Shocking!!!

[cuisto]

In both of my previous sailboats there was a heavy braided copper cable from the mast step to the steel keel to conduct possible lightning strike through to the water an thereby to ground. In my '99 I see no such conductor. Thoughts anyone? Do you have your mast grounded??
Is it needed.

Thanx in advance for any input
Scott

[Moe]

Lightning protection options

[ Poll ] Does your boat have lightning protection?

Search - it's a wonderful thing!
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Moe

[dclark]

I've seen it come up from time to time here, but never known anyone to do anything about it. I suppose it may depend n where you live, but getting hit by lightning is just about the least of my concerns.

[baldbaby2000]

Lightining is a complicated subject. My humble opinion is that grounding helps but since my Mac doesn't really have any metal that provides a good ground, I'll go with no grounding. If not done properly, grounding can actually result in more damage if the lightning goes through the hull. Grounding is also less effective in freshwater which is what I sail in.

[argonaut]

I've read the lightning thread and resisted comment, but every so often this comes up again. The Univ. of Fla has studied lightning, Florida, especially the central part being one of the most likely places in the US to be hit. Google lightning & Uof F.

NASA has studied it here too, they also have good cause for concern with the Cape nearby.
Lightning strikes, deaths and injuries are a regular occurrance here.
In florida. lightning has "...15 to 30 strikes to ground per square kilometer annually and Nevada only a few strikes per square kilometer annually.

Lightning article

Lightning killed 2 people within 5 miles of my home last year, on the ICW. They had beached their center console on an island and sought shelter from a storm under a tree because the boat ramp was clogged with all of the boaters rushing to get off the water at the same time.

Had they simply not stood under a 35 foot tall Australian Pine tree and stayed in their vessel as part of the family did, they might have survived. There is no way I'm buying that anyone on our dinky little sailboats can add wires or jumper cables and "direct" or "channel" a 100 million volt lightning bolt that dissipates 600,000 degrees F. of heat energy, when it can turn air into a conductor. Building protection is not the same as boat protection, IMHO.


If you have a building with 54 copper rods buried 6 feet deep wired to a heavy conductor lightning grounding system, than you probably do have a good chance of survival. Just don't take a shower during the storm because lightning does pretty much what it wants to, and will follow plumbing and wiring long distances . That's one thing. But I'm against doing anything that would make a better ionization path between earth ground, my tiny boat, and God's right hand. He can take me when He wants me back but I'm not gonna make it any easier for him than it needs to be.

You might be better off just dropping the mast.

[richandlori]

I would have to agree with the basis of argonut's general comments that worrying how to make a mac safer in the event 1Mill volts hits you on the water is a waste of time.

With our without jumper-cables in the water, all of the electronics will be fried and you will be lucky to live!

Worry about things you can control and prepare for.

Rich

[aya16]

If you have a blue M you dont have to worry just out run it.

[ALX357]

for certain spurious reasons, lightning is more attracted to darker colors, and Navy is the color most prone to damage. Maybe it's the Cobalt dye's increased resistance. The USCG study recommended attaching every metal fitting on the boat with heavy grounding straps together, and a huge plate of metal in the water. Sure gonna look like mess and weigh a bunch more, drag that plate along behind as a drogue. 'Would rather have a swiss-cheese fiberglass potato(e) chip for a boat.

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

Argonaut said that NASA has studied lightning.
I belong to NASA - the National Association of Short Adults. My recollection is that they found out that tall people get hit by lightning more often than short people.

[Sloop John B]

We're from Florida and get hit all the time. Have had a lot of stuff blown up around and in the house and it keeps the underwriters busy trying to figure out my next years premium.

As for sailing in these daily thunderstorms, we bring along our Guatemalan maid (whom we have registered, thank you) and put her in the dinghy about 75 feet back and have her waive a copper pole in the air. She thinks it's for good luck as we race for safe haven.

[cuisto]

As for sailing in these daily thunderstorms, we bring along our Guatemalan maid (whom we have registered, thank you) and put her in the dinghy about 75 feet back and have her waive a copper pole in the air. She thinks it's for good luck as we race for safe haven.

SIck Sick Sick....how could you spell wave like that "waive"

[dclark]

Since I know almost nothing about this subject, I'll ask a stupid question. Considering that lightning isn't very common in my area and all but unheard of in the summer months, I think its reasonable safe to say It's unlikely I'll be caught out in a lightning storm. So if my boat is going to get hit, it'll probably be in the marina (I have a year-round slip). But considering there are a few thousand boats in the marina and (well over half are sail boats) and most every boat in my vicinity has a mast considerable taller then mine, wouldn't it be much more likely that the Catalina 29 next to me take the hit? Or am I way off base in thinking that the lightning would be more attracted to the taller mast a few feet away?

[DLT]

All other things being equal, yes, the lightling is more likely to hit the taller mast a few feet away.

A basic rule of electricity is that it follows the path of least resistance.

But, that leaves two questions:

1. Are all other things equal?
If the base of the other mast is better insulated from the water (ground plane), then the difference in air resistance (being taller) can be made up in greater fiberglass resistance. In other words, the Cat's greater hull thickness may make your shorter mast more attractive. Remember that Xs have that nicely conductive pole supporting the mast....

2. How much more likely?
Who knows? Quike frankly, I'd rather try to figure my wife out, than try to predict lightning strike probabilities...

[dclark]

Sure seems like a lot for that bolt to figure it in just a split second!

I'll let the Catalina 29 and the Newport on the other side of me be my first line of protection and my BoatUS insurance policy be the second.

Good luck on the wife thing.

[McSkipper]

God knows I love this site. With responses like the one from the Sloop JB I can always brighten up an otherwise wonderful day at work.
We don't get much lightning action in Long Beach as Dave points out. So the first mate and I really weren't prepared for the light show we got one night on the Colorado south of Havasu. It was the tail end of a fall hurricane in Baja and surprised us. My wife and I snuggled real close that night and definetly said a few additional prayers.
I've read a lot about prevention and even after nearly soiling my shorts that night I'm of the opinion that His will will be done despite any precautions I might take. And if precautions mean a possibility of enhancing my chances of frying my ass - I'll spend my money on something else -thank you.