Lightning Strike

Dec 11, 2015
291
Hunter 25 Plymouth
Has anyone experienced a lightning strike on a boat?

My boat was moored in my harbor for two weeks without use. Two weeks previous I brought the boat right up to the mooring (outboard) and called for the launch on my radio. When I returned to the boat my radio didn't work (had to trash it) and my outboard was seized. I didn't see any burn marks so it may just be a coincidence. Any anecdotal evidence appreciated.
 
May 17, 2004
5,032
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
Any anecdotal evidence appreciated
I've got one of those. A boat in our marina about 100 feet away got hit last summer. It took out our stereo, the NMEA circuitry in our chartplotter and VHF, and the amp display on our DC panel. No burn marks or other visible evidence on our boat. Other boats around also had problems with things like VHF's and bow thrusters. The boat that took the direct hit had damage to its masthead and about 70 starburst style burn marks on the bottom.
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
A seized outboard sure doesn't sound like lightning.
We used to get damage to our weather station mounted out on a jetty. Had to do all sorts of grounding and dissipation to protect it. We think it's mostly static from wind rather than lightning. Could it be traveling down your antenna cable? I
 
Nov 1, 2017
635
Catalina 25 Sea Star Base Galveston, TX
Got pretty close, once. Had a Sea Pearl 21 out in Galveston with a storm rolling in. It came at us so quickly, we tried to race it back in, but lightning was striking ahead of the storm. If we would've had a motor, I would have dropped the masts and stowed them, but sail power was our only chance at getting back to shore in time. As we approached the dock at about 100 yards out, lightning struck the water maybe the same distance to our port side. The crew and I couldn't hear very well for a solid three days afterwards. Luckily, there was no damage done to our boat, but God knows what the poor Flounder or Blue Crab thought before he was zap-fried.
 
Feb 8, 2007
141
Catalina 36 MKII Pensacola Beach, FL
My Catalina 36 was struck by lightning near Pensacola in late 2016 while my wife and son and I plus dog were aboard and in the main cabin. My boat has no special lightning protection. The mast is keel-stepped.
It was the loudest boom we had ever heard, and various things exploded -- most notably the bilge pump which blasted the access board covering it out of the floor, throwing our dog (who was lying on it) into the air. Various switches exploded.
I would think that if you had a direct strike you would have found all kinds of bits and pieces exploded in your boat -- glass from light bulbs, plastic from switches, etc.
 
Feb 14, 2014
7,400
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
If your boat took a direct hit, it would probably be sunk.;)

Typical strikes are the side branching and they cause smaller damage.
____
Radio...
Who knows for sure, since you have no description on the radio or antennae or how boat power might activate it.

Outboard seizing...
Was the outboard in the water or down? How do you start it?
Electric starter might have a source of back voltage then.

If your boat was struck, you need to check all your electrical connections that are grounded to the water.
Jim...
 
May 12, 2004
1,502
Hunter Cherubini 30 New Port Richey
Actually watched lightning strike the mast of a 41 Morgan OI several years ago. Top of the mast went off like a Roman candle. Everything on top of the mast was obliterated and all electronics blown. Luckily that was the only damage.
My boat took an indirect hit a few years ago when lightning struck a sport fish a few slips away. That boat sustained thousands of $$$ in damage. I was lucky to have lost only my VHF, stereo, depth meter, and bilge pump. Surprisingly, no boats were sunk.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I think lightning strikes are Mother Nature’s way of saying.
“Don’t mess with me. I know where you sail. “
 
Feb 14, 2014
7,400
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
I think lightning strikes are Mother Nature’s way of saying.
“Don’t mess with me. I know where you sail. “
If so, don't dock next to my boat.:kick:

A partially grounded sail boat about 100 feet away was hit. Killed fish in the water near his boat. Major Electronic Damage...

Mine never saw a spark.

Mother Nature on my side?

My boat harnesses much of Mother Nature's water and wind.
Jim...
 
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May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
Have never been hit but have observed lightning behavior for many years. Lightning strikes more boats near land than out in open waters. Attempts at diffusing or grounding strikes seem to be futile. More people get struck by lightning in power boats than in sailboats. Statistically deaths caused by lightning strikes in sailboats are nil. As a result I feel quite safe sailing away from land in an electrical storm. I have my theories on the reasons why these observations occur but they are just as good as anyone else's.
 

reworb

.
Apr 22, 2011
234
Beneteau 311 Ft Myers Beach
Twice, the first time was a direct hit, I watched it out of my living room window (we keep the boat in a canal behind the house). Saw it hit the top of the mast and everything up there glowed and flew off into the water, then we heard an extremely long bang and the entire house shook. It screwed up every piece of electronics on the boat including the alternator and burnt two of the shrouds. Cost the insurance company big bucks to fix. The second time it must have been a nearby strike as I couldn't find any direct evidence of a hit however, the Raymarine wind instrument failed along with the air conditioner control board,the VHF radio and every indicator bulb on the electrical panel. Cost me about $2,500; I didn't file a claim as I couldn't prove the cause and my deductible is $2,000 so it wasn't worth the hassle.

Sounds like you had a nearby strike as I think a direct hit would have caused a lot more damage
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
.....More people get struck by lightning in power boats than in sailboats. ...... I have my theories on the reasons why these observations occur but they are just as good as anyone else's.
Could it be that there are many more people in power boats than sailboats....:kick::p
 
Jan 24, 2017
666
Hunter 34 Toms River Nj
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.
 
Jan 24, 2017
666
Hunter 34 Toms River Nj
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