My friend's boat was recently hit....Anyone ever hear of a lightning
strike where the boat wasn't hauled out? I've been told many times that
a look at the bottom and inspection
of thru-hulls and transducers should be made at the very least.
Comments...?

Thanks!

RB
Beneteau 1st 35s5
NY

In article . com,
"Capt. Rob" wrote:

My friend's boat was recently hit....Anyone ever hear of a lightning
strike where the boat wasn't hauled out? I've been told many times
that a look at the bottom and inspection of thru-hulls and
transducers should be made at the very least.

I'd certainly want to take a look, though if it hasn't sunk yet, it's
probably mostly okay.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Capt. Rob wrote:
My friend's boat was recently hit....Anyone ever hear of a lightning
strike where the boat wasn't hauled out? I've been told many times that
a look at the bottom and inspection
of thru-hulls and transducers should be made at the very least.
Comments...?

Pretty common in FL while in the water - or so I was told while I was
sailing there. The folks there have all sorts of plates they attach to
the bottom of the boat to disperse the hit. Beats me if any works.

What I do know is that lightning is extremely unpredictable. The only
thing for it is to do a full on exam of the boat while hauled.

-paul

get ready for a year of failing or failed electrical components....

My freind's boat got hit last year and he lost most of his bridge
electronics, his microwave (Wierd..), several pumps.... it hit the 12V
and 110V/220V systems.... no pattern...

In the water at his dock in SFL.

Paul Cassel wrote:

Capt. Rob wrote:

My friend's boat was recently hit....Anyone ever hear of a lightning
strike where the boat wasn't hauled out? I've been told many times that
a look at the bottom and inspection
of thru-hulls and transducers should be made at the very least.
Comments...?

Pretty common in FL while in the water - or so I was told while I was
sailing there. The folks there have all sorts of plates they attach to
the bottom of the boat to disperse the hit. Beats me if any works.

What I do know is that lightning is extremely unpredictable. The only
thing for it is to do a full on exam of the boat while hauled.

-paul

Ed wrote:
get ready for a year of failing or failed electrical components....

My freind's boat got hit last year and he lost most of his bridge
electronics, his microwave (Wierd..), several pumps.... it hit the 12V
and 110V/220V systems.... no pattern...

In the water at his dock in SFL.

Yes, I should have included that common to all such strikes is a
complete loss of all electrical components. I was addressing the OP's
concerns about structural integrity.

-paul

My boat was hit while in the water.

It has 2 external cast iron keels, one is bonded to the mast with a
heavy through cabin cable from tabernacle to one of the bilge keels. A
one drop per hour leak around that keel bolt was the only damage, aside
from 25 holes chewed in the aluminium mast.

The electrics were unaffected. The shrouds are not bonded except for
one green wire from port main shroud chain plate to the shore ground
earth.

The 12V return for all mast electrics is routed through the vhf coax
shield. Unplug the ae and all mast lighting is extinguished. Sounds
sloppy? It seems to work, despite lightning.

The vhf antenna is mounted on the side of the mast top so that the top
of the matching coil is about even with the masthead.

Encapsulated keels are a different matter, requiring a permanent
lightning plate or some temporary measure, which might not be deployed
if the boat is unattended at the dock, as mine was. It was plugged in
to shore power.

Terry K

On 24 May 2006 15:33:50 -0700, "Capt. Rob" wrote:

My friend's boat was recently hit....Anyone ever hear of a lightning
strike where the boat wasn't hauled out? I've been told many times that
a look at the bottom and inspection
of thru-hulls and transducers should be made at the very least.
Comments...?

You might take a look at the online article on lightning strikes on
boats:

http://www.thomson.ece.ufl.edu/lightning/

Jack

_________________________________________
Jack Dale
ISPA Yachtmaster Offshore Instructor
CYA Advanced Cruising Instructor
http://www.swiftsuresailing.com
_________________________________________

Oh, the boat was in fresh water.

Terry K