Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

A few years ago while cruising, I was weighing anchor, and when I got to the
chain (no windlass then) I was shocked, not by what was on the hook, but as in
electrical shock. I dropped it and pulled it in again with the same shocking
results. It wasn't a killing shock, and as the hook was clear of the bottom, I
motored off enough with the hook in the water to be sure I didn't pick up a
live cable, then hauled it aboard, getting shocked as I did it.
Before I tell the cause, any guesses?
K

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

Over40pirate wrote:
A few years ago while cruising, I was weighing anchor, and when I
got to the chain (no windlass then) I was shocked, not by what was
on the hook, but as in electrical shock. I dropped it and pulled it
in again with the same shocking results. It wasn't a killing shock,
and as the hook was clear of the bottom, I motored off enough with
the hook in the water to be sure I didn't pick up a live cable,
then hauled it aboard, getting shocked as I did it. Before I tell
the cause, any guesses? K

We can wait until you decide to 'fess up.

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://kerrydeare.tripod.com

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

I was going to give this one a pass, and then I remembered...

"Over40pirate" wrote in message
...

A few years ago while cruising, I was weighing anchor, and when I got to
the
chain (no windlass then) I was shocked, not by what was on the hook, but
as in
electrical shock. I dropped it and pulled it in again with the same
shocking
results. It wasn't a killing shock, and as the hook was clear of the
bottom, I
motored off enough with the hook in the water to be sure I didn't pick up
a
live cable, then hauled it aboard, getting shocked as I did it.
Before I tell the cause, any guesses?

You've got an aluminum boat. The chain made a great conductor to ground.
Your boat had an electricity leak of some sort which was unnoticeable
before, as you were in the faraday cage of its hull, but you were barefoot
or otherwise adequately conductive when you were hauling up barehanded and
the chain completed the circuit.

Howzat?

L8R

Skip and Lydia, still looking for our boat

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

Over40pirate" wrote in message
...

A few years ago while cruising, I was weighing anchor, and when I got to
the
chain (no windlass then) I was shocked, not by what was on the hook, but
as in
electrical shock. I dropped it and pulled it in again with the same
shocking
results. It wasn't a killing shock, and as the hook was clear of the
bottom, I
motored off enough with the hook in the water to be sure I didn't pick up
a
live cable, then hauled it aboard, getting shocked as I did it.
Before I tell the cause, any guesses?

You've got an aluminum boat. The chain made a great conductor to ground.
Your boat had an electricity leak of some sort which was unnoticeable
before, as you were in the faraday cage of its hull, but you were barefoot
or otherwise adequately conductive when you were hauling up barehanded and
the chain completed the circuit.

Howzat?

L8R

Skip and Lydia, still looking for our boat

It's a fiberglass boat, and you get shocked even with the motor not running.
K

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

There was a large submarine high power cable buried or on the bottom
somewhere nearby. What you felt was the induced current caused by the
large electric field emanating from the cable.

Over40pirate wrote:
A few years ago while cruising, I was weighing anchor, and when I got to the
chain (no windlass then) I was shocked, not by what was on the hook, but as in
electrical shock. I dropped it and pulled it in again with the same shocking
results. It wasn't a killing shock, and as the hook was clear of the bottom, I
motored off enough with the hook in the water to be sure I didn't pick up a
live cable, then hauled it aboard, getting shocked as I did it.
Before I tell the cause, any guesses?
K

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

1) A fluorescent light on board has some tricky wiring.
2) The old phone magneto you've been using to catch fish wasn't turned
off while you weighed.
3) The fresh breeze off your synthetic sails has been building charge
on your glass hull with no sea grounds
4) Unfriendly SEALs?
5) Leaky submarine power line
6) Other....

Brian Whatcott Altus OK

On 16 Jul 2003 23:36:40 GMT, ospam (Over40pirate)
wrote:

Over40pirate" wrote in message
...

A few years ago while cruising, I was weighing anchor, and when I got to
the
chain (no windlass then) I was shocked, not by what was on the hook, but
as in
electrical shock. I dropped it and pulled it in again with the same
shocking
results. It wasn't a killing shock, and as the hook was clear of the
bottom, I
motored off enough with the hook in the water to be sure I didn't pick up
a
live cable, then hauled it aboard, getting shocked as I did it.
Before I tell the cause, any guesses?

You've got an aluminum boat. The chain made a great conductor to ground.
Your boat had an electricity leak of some sort which was unnoticeable
before, as you were in the faraday cage of its hull, but you were barefoot
or otherwise adequately conductive when you were hauling up barehanded and
the chain completed the circuit.

Howzat?

