Lightning Strike

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Pat Corbisiero

My 94 h26 was struck by lightning on Monday during a storm. It blew or burned my mast head antenna and anchor light off of the mast. needless to say nothing electrical on the boat works anymore.Has anyone had this happen to them? Any info would be App. Thanks Pat,
 
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Gus Elia

Quick....

Buy a Powerball Ticket ! ! Seriously, Hope everyone is alright. Lots of articles, lots of books written and even a few videos about boats and lightning. There are things to do to reduce damage, but after doing a lot of research on the subject, it still seems like its a crap shoot as to whether your boat gets hit or not.
 
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Len Fagan

Lihtning Strike

My 450 was hit in July. Onley electronics and items with integrated circuits was effected. ie: gps, radar, bow thruster, inverter etc. $5600 latter al is working. I added a lightning dissipator to my mast in hopes it will help in future. Although no guarantees exist this is worth the investment. Check out West Marine catalog for Lightning Master. Len
 
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Jack

Lucky

You are lucky that that is all the damage you received. You will probably have to rewire a lot of your boat but fortunately a H26 isn't too complicated. Five years ago the boat next to was hit and it was like a grenade went off inside the boat. Hundreds of tiny holes. Nobody guarantees a solution. I just dangle some jumper cables over the side attached to the shrouds to try and create a pathway but who knows if that works or not. Hope it is an easy repair. Sorry you have to go through all of the hassel.
 
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Bill Welsch

Check the archives...

..on this site. Never has so much conflicting info been written on a subject. I dont think anyone really knows what to do other than maybe hang battery cables off the shrouds and pray.... glad you and yours are OK Bill W s/v Renewal
 
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Warren Renninger

Me too

Lost all lights, autopilot, gps, loran, vhf, antenna . No real visible damage but now I have leaks at the mast that run down the wood post in cabin. In long run may have done more damage than I first thought.
 
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Frank

My brothers boat....

My bothers boat was in the yard being repaired for the lightning damage. Two weeks after they told him it was ready he went to pick it up. The entire hull had blisters about a foot below the water line mark. When he took the boat in for repair there were only two small burn holes in the fiberglass which the yard repaired. Have a careful survey done and wait a while for all of the damage to show up. The insurance company finally said the boat was totaled and had the hull cut into pieces. Good luck. I have heard of other boats that had far less damage and only eletronics were damaged. A boat can be replaced but it takes a long time to heal from a lighting strike to your body.
 
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Bob Gravenstine

Pat, check your email

I sent you an email through HOW with my home phone number. Give me a call and maybe I can help you. Bob Gravenstine S/V Gravyboat
 
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Harvey Small

Park carefully...

Probably the best lightening protection is a taller mast on a boat near yours. The boat that lives two slips down from our Hunter 26 has been hit twice -- so much for that old saying -- it's a forty footer and has a proportionatly longer mast. I was worried while they were between masts, the next tallest mast was a bit further away.
 
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Ken Shubert

Entrance

You've found the obvious entrance point but it had to exit somewhere. Take Frank's advice about his brother's boat and pull it out for a good hull inspection including the WB tank. Since there's no keel to ground too there may be multiple paths. I've wondered is lightning could make steam of the WB and blow the boat up? Ken S/V WouffHong
 
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Jeff Davis

My 240 was struck

My 240 was struck in August 99 while at our mooring. We had had it just short of a year. We took it to the dealer and called the insurance, U. S. Boat. After a survey, it was totaled and insurance paid the purchase price. We bought another 240 which was in stock. All turned out OK, but it was quite distressing to go through. Good luck.
 
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