Lighting Strikes!

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dbkennedy1	Lighting Strikes!		Lead	[-]
Posts: 40 06/12/08 12:37:57	Tags : grounding, lighting, electrical system Okay, so I was headed up Long Island Sound last Sunday and managed to get caught in a pretty good lightning storm. I was assuring my passengers (and myself) that the boat was well grounded and that if we did get hit the rig would pass the charge to ground. We came through okay, but did have a couple of strikes within 100yds! Setting aside my very poor seamanship for getting caught like this, does anyone have an opinion on just how much protection the rig and grounding systems does provide? David Kennedy Wave Dancer II Hull 303, Mark I, 3 Cabin Last Edited By: dbkennedy1 06/12/08 12:46:35. Edited 1 time.
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pdrimmer		#1	[url]	[-]
Posts: 156 06/12/08 13:04:45	David, I was in the same storm. I have never heard of anyone being injured by a strike. However, my boat has been hit (at the dock) three times in the last eight years with considerable damage to the electrical equipment. The only good thing about it is I get to upgrade my electronics. I have done a fair bit of research and have not come up with a good answer on how to protect my passengers or the boat. I have had a face to face discussion with Gerry Douglas and he did not have any specific recommendations. One friend of mine has a big piece of chain that he has connected to the rig and throws it in the water. That should discharge most of the energy without making too big a hole in the boat. However, all of my damage was caused with strikes that were near the boat, not hitting it directly. Here is the drill I use. Passengers down in the cabin making sure they do not touch metal. Make sure you have plenty of sea room and make the ride as safe and as comfortable as possible. Not sure if this is the answer you wanted. If you come up with something, please share it with me.
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Sandy Golden		#2	[url]	[-]
Posts: 21 06/12/08 15:04:42	Guys, Florida is said to be the lightning capital of the U.S. The U of FL has reputation of being one of the most knowledgeable institutions on the subject. See http://www.thomson.ece.ufl.edu/lightning/ and http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d000001-d000100/d000007/d000007.html for their overview of lighting protection on boats. Reading those documents is a good start. Sandy Golden SV Sweet Angel
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symandalay		#3	[url]	[-]
Posts: 127 06/13/08 02:48:49	I added one of those Forespar static dissipators to the masthead. This One It can't do any harm and maybe it works. Colin Mandalay Guide to Cruising here http://symandalay.googlepages.com/home
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Malcolm Smith		#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 5 06/13/08 07:22:59	Build a Faraday cage in the aft cabin and have all your passengers sit inside…. You could disconnect all your electronic equipment and also put that in the cage…. This should saveguard both passengers and equipment, the only down side is could you get them out quick enough if the boat was damaged? Joking aside, I understand a number of boats have been hit with strike protection and although no one on-board was hurt the electrics were toasted, so I guess nothing protects sensitive electronic equipment.
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dbkennedy1	Lighting Strikes	#5	[url]	[-]
Posts: 40 06/13/08 09:00:53	Thanks for the thoughts! I pretty did what was suggested, sent folks below and gave myself some sea room. I did have my Crocs (rubber shoes) on my feet so maybe that gave me a little extra insulation I will have to think about the Faraday cage a bit... David Kennedy Wave Dancer II Hull 303, Mark I, 3 Cabin
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SteveInMD		#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 38 06/21/08 10:04:47	My boat came almost all new electronic everything as a result of the previous owner taking a strike in June 2006. Even the generator and refrigerator were replaced. The hull was undamaged (sometimes the lightning can blow out thru-hulls or blow holes near the chain plates). The owner was on the boat, but other than getting knocked on his back side and seeing stars for a moment, he was fine. The boat now has a Forespar static dissipators at the mast top. Steve Eller, Hull #446, 3 cabin, Annapolis, MD
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sailordan2		#7	[url]	[-]
Posts: 19 06/23/08 10:49:19	My boat, which I purchased in Oct of '07, had the static dissipators installed by the PO . In the Spring of 2007 a major lightening storm hit our area and many boats suffered damage from near misses. The dissipators did not spare my boat and several of the electronics were identified in the survey as needing replacement. I don't think I will rely on them to spare me from a close or direct hit. Sailor Dan SV Lydia Grace C42 #429
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