I have recently bought my first sailboat. A 1985 Hunter 28.5. Its the stormy season here and lighting is a daily threat. I don't hear of a lot of sailboats getting struck by lightning. Is there a reason, or are most sailors smart enough to not get caught in a lightning storm? Common sense would dictate that being on the water with a 41 foot metal mast sticking up would attract an occasional zap. Whats the real story? My wife is paranoid and if I could give some good reasons why we wont be killed it would help.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
H
Henry Weber
boat strikes by lightning
check archives on this subj. -- there is a lot. Lightning strikes to sailboats are not uncommon. Usually no one is aboard but this is simply because most don't live on boat. Injuries are rather uncommon but loss of electronics is the rule and often there is structural damage such as blown out thru-hulls which can sink the boat. Bonding is "thought" to lessen damage and is probably good. HW
check archives on this subj. -- there is a lot. Lightning strikes to sailboats are not uncommon. Usually no one is aboard but this is simply because most don't live on boat. Injuries are rather uncommon but loss of electronics is the rule and often there is structural damage such as blown out thru-hulls which can sink the boat. Bonding is "thought" to lessen damage and is probably good. HW
B
Bryan C.
Safer on a sailboat.
It may even be safer to be on a sailboat compare to being on a power boat or even standing in an open area. That's because the lightening is likely to strike the mast, not you. There is a "zone of protection." Make sure you do not touch potentially grounded items like the mast, comression post, shrouds, head and back stay, etc., when in a lightening potential situation.
It may even be safer to be on a sailboat compare to being on a power boat or even standing in an open area. That's because the lightening is likely to strike the mast, not you. There is a "zone of protection." Make sure you do not touch potentially grounded items like the mast, comression post, shrouds, head and back stay, etc., when in a lightening potential situation.
D
Doug
Re: Bonding
Your mast should have a large guage wire running to a keel bolt. This is to direct the current as much as possible from your mast head to the water. It is a good idea to check that wire as it will be submerged part of the time being in the bildge as subject to corrosion. Make sure you wife knows that she has a chance of picking a winning lottery number as well, but not to hold her breath. She would be worse off at the kids soccer game in an open field during a thunder storm than the boat. Have fun on your new boat! Doug
Your mast should have a large guage wire running to a keel bolt. This is to direct the current as much as possible from your mast head to the water. It is a good idea to check that wire as it will be submerged part of the time being in the bildge as subject to corrosion. Make sure you wife knows that she has a chance of picking a winning lottery number as well, but not to hold her breath. She would be worse off at the kids soccer game in an open field during a thunder storm than the boat. Have fun on your new boat! Doug
D
Doug
One more thing.....
Walk around the marina with your wife and ask the most obvious "old salts" about it. They will tell her the chances (or lack there of) of this fear coming to fruition. That is how I got my wife and mother in law past the heeling issue. The people who had been sailing all their lives told her we wont tip over. That was better than coming from me.
Walk around the marina with your wife and ask the most obvious "old salts" about it. They will tell her the chances (or lack there of) of this fear coming to fruition. That is how I got my wife and mother in law past the heeling issue. The people who had been sailing all their lives told her we wont tip over. That was better than coming from me.
D
Don Curt
A little caution in healthy
There is nothing I can do to convince my wife and kids that lightning won't strike. We had two events in a summer which scared all of us, and not much we could have done at all except not be where we were. The obvious answer to your concern is try not to be out there in the first place. Learn to read the weather the best you can. And, I wouldn't rely on grounding the boat (can increase strikes) or disapating the charge at the mast head. Strikes do happen and they can be severe, fortunately the probability is low.
There is nothing I can do to convince my wife and kids that lightning won't strike. We had two events in a summer which scared all of us, and not much we could have done at all except not be where we were. The obvious answer to your concern is try not to be out there in the first place. Learn to read the weather the best you can. And, I wouldn't rely on grounding the boat (can increase strikes) or disapating the charge at the mast head. Strikes do happen and they can be severe, fortunately the probability is low.
S
Steve Cook
Well, lets see. I've been hit twice in 3 years...