L8R

Skip and Lydia, still looking for our boat

It's a fiberglass boat, and you get shocked even with the motor not running.
K

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

From: Brian Whatcott
Date: 7/16/2003 5:14 PM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id:

1) A fluorescent light on board has some tricky wiring.
2) The old phone magneto you've been using to catch fish wasn't turned
off while you weighed.
3) The fresh breeze off your synthetic sails has been building charge
on your glass hull with no sea grounds
4) Unfriendly SEALs?
5) Leaky submarine power line
6) Other....

Brian Whatcott Altus OK


Nope

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

From: RichH
Date: 7/16/2003 4:52 PM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id:

There was a large submarine high power cable buried or on the bottom
somewhere nearby. What you felt was the induced current caused by the
large electric field emanating from the cable.

Nope

Hint. It happens when the engine is off also.

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

Over40pirate wrote:
From: RichH
Date: 7/16/2003 4:52 PM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id:

There was a large submarine high power cable buried or on the bottom
somewhere nearby. What you felt was the induced current caused by the
large electric field emanating from the cable.


Nope

Hint. It happens when the engine is off also.

Ah - you were probably shocked by being in the same areas as an over 40
pirate who teased you with a riddle when you were hauling. I hope it is
not transferrable? Now I have to wait until I get back from work for the
answer. Damn you pirates!

Brian

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

Nope? Nope?

If it's not 1) to 5) it has to be 6) Other.
That includes
6a) Figments of the imagination
6b) Shooting pains from the Rheumatiz.

Brian W

On 17 Jul 2003 01:34:26 GMT, ospam (Over40pirate)
wrote:

From: Brian Whatcott
Date: 7/16/2003 5:14 PM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id:

1) A fluorescent light on board has some tricky wiring.
2) The old phone magneto you've been using to catch fish wasn't turned
off while you weighed.
3) The fresh breeze off your synthetic sails has been building charge
on your glass hull with no sea grounds
4) Unfriendly SEALs?
5) Leaky submarine power line
6) Other....

Brian Whatcott Altus OK


Nope

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

Static electricty . Caused by a dry wind blowing through the rigging or a storm
in the area.

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

"Over40pirate" wrote in message
...

A few years ago while cruising, I was weighing anchor, and when I got to
the
chain (no windlass then) I was shocked, not by what was on the hook, but
as in
electrical shock. I dropped it and pulled it in again with the same
shocking
results. It wasn't a killing shock, and as the hook was clear of the
bottom, I
motored off enough with the hook in the water to be sure I didn't pick up
a
live cable, then hauled it aboard, getting shocked as I did it.
Before I tell the cause, any guesses?
K

I've been cracked by an electric eel fighting the hook.

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

Over40pirate wrote:

A few years ago while cruising, I was weighing anchor, and when I got to the
chain (no windlass then) I was shocked, not by what was on the hook, but as in
electrical shock. I dropped it and pulled it in again with the same shocking
results. It wasn't a killing shock, and as the hook was clear of the bottom, I
motored off enough with the hook in the water to be sure I didn't pick up a
live cable, then hauled it aboard, getting shocked as I did it.
Before I tell the cause, any guesses?
K

Your wind generator is not hooked up right. You completed a
circuit when you touched the chain contacting the water.

You were anchored near a radio transmitter tower, and got a shock
induced by some parasitic pick up?

Your pacemaker malfunctioned?

You pulled up a broken fence charger wire?

Terry K

--
Terry K - My email address is MY PROPERTY, and is protected by
copyright legislation. Permission to reproduce it is
specifically denied for mass mailing and unrequested
solicitations. Reproduction or conveyance for any unauthorised
purpose is THEFT and PLAGIARISM. Abuse is Invasion of privacy
and harassment. Abusers will be prosecuted. -This notice footer
released to public domain. Spamspoof salad by spamchock -
SofDevCo

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

Better start talking...or it's gonna Campo del X-Ray...


LS

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

Nope

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

Any last tries, before the cause is revealed?

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

Electric eel wrapped around your anchor? :-)
Jim
"Over40pirate" wrote in message
...
Any last tries, before the cause is revealed?

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

Subject: Shocking experience weighing anchor.
From:

Before I tell the cause, any guesses?
K


Loose battery ground?

Dennis

Shocking experience weighing anchor. Answer is....
 

The wind generator threw a winding, and it was rubbing on the magnets inside
the housing!
K

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

Over40pirate wrote:

Your wind generator is not hooked up right. You completed a
circuit when you touched the chain contacting the water.

You were anchored near a radio transmitter tower, and got a shock
induced by some parasitic pick up?

Your pacemaker malfunctioned?

You pulled up a broken fence charger wire?

