Comments on: Lightning Strikes Again (and again) http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:02:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: john http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html/comment-page-1#comment-1329 john Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:54:06 +0000 http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html#comment-1329 Well we're hoping to live aboard a steel boat for part of the year soon and this lightening thingy was playing on my mind . Now I feel alot better about it ...but I think some heavy duty copper will come in handy on the event .... Well we're hoping to live aboard a steel boat for part of the year soon and this lightening thingy was playing on my mind . Now I feel alot better about it …but I think some heavy duty copper will come in handy on the event ….

]]> By: warrier http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html/comment-page-1#comment-1273 warrier Mon, 09 May 2011 20:48:42 +0000 http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html#comment-1273 There is a secondary phenomenon associated with voltage the size of a bolt of lightning. An energized electrical field usually travels in a variable diameter around the charge. This can arc and cause surges of transient voltage to occur in other conductive material that fall within it's proximity (radio wires, battery cables, appliances, etc.) It's not uncommon for it to take a few days for some of this peripheral damage to begin to show up after the strike occurs.<a href="http://www.tec-idiomes.com/">Cursos de ingles en el extranjero</a> There is a secondary phenomenon associated with voltage the size of a bolt of lightning. An energized electrical field usually travels in a variable diameter around the charge. This can arc and cause surges of transient voltage to occur in other conductive material that fall within it's proximity (radio wires, battery cables, appliances, etc.) It's not uncommon for it to take a few days for some of this peripheral damage to begin to show up after the strike occurs.<a href="http://www.tec-idiomes.com/">Cursos de ingles en el extranjero</a>

]]> By: Rob Toronto http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html/comment-page-1#comment-1256 Rob Toronto Sun, 24 Apr 2011 02:19:43 +0000 http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html#comment-1256 If you were concerned about a lightning strike, wouldn't it be prudent just to attach a good diameter copper ground wire to the mast, and dangle about 6 feet or so over the side and into the water? If you were concerned about a lightning strike, wouldn't it be prudent just to attach a good diameter copper ground wire to the mast, and dangle about 6 feet or so over the side and into the water?

]]> By: Micki http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html/comment-page-1#comment-1251 Micki Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:48:38 +0000 http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html#comment-1251 In the US, both the Lightning Protection Institute and UL (Underwriters Laboratories) have written codes and standards for lightning protection systems for boats. Having a lightning protection system installed will not change the probability of a strike occuring, but the system will provide a safe path to ground should a strike occur. A steel or aluminum craft does have the advantage of forming a Faraday cage (if it is electrically continuous.) Water is about as good of a ground as there is, so getting the lightning bolt safely directed from the mast to the water is the trick here. There is a secondary phenomenon associated with voltage the size of a bolt of lightning. An energized electrical field usually travels in a variable diameter around the charge. This can arc and cause surges of transient voltage to occur in other conductive material that fall within it's proximity (radio wires, battery cables, appliances, etc.) It's not uncommon for it to take a few days for some of this peripheral damage to begin to show up after the strike occurs. Installing this type of basic faraday lighting protection system is not a 100% guarantee that some damage will not occur, but it has a pretty solid history of minimizing the amount of damage that occurs should a strike happen. WIth that being said, it's good to avoid touching any metal (or conductive) surfaces when you are in a lightning storm. The safest place to be in a lightning storm is within a well-grounded faraday cage. A good LPI certified designer/installer should be able to offer some helpful specific advice on the best way to achive that in individual situations. It's not rocket science, but does require some special considerations in light of the materials required to safely divert those larger voltages associated with lightining. In the US, both the Lightning Protection Institute and UL (Underwriters Laboratories) have written codes and standards for lightning protection systems for boats. Having a lightning protection system installed will not change the probability of a strike occuring, but the system will provide a safe path to ground should a strike occur. A steel or aluminum craft does have the advantage of forming a Faraday cage (if it is electrically continuous.) Water is about as good of a ground as there is, so getting the lightning bolt safely directed from the mast to the water is the trick here.
There is a secondary phenomenon associated with voltage the size of a bolt of lightning. An energized electrical field usually travels in a variable diameter around the charge. This can arc and cause surges of transient voltage to occur in other conductive material that fall within it's proximity (radio wires, battery cables, appliances, etc.) It's not uncommon for it to take a few days for some of this peripheral damage to begin to show up after the strike occurs.
Installing this type of basic faraday lighting protection system is not a 100% guarantee that some damage will not occur, but it has a pretty solid history of minimizing the amount of damage that occurs should a strike happen. WIth that being said, it's good to avoid touching any metal (or conductive) surfaces when you are in a lightning storm. The safest place to be in a lightning storm is within a well-grounded faraday cage. A good LPI certified designer/installer should be able to offer some helpful specific advice on the best way to achive that in individual situations. It's not rocket science, but does require some special considerations in light of the materials required to safely divert those larger voltages associated with lightining.

