I don't hear much about lightning on this forum. Is it a concern? Being the tallest object on the water with nearly 30 ft aluminum pole in the air, seems to me it should be something to think about.

Reason why I ask. Last summer I was power boating w/ my brother when dark clouds showed up. Everyone was trying to exit the lake at the same time which created a bottle neck at the boat ramp. It got ugly as we were forced to remain on the water while we watched way to many people who don't have a clue to get a boat on a trailer.

Anyways that a story in it's self.

Lightning struck a light pole 25 ft away. Hearing lightning this close is a experience in it's self!

My first time ever sailing a beach cat was last spring, when I first launched my boat. I went out with a friend into barnaget bay. A storm rolled in thunder and lightening striking everywhere around us. We got the boat to within 100 yards of boat slip but couldn't get in due to lack of sailing skills. We were struggled for about 30 mins to get it in, by then the storm passed...I had to change my pants that was scary.

I have read the best thing to do when a storm comes in is to beach the boat and pull it on the its side using the shrouds. This way you dont have a 30 ft lightening rod waiting to be struck. Also you would probably want to stay away from it being it can still conduct a strike.

Hey, Jimbo i once had a guy tell me that if you spray your mast either half way or the whole thing with undercoating that you won't have to worry cause lighting don't strike rubber.I just laughed inside.Iwas thinking go ahead and go out sailing like that in the middle of a storm and let me know how that works out for ya.Some people i tell ya.

There is no protection from lighting. Just wrong place at the wrong time. The best practice is a weather savy skipper. Here in the Tampa bay area, it can go from nice to scary in twenty minutes.

I was in a 18 ft power boat at Boca Grand drift fishing in the interior. Lovely skies at sunset, suddenly all the hair on us stood straight out and our skin tingled. I told my sons to lay down their rods and them too. I was scared to start the engine lest that trigger the strike. But I did... and we powered out of it.

It has never happened to me before or since. A fiberglass tiller might ease some of the pain during a strike.

Deepsees,

Yes, I know what your talking about with the hair, especially people with long hair can be a good indicator.

I've seen a show on discovery about this. Lightning actually sends out "feelers" before it strikes. If you are in it's path your hair will stand straight up. It may have only one feeler or multiple feelers, in any case, hit the deck or run!

There have been pictures of this also. It's really rare to get on film, but I've seen a picture of a telephone pole with this telltale sign. I'll try to find the picture.

I have been caught in bad weather many times... here in the gulf area it gets bad... fast....

this was discussed last year on catsailor.com.

I stated that i have never seen a cat on the water get hit. this was re-enforced by others. i have only heard of cats getting hit only on the beach.

I heard of a girl sitting on a sunfish was hit.. it blew holes in her hulls but she was fine (probably needed new underware)... I hear the heat vaporizes the water in the hulls and creates 100's of pinholes.


Rick White said he delivered 100's of yachts in his life and never saw a boat underway get hit.. but mored.. beached and "worst".. grounded boats (use some type of grounding strap) get hit much more...



edited by: andrewscott, Apr 27, 2009 - 09:40 AM

should we be grounding our cats when beached?

It takes about 10,000 volts to jump through one inch of air at sea level. Before lightning strikes the air becomes ionized (read "charged," which is why your hair stands on end). The ionization breaks down some of the resistance in the air, but it still takes millions of volts for lightning to jump between the ground and the cloud.

It's true that many of the composite materials on our boats are poor conductors or electricity, but when we're talking millions of volts, even the poorest conductors will provide insufficient resistance to protect us.

When you ground something, it is an attempt to direct WHERE the current will flow if lightning strikes. However, the better something is grounded, the more likely it is to be hit by lightning (so, you're exactly right Andrew, grounded boats will get hit more). This is because grounding something means that you have literally created a path of less resistance for lightning to follow.

I agree with deep seas, the best practice is to just be a weather savy sailor. That's my 2 cents



edited by: rhuntbach, Apr 27, 2009 - 01:40 PM

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should we be grounding our cats when beached?

As long as you have insurance, and want to get rid of your boat....

I've been sailing near 30 years. How can I make this simple... When lightning comes, get the f*** off the water! Yes, I've seen it all. The "branches" off a strike can go for hundreds of yards. Even being remotely close to one will end your arse in an instant. Grounding-shmounding. You want to know what a beach cat looks like when lightning comes down nearby? Not even directly ON the mast, just near enough? One shroud went red hot and snapped. Mast came down. Tramp caught fire. One hull sank because the glass melted a hole in it. No people on it. They had beached and got off, but the boat got caught in a little surge and floated about 30 yards off shore when the strike took it out. The owners just sat their hugging themselves because they were alive.

Forget the ramp. For a beach cat, when the dark clouds roll in, the rumbling starts and the flashes start off in the distance, make for shore and get the hell off ASAP.

End of story.

Additionally, we were swapping out the load line of a 100 ton crane, three guys pulled the cable off the spool and took it across a waist high field of grass. There was a bundle of three inch dia pipe that the load line was pulled across. Lunch time came, we all sat in the semi trailer to eat. A storm came up and stuck the boom of the crane. The heat ran down the cable, melted the ends of the pipes together and set the wet grass field on fire.

Strong medicine

Dont be such a chicken... a million volts never hurt anyone!

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Dont be such a chicken... a million volts never hurt anyone!

haha ya and it makes for a sweet hairdoo

andrewscott

Dont be such a chicken... a million volts never hurt anyone!

T'aint the million volts... 'tis the 1 amp that does your butt extra crispy.

I am surprised this post got so much attention, you would think this is a lightening forum
I got zapped by a 240 V system a few years back and it felt like my arms and chest were going to explode. Also had a close call with a 440V.
0.1 amps is enough to stop a human heart...look at how many 5, 7 and 15 amp fuses are in your car and house.

You are surprised?

That is one of the biggest concerns for cat sailors where i live.... (lightning capt of the USA)

andrewscott

You are surprised?

That is one of the biggest concerns for cat sailors where i live.... (lightning capt of the USA)

I am guessing you are in Florida....I think it is the raw power and unpredictability that really works on the human mind. With that in mind, statistically don't you think that drowning should be a far larger concern? After all you every time you are out sailing you run the risk of drowning. Just a thought.

yes i am in FL.

you are also correct that statistically.... i have a better chance of being killed driving to the beach than being hit by lightning. But i do live in the Lightning Capital... and we have thunderstorms EVERY afternoon in the summer (our summer starts Jan 1 and ends Dec 31 (kiddin)

Drowning is usually a result of poor choices, poor actions, stupidity and/or ignorance.... (i am capable of all the above.. but its on my shoulders).

A bold of lightning can come from a storm 10 miles away, on a clear day... out of no where... or i can get stuck far away from the beach (as there are 30 or so islands here in the part of the gulf i sail).

Believe me... i have been caught up in it... !

Last year about 5 cats were visiting friends camping on an island in the bay. My Iphone radar looked all clear... so we left. within 5 minutes we were in white out rain. I tired to make it to island 4 while my friends all ducked behind island 6... BIG MISTAKE. When i hit 30+ knots... both my rudders popped up and we steamed into the island. I told my crew to hold on (as i jumped off my boat). from the water i saw my boat FLY through the air and land 5 feet inland... luckily we (and the boat) were ok...

ya here in the summer we almost everyday have a t-storm around 5:00 p.m.
although i have never had to bad of a storm while on a beach cat i have had more than my share while on powerboats and while surfing

but i have seen a sailboat mast get hit while in a wet slip at the yact club here in fwb