Hi Gordon, No enlightening stories, but perhaps for perspective: I haven't been hit nor do I know anyone personally who has. Although, of course, I've read a number of boat-strike stories Perhaps this is just stupidity, but I've always liked T-storms and have actually enjoyed sitting them out on the hook. Logic tells me that having your boat grounded is just providing a better path for the electrons to follow, and you're more likely to be struck. Just my $.02. Bill Riker M15 - #184 Storm Petrel ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gordon Gilbert" <gordon@financialwriting.net> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 9:11 AM Subject: M_Boats: Hit by lightning? Let me know!
Fellow M-boat sailors:
I'm not ashamed to admit it: I hate being caught in a thunderstorm while cruising Sapphire, my M-17. Whether I'm underway or at anchor overnight, nearby lightning bolts and thunder booms make me feel like a sitting duck about to be zapped. It's a vulnerability I don't feel, right or wrong, on larger sailboats with grounding systems and lots of room to move away from the mast.
Many small boat sailors share my unease with T-storms, but I think few of us know how common it really is to be struck by lightning and what, if anything, there is we can do to lower our risk. Getting off the water is good advice for day sailors plying local waters, of course, but it may not be feasible for those of us out for days at a time -- especially in wilderness areas and for storms that blow up in a hurry.
To help "illuminate" this topic, I've proposed an article on lightning and small sailboats to the editors at Small Craft Advisor, and they like the idea. To gather information for the piece, I'd like to find out:
Has lightning ever struck your M-boat or another small sailboat you've owned, whether you were aboard at the time or not. If so, what were the circumstances? Did the strike damage the boat (fried electronics, holes in the hull, etc.) or hurt anyone? Do you personally know another small boat sailor who has experienced a lightning strike? Have you equipped or modified your boat in an attempt to reduce the risk of a strike (grounding, etc)? if so, why do you think it works? What do you do when you're caught by a T-storm underway or sitting/sleeping in your boat at anchor?
If you have an enlightening story to tell, I'd love to hear from you. Thanks!
Gordon '83 M-17 Sapphire Milwaukee, WI _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
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