]]> By: Chuck Dinkel http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html/comment-page-1#comment-1226 Chuck Dinkel Fri, 18 Mar 2011 23:57:11 +0000 http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html#comment-1226 I remember reading in  a sailing magazine years ago a story of the results of a lightning strike on a sail boat where everyone on board had severe effects of the concusion and high intensity electric field without actually being struck directly. Sorry, can't remember the source. It was an eyeopener.  Still looking forward to boat life, though.  I remember reading in  a sailing magazine years ago a story of the results of a lightning strike on a sail boat where everyone on board had severe effects of the concusion and high intensity electric field without actually being struck directly. Sorry, can't remember the source. It was an eyeopener.  Still looking forward to boat life, though. 

]]> By: Justin http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html/comment-page-1#comment-1018 Justin Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:11:11 +0000 http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html#comment-1018 I lived aboard a 38' Moody sailboat as a child for about 4 years, age 8-12. We once saw, in a very crowded harbor, the shortest mast in the harbor was struck by lightning. There were easily a hundred boats in the harbor. I don't know how that one turned out though, but it didn't sink. I think it may have been a small day sailor or race boat, probably not a lot of electronics to worry about. There was another time in the Bahamas that we were anchored next to another boat of roughly the same size and mast height (approx 40ft length, and about 55ft mast heights.) They were anchored about 20 yards away, and they were hit at the top of the mast. The blast blew the vhf antenna clear off the mast, and it hit the water in flames. All the fluorescent lights below had their covers blown off and most of the electronics were fried. The anchor light, which was at the mast head and INCHES away from the point of the lightning strike, was the only thing still working. Ours was a fiberglass boat with an aluminum deck-stepped mast. Whenever the weather got bad and lightning surrounded us, we always started the engine. The thought was that if we were ever struck and it blew out all of our electronics or engine starter, we could still beach the boat if the lightning happened to blow out a metal through-hull fitting. Love the blog, by the way!!! Keep up the great work! Fair winds, Justin There are various opinions on the efficacy of lightning rods on boats. Some feel that while they may work in transporting the electricity to the water, it can also increase the risk of a strike by attracting one to the lightning rod. We never had a lightning spike or anything like it on our boat. We do have other friends, however, who have been struck 3 different times on the same boat, at different times. Three times they had to replace all of the electronics on board. I lived aboard a 38′ Moody sailboat as a child for about 4 years, age 8-12.

We once saw, in a very crowded harbor, the shortest mast in the harbor was struck by lightning. There were easily a hundred boats in the harbor. I don’t know how that one turned out though, but it didn’t sink. I think it may have been a small day sailor or race boat, probably not a lot of electronics to worry about.

There was another time in the Bahamas that we were anchored next to another boat of roughly the same size and mast height (approx 40ft length, and about 55ft mast heights.) They were anchored about 20 yards away, and they were hit at the top of the mast. The blast blew the vhf antenna clear off the mast, and it hit the water in flames. All the fluorescent lights below had their covers blown off and most of the electronics were fried. The anchor light, which was at the mast head and INCHES away from the point of the lightning strike, was the only thing still working.

Ours was a fiberglass boat with an aluminum deck-stepped mast. Whenever the weather got bad and lightning surrounded us, we always started the engine. The thought was that if we were ever struck and it blew out all of our electronics or engine starter, we could still beach the boat if the lightning happened to blow out a metal through-hull fitting.

