow, stern, and at the mast step. personally i believe unless you have a lot of electrical gear on board, lightning is not a big issue. keep in mind that favor with God Almighty is inversely proportionate to getting struck by lightning. Keep it clean. dpat
have some more info on the static charge dissipator, wasnt able to get the manufacturers name however this unit looks like a tube with small stainless steel strands coming out of it. it can be secured to the mast with two screws making sure you have good contact with the mast, no paint, metal to metal with di-electric grease. no other electrical wiring is needed. all the equip that was lost on friends boat had external wiring thru the mast. it seems like a quick disconnect for all the high dollar stuff might be some good insurance when not in use. i've got a hunter 22 in the driveway and i made some supports to keep the mast supported about 18" inchdes over the top of the cabin and i am able to work around it without too much trouble. i support it at the bow, stern, and at the mast step. personally i believe unless you have a lot of electrical gear on board, lightning is not a big issue. keep in mind that favor with God Almighty is inversely proportionate to getting struck by lightning. Keep it clean. dpat
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