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
Hi Gordon. I was not 'hit' by lightning, but have been effected. I was out in my M17 with my older son and a buddy and got caught in a big one. It was actually exciting (more because of the wind) watching the lightning against the dark sky. I have read plenty about 'protection' but have nothing in place. We were actively heading towards a marina to wait it out (one with a pub). At one point my son got up to get a better look at something and got a substantial shock from the rigging. His reaction was enough that if he was walking forward on the side deck and used the stay as support, he might have reacted right over the side. The current was so strong that he was able to grab the boom and touch me and still pass the shock to me. We all figured it was some form of static electricity. Kind of freaky really. Tim Diebert M17 PUFF #369 Kelowna BC Okanagan Lake ================================ 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 Remember, there is no privacy on the Internet! No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2892 - Release Date: 05/23/10 11:26:00
Back in the early 70s, we were sailing in the upper Chesepeake in out Balboa 20. The previous owner had put a ground strap on the back of the compression post from the mast base to the keel pivot bolt as a lightning ground. When we were struck on the masthead, the shrouds and backstay glowed and afterward we could smell burnt wood in the cabin. The back of the compression post was chared in a diamond pattern from ground strap and the strap was still very hot. With the boat back on the trailer, we found a hole burned in the masthead and the gellcoat around the chainplates was slightly discolored but there was no other visible damage. I am thankful to the preious owner for having installed the lightning ground since no one was injured and the most serious damage to the boat was some huge pucker marks in the cockpit cushions. We were lucky that no one was in contact with the mast or rigging. Since then, I have installed lightning grounds on every other boat I have owned. I am looking at my newly acquired Seaward Fox to determing how to install a ground and will probably put a copper plate on the bottom somewhere. A friend who is an avid dinghy sailor in Oklahoma has a unique lightning ground system. He keeps three lengths of light chain with a snap shackle on the end of each. When in threatening weather, he clips the chains to the shrounds and lets them dangle in the water. He has been struck twice and says the system works. Whitebeard
From: gordon@financialwriting.net Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 10:11:40 -0500 To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com 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
Remember, there is no privacy on the Internet!
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" he clips the chains to the shrouds and lets them dangle in the water. He has been struck twice and says the system works."
Now there is a system that makes 100% sense. Easy. Great tip. Thanks.
Whitebeard
From: gordon@financialwriting.net Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 10:11:40 -0500 To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com 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
Remember, there is no privacy on the Internet!
_________________________________________________________________ The New Busy is not the old busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox. http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:W L:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_3 _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats Remember, there is no privacy on the Internet! No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.819 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2893 - Release Date: 05/23/10 23:26:00
Some time ago I found an excellent article called "Lightning and Sailboats", by Ewen Thomson of the University of Florida. It's at: edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/SG/SG07100.pdf. It goes into a lot of detail on how lightning strikes and its effects on different types of boat construction and grounding systems. Lots of information, no easy answers. I did have one experience sailing near a storm system when I got several strong jolts from touching the outboard bracket. Kind of scary, but the effect lasted only couple of minutes, and we sailed the same area for another couple of hours with several other boats and there were no further incidents. Rick M17 #633 Lynne L On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 11:11 AM, Gordon Gilbert < gordon@financialwriting.net> wrote:
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
Remember, there is no privacy on the Internet!
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
Remember, there is no privacy on the Internet!
participants (5)
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Gordon Gilbert -
Rick Davies -
Ronnie Keeler -
Tim Diebert -
William B Riker