Lightning strike again

[Capt Robbie]

Took another lighting strike Saturday morning at 3am during one of the most intense electrical storms I have ever witnessed. This is now the fourth time that this boat has taken a strike that I am aware of. Tied to the marina dock a bad storm rolled in and within minutes lightning was striking everywhere. Took I direct hit to the top of the mast. I don't care what type of lightning protection a boat has, when your boat gets struck, it will scare the Sh----t out of you!

As soon as the lightning struck my all of my led strip lights came on without the power on. Weird. Cut the power to them and they glowed an Erie yellow for an hour.

In the morning started to test boat electrical systems.
1) Main 12 panel most indicator lights out but breakers work.
2) navigation lights out.
3) old 1983 vhf radio works fine new 2016 vhf fried go figure?
4) led strip lighting all remote sensors fried, but lighting still works manually

All other systems apear to be ok.
Strangely any 110 led lamps, flashlights, or anything that uses LEDs are all fried.

Guess I got off lucky with just a fried radio and vaporized antenna and some bad bulbs so far.

 

[jssailem]

As it should. Sounds like you Hunter may be a Lightning seeker.

 

[M_Michaels]

You should have the boat hauled out of the water and inspected for hull crazing from the lightning strike. Might be a lot worse then you think.

 

[jssailem]

I’m sure glad we in the Pacific NW do not have the electrical storms like you folk on the East coast enjoy.

 

[Capt Robbie]

Last time the boat took a hit, it was on the hard and about $4000 worth damage.
Batteries, 1/2 the 12volt wiring, electronics,
Lightning bounced all over the place within the boat when it was on the hard. Apparently it didn't have anywhere to disperse.
In the water what a diferance.

The ionization in the air was really weird for about 20 minutes.
12 volt lights had strange glow without any power.
My dogs hair was static charged for about five minutes any anything he touched with his nose got static shocks

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

I’m sure glad we in the Pacific NW do not have the electrical storms like you folk on the East coast enjoy.

yea. But we have blue sky and sun.

 

[jssailem]

What you don't favor...

 

[JamesG161]

Took I direct hit to the top of the mast.

I would strongly suggest is was a "side branch" that hit. It may not mean much difference to you at this time.
But it would suggest a possible lightning discharge route to help prevent future problems.

Curious questions...
1) Were you plugged into shore power?
2) How long did you stay aboard after the event?
3) Did both of your VHF's share a mast mounted antenna?
4) LED flashlights fried? The D in LED means Diode or one way electrical flow.
5) What is a LED strip light remote sensor?
6) Were there other sailboats nearby that did NOT have a "hit"?

The reason I ask about the LED stuff, it would suggest the point of Grounding of the Lightning electrical flow.
If it was normally the keel, or partially though the shore power.
Jim...

 

[Benny17441]

The great majority of lightning strikes happens to sailboats near or at land; seldom happens to sailboats in open waters. Would think it has to do with the majority of vessels being usually berthed but it also seems to happens to sailboats heading in to shore or anchored near shore. If aboard in a thunderstorm I'll head out to open waters to gain sea room and avoid the current odds of being hit by lightning. Lived in Tampa (indian word for firestick) lightning capital of North America.

 

[kloudie1]

My h-34 was hit while in the slip.. most likely a side flash.. The boat was plugged into shore power .. On the back of the electrical panel, there was a carbon arc trace from the nav light breaker to the AC ground buss (green wire) .. Next time I did bottom, I saw fractal patterns on the keel where it looked like the lightning traveled to get out .. the epoxy barrier coat had started to peel in some places, revealing the patterns under the epoxy..

 

[JamesG161]

carbon arc trace from the nav light breaker to the AC ground buss (green wire)

That is why I suspect shore power Green wire could have been, at least, partially responsible.
The BIG bolt, could have hit near the shore power grounding and back fed through the shore power Green into the boat. Thus the LED problems.
Jim...

 

[Capt Robbie]

Answers to your questions Jim,
1) Shore power plugged in two 30 amp cords.
2) stayed untill next afternoon.
3) vhf radio has two separate antena
4) all led lamps 110 shore power and flashlights don't work anymore, I think that the ionization from the strike has something to do with it.
5) 12 volt led strip,light sensors operate my after market led lights I installed inside the cabin. The sensors change the led light colors with a multi functional remote.
6) other boats in the area not affected at all.

 

[Capt Robbie]

Crazy thing I notice around my boat the next morning.
Lots of dead fish. Only in the two adjacent slips.

 

[Rick Webb]

Crazy thing I notice around my boat the next morning.
Lots of dead fish. Only in the two adjacent slips.View attachment 155226

Were the fish already fried?

 

[walt]

That is why I suspect shore power Green wire could have been, at least, partially responsible.
The BIG bolt, could have hit near the shore power grounding and back fed through the shore power Green into the boat. Thus the LED problems.

What.... hope you dont need an analogy to explain why.. Shore power grounding is likely under the mast cone of protection and the mast likely took the strike - which is how a cone of protection works.. And this happens to be what the OP said. Current likely went through the mast to the keel where it dissipated in the water apparently causing the fish to have a really bad day. That current creates a large electromagnetic pulse that couples and creates current in any conductor (they dont need to be electrically connected) that is aligned with the field. This blows up stuff even if not electrically connected to the main current flow.

 

[JamesG161]

5) 12 volt led strip,light sensors operate my after market led lights I installed inside the cabin. The sensors change the led light colors with a multi functional remote.

I think we installed them too. My remote controller may be the problem. I will try individual on/off next time on the boat.

3) vhf radio has two separate antena

That was probably the key to one surviving.
____
The dead fish suggest a keel grounding of the hit.

If your shore power breakers were ok and no other Marina power problems, then probably not back feed from Green wire.

2) stayed untill next afternoon.

Here is why I asked.
If you are in your boat/cabin and you get "charged" by lightning ionization, you must slowly discharge yourself.
Suggested method is touching wooden stuff or perhaps with deck shoes on and touching nothing else, wash your hands in the galley sink. Hopefully the faucet is non metallic.
_____
This repeated striking in the water suggest you need to check your mast and standing rigging for keel grounding.
If done properly, your boat should less of a target.
Jim...

PS: If you would like my help on how to ground your boat, PM me.

 

[Benny17441]

What.... hope you dont need an analogy to explain why.. Shore power grounding is likely under the mast cone of protection and the mast likely took the strike - which is how a cone of protection works.. And this happens to be what the OP said. Current likely went through the mast to the keel where it dissipated in the water apparently causing the fish to have a really bad day. That current creates a large electromagnetic pulse that couples and creates current in any conductor (they dont need to be electrically connected) that is aligned with the field. This blows up stuff even if not electrically connected to the main current flow.

The Cone of Protection yields a circle at water level with a diameter the same height as the mast. This is an unproven theory but I believe in it as it could explain why sailboats in open waters hardly get hit by lightning. In all my years I have not heard of a single death by lightning on a sailboat in open waters. Why most lightning strikes hit boats that are near land or docked I have not figured out yet but the statistics are there and I feel more comfortable in open waters, but just in case try not to touch metal. Bonding and diffusers are another story.