Love the blog, by the way!!! Keep up the great work!

Fair winds,
Justin

There are various opinions on the efficacy of lightning rods on boats. Some feel that while they may work in transporting the electricity to the water, it can also increase the risk of a strike by attracting one to the lightning rod. We never had a lightning spike or anything like it on our boat.

We do have other friends, however, who have been struck 3 different times on the same boat, at different times. Three times they had to replace all of the electronics on board.

]]> By: pete koehorst http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html/comment-page-1#comment-980 pete koehorst Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:17:32 +0000 http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html#comment-980 A few years ago, alongside the marina at Wrightsville Beach N.C. our 45ft. fibre glass sailing boat was struck by lightning. She has a deck stepped aluminium mast and a six ft, carbon antennae.My wife and I were on board and standing below amidships admiring the storm, when there was a terrific jolt. I rushed up on deck and saw a brown cloud hanging over the mast-top. The antennae was split down the middle as was the mast headlight lens and the bits were lying on deck. All the electrics, including the self steering computer were fried, except for the mast headlight, (strange?) and the radar, mounted on the mast. My guess is that there is no hard and fast rule as to the effects of a strike, and we were by no means the tallest mast in the marina. A few years ago, alongside the marina at Wrightsville Beach N.C. our 45ft. fibre glass sailing boat was struck by lightning. She has a deck stepped aluminium mast and a six ft, carbon antennae.My wife and I were on board and standing below amidships admiring the storm, when there was a terrific jolt. I rushed up on deck and saw a brown cloud hanging over the mast-top. The antennae was split down the middle as was the mast headlight lens and the bits were lying on deck. All the electrics, including the self steering computer were fried, except for the mast headlight, (strange?) and the radar, mounted on the mast. My guess is that there is no hard and fast rule as to the effects of a strike, and we were by no means the tallest mast in the marina.

]]> By: Jay http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html/comment-page-1#comment-509 Jay Sun, 08 Mar 2009 21:36:10 +0000 http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html#comment-509 I actually saw a fiberglass racing boat struck by lightning. Hard to tell exactly how the lightning traveled, but the aluminum mast is stepped directly to the steel keel, so most likely traveled down the mast through the keel to the water. No one on the sailboat was injured. A person on the powerboat towing them was thrown into the water, either from the force of the strike or the surprise of the helmsman of the power boat. (My money is on the later.) The man overboard was brought back on board quickly, wet with a great story and luckily no injuries at all. While an interesting story - our club is much more careful about racing in potential thunderstorms. I actually saw a fiberglass racing boat struck by lightning. Hard to tell exactly how the lightning traveled, but the aluminum mast is stepped directly to the steel keel, so most likely traveled down the mast through the keel to the water.

No one on the sailboat was injured.

A person on the powerboat towing them was thrown into the water, either from the force of the strike or the surprise of the helmsman of the power boat. (My money is on the later.) The man overboard was brought back on board quickly, wet with a great story and luckily no injuries at all.

While an interesting story – our club is much more careful about racing in potential thunderstorms.

]]> By: Frank http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html/comment-page-1#comment-365 Frank Sat, 18 Oct 2008 02:43:33 +0000 http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html#comment-365 I haven't stumbled upon too many stories about boats getting struck by lightning, but I guess all is possible, and when lightning is around you, its frightening either way. And whoever took that picture must've made a fortune off of it, simply amazing :) I haven’t stumbled upon too many stories about boats getting struck by lightning, but I guess all is possible, and when lightning is around you, its frightening either way. And whoever took that picture must’ve made a fortune off of it, simply amazing :)

]]> By: strathy http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html/comment-page-1#comment-291 strathy Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:14:42 +0000 http://www.weliveonaboat.com/2008/06/lightning.html#comment-291 My guess is that it would not be a good situation for you. Aluminum conducts electricity just fine, but I assume this is an open boat - the lightning is going to hit you as much as the boat. My guess is that it would not be a good situation for you. Aluminum conducts electricity just fine, but I assume this is an open boat – the lightning is going to hit you as much as the boat.

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