Terry K



Very close, very close

Close? (True story) Once, I won a pizza shooting a blackpowder
blunderbuss, a 'Brown Bess' flintlock, with a one second delay
after pulling the trigger, no less! I aimed, pulled the trigger,
was perplexed when it didn't go BOOM, I unsquinted, moved my
head, looked at the target with both eyes, then it went boom and
kicked, and the apple, at 50 yards, exploded. The guy offering
the pizza shoot, covered in apple pulp, said, "Close!"

I think the apple was wired, and I was an unwitting shill. His
business picked right up, after that. No body else got the apple,
or a pizza.

A bad connection is the windmill counts as not being hooked up
right in my book.

Where's my pizza?
--
Terry K - My email address is MY PROPERTY, and is protected by
copyright legislation. Permission to reproduce it is
specifically denied for mass mailing and unrequested
solicitations. Reproduction or conveyance for any unauthorised
purpose is THEFT and PLAGIARISM. Abuse is Invasion of privacy
and harassment. Abusers will be prosecuted. -This notice footer
released to public domain. Spamspoof salad by spamchock -
SofDevCo

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

Hm...


"Skip Gundlach" wrote in message
link.net...
I was going to give this one a pass, and then I remembered...


You've got an aluminum boat. The chain made a great conductor to ground.
Your boat had an electricity leak of some sort which was unnoticeable
before, as you were in the faraday cage of its hull, but you were barefoot
or otherwise adequately conductive when you were hauling up barehanded and
the chain completed the circuit.

Howzat?

Methinks you dissemble. You're selling a custom aluminum boat, you had an
electricity leak due to a faulty wind generator which caused your shock.

Turns out the incident wasn't on the boat for sale. I don't actually get
how you managed to conduct electricity through fiberglass to get your shock,
but the rest of the theory was correct :{))

L8R

Skip

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

Methinks you dissemble. You're selling a custom aluminum boat, you had an
electricity leak due to a faulty wind generator which caused your shock.

Turns out the incident wasn't on the boat for sale. I don't actually get
how you managed to conduct electricity through fiberglass to get your shock,
but the rest of the theory was correct :{))

L8R

Skip



Since YOU mentioned it, I do have an aluminum 38' sloop for saleand you can
contact me at . However the boat the shocks happened
on
was a fiberglass sloop. that I also own. I suppose it was the wet decks, and
not sure but I may have been barefoot,as it was in southern latitudes. It was
6
or more years ago.
K

Oh, I forgot to mention the 38' aluminum sloop I have for sale is VERY
"offshore capable".
K

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

"Over40pirate" wrote...
A few years ago while cruising, I was weighing anchor, and when I got to
the
chain (no windlass then) I was shocked, not by what was on the hook, but
as in
electrical shock. I dropped it and pulled it in again with the same
shocking
results. It wasn't a killing shock, and as the hook was clear of the
bottom, I
motored off enough with the hook in the water to be sure I didn't pick up
a
live cable, then hauled it aboard, getting shocked as I did it.
Before I tell the cause, any guesses?


Skip Gundlach wrote:
You've got an aluminum boat.

IIRC he's got an old IOR racer converted for cruising, not aluminum.

My guess was that the boat was in the area of one of those magnetic
disturbances they mark on the charts, and was sailing around the anchor fast
enough that the magnetic field could induce current in the conductive anchor
chain.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

Skip Gundlach wrote:
You've got an aluminum boat.

IIRC he's got an old IOR racer converted for cruising, not aluminum.

I do have an old IOR racer, converted for cruising that IS Aluminum, however
that is my Wifes boat. The boat the shocks happened on was a Fiberglass boat.
The wind generator threw a winding, and it was grounding on the magnets in the
housing. I may have been barefoot, as it was in the little latitudes.
Capt. K

Shocking experience weighing anchor.
 

Over40pirate wrote:

I do have an old IOR racer, converted for cruising that IS Aluminum,
however
that is my Wifes boat. The boat the shocks happened on was a Fiberglass
boat.
The wind generator threw a winding, and it was grounding on the magnets in
the
housing. I may have been barefoot, as it was in the little latitudes.
Capt. K

I'd be interested in knowing how you figured out what had caused
the shock and how long it took.

Cindy

Well without the diesel running the shocks were still happening. It also
happened when touching the bow rail and stern rail. Lets see, the wind
generator pole is clampet to the stern rail. Hmmmm, Lets see what happens when
I stop the wind generator. No shocks. Took the gererator apart, and found the
broken winding. Any body know a good place to get a armature rewound at a
decient price. I was quoted $175. Another solar panel, kept the generator on
the shelf since then, but I might like to get it running again, for those
cloudy days.
Capt. K