As the title says, my boat(s) have been hit my lightning 2 times in the last 3 years. Both times my sailboats were in their slips and both times I was on board!!! The last strike was about 3-4 weeks ago. it messed the boat up pretty good but nobody was hurt and the boat is repairable, thank god. Boat/US told me that the odds of a one time lightning strike are about 1 in 6,000,000. that you will get hit. Gee, I wounder what the odds are for getting hit twice? Did it scare me? YOU BET IT DID!!! Will I give up sailing? NO WAY!!! Strikes do happen, it messes up your boat. Thats why you have insurance!!! The 2 boats that I owned that were hit by lightning were both Hunters. the first was a 1980 H27 and the last was-is a 1999 H310. Hunter grounds their boats "VERY" well!!! as do most boat builders. Both boat were repairable and life goes on!!! To sum it up as best as I can, chances are much, much higher that you will crash your car "today" than ever getting hit by lightning!!! Go sailing, have fun!!!! Steve, s/v The Odyssey, H310
As the title says, my boat(s) have been hit my lightning 2 times in the last 3 years. Both times my sailboats were in their slips and both times I was on board!!! The last strike was about 3-4 weeks ago. it messed the boat up pretty good but nobody was hurt and the boat is repairable, thank god. Boat/US told me that the odds of a one time lightning strike are about 1 in 6,000,000. that you will get hit. Gee, I wounder what the odds are for getting hit twice? Did it scare me? YOU BET IT DID!!! Will I give up sailing? NO WAY!!! Strikes do happen, it messes up your boat. Thats why you have insurance!!! The 2 boats that I owned that were hit by lightning were both Hunters. the first was a 1980 H27 and the last was-is a 1999 H310. Hunter grounds their boats "VERY" well!!! as do most boat builders. Both boat were repairable and life goes on!!! To sum it up as best as I can, chances are much, much higher that you will crash your car "today" than ever getting hit by lightning!!! Go sailing, have fun!!!! Steve, s/v The Odyssey, H310
J
Jim McCue
what about the wheel
I've unfortunately been caught "out there" when a lightening storm suddenly approached. I was rather nervous as I was the only fool out there which reduced the chances of "somebody else taking the hit. Luckilly I managed to get out od its way but its was pretty disconcerting even though I understand that there is this "umbrella' of safety angle down from the mast. I know I should not have my head or hands on the backstay either. But what about nice wet (or, in my case, just sweatin) hands on the wheel. Isn't the wheel "hard wired/cabled " to this-to that all the way to the rudder post which, albeit the rudder is foam en-cased, does have that little shaft exposed to the water where it comes thru the hull. I'd appreciate futher coment. In the mean time I'm thinking of keeping a set of rubber gloves always on the boat. Jim McCue
I've unfortunately been caught "out there" when a lightening storm suddenly approached. I was rather nervous as I was the only fool out there which reduced the chances of "somebody else taking the hit. Luckilly I managed to get out od its way but its was pretty disconcerting even though I understand that there is this "umbrella' of safety angle down from the mast. I know I should not have my head or hands on the backstay either. But what about nice wet (or, in my case, just sweatin) hands on the wheel. Isn't the wheel "hard wired/cabled " to this-to that all the way to the rudder post which, albeit the rudder is foam en-cased, does have that little shaft exposed to the water where it comes thru the hull. I'd appreciate futher coment. In the mean time I'm thinking of keeping a set of rubber gloves always on the boat. Jim McCue
B
Bryan C.
Wheel sparks.
On the theory that lightening seeks the easiest path to ground, it is not likely that the electricity would arc from a mast or shroud to your or the steering wheel and then seek ground thru the steearing cables and the fiberglass rudder. The Lightening is more likely to go down the mast, maybe shrouds, and if your system is bonded, to ground thru the keel. Unfortunately, lightening doesn't always seem to act in a completely expected fashion. If you can, go below. If you can, wear rubber soled shoes. Some people wear rubber gloves like electricians. Otherwise, pray it aint your time yet.
On the theory that lightening seeks the easiest path to ground, it is not likely that the electricity would arc from a mast or shroud to your or the steering wheel and then seek ground thru the steearing cables and the fiberglass rudder. The Lightening is more likely to go down the mast, maybe shrouds, and if your system is bonded, to ground thru the keel. Unfortunately, lightening doesn't always seem to act in a completely expected fashion. If you can, go below. If you can, wear rubber soled shoes. Some people wear rubber gloves like electricians. Otherwise, pray it aint your time yet.
J
Jim McCue
wheel shock
I feel slightly better. Thanks for the come back. Am gonna keep the rubber gloves aboard. Jim McCue
I feel slightly better. Thanks for the come back. Am gonna keep the rubber gloves aboard. Jim McCue
M
Mark Kissel
Throw out the rubber gloves.
Linemen wear rubber gloves when they work on utility equipment. These are typically rated for 600V (big, heavy, bulky things). The average lightning-generated potential is 10-20 million volts! Think that little bit of rubber on your hands or feet will stop that? Look at it this way, if it has enough potential energy to jump an air gap (a pretty good insulator) of several thousand feet and more, how effective do you think your rubber gloves or soles will be? Mark Kissel Kittiwake/98H240
Linemen wear rubber gloves when they work on utility equipment. These are typically rated for 600V (big, heavy, bulky things). The average lightning-generated potential is 10-20 million volts! Think that little bit of rubber on your hands or feet will stop that? Look at it this way, if it has enough potential energy to jump an air gap (a pretty good insulator) of several thousand feet and more, how effective do you think your rubber gloves or soles will be? Mark Kissel Kittiwake/98H240
- Status
- Not open for further replies.