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Wondering about Lightning?
- Thread starter Thudpucker
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I've never been caught out on the water during a storm, but I've been on my boat at the dock many times during some nasty one's, Sometimes during the middle of the night and I'm sleeping (or trying to sleep) with a 50' lightening rod less than 5' from my head.
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A friend of mine had his boat get struck by lightening. It's a Sea Ray 400 Sedan Bridge. The lightening hit the VHF antenna, made him deaf for a few hours, and blew out every electronic device on the boat. Thankfully, the boat is a few years old and isn't drive by wire. He was able to get back to his marina and into his slip. When he turned the ignitions off nothing happened. He had to shut the fuel lines down manually to get the engines to quit. It took about 6 months for the repairs to finish. Even more fun was this:
2012 anchored and stuck at Allans-Pensacola Cay in the Bahamas due to weather. These are 3 different water spouts from the same afternoon.
2012 anchored and stuck at Allans-Pensacola Cay in the Bahamas due to weather. These are 3 different water spouts from the same afternoon.
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Despite all the assurances from people that actually know what they're talking about claiming I would be unharmed, I fail to believe I can sit atop 40,000lbs of aluminum being hit by lightning and escape unscathed. Unwilling to prove this theory one way or the other.
Inside maybe but atop is not the best idea.
If you look up Faraday cage Mike you get the idea however with the huge currents a involved even the smallest conductivity flaw produces high voltage.
I studied some of this briefly years ago and concluded very little was actually known for certain at that time and is scares the $hit out of me.
If you look up Faraday cage Mike you get the idea however with the huge currents a involved even the smallest conductivity flaw produces high voltage.
I studied some of this briefly years ago and concluded very little was actually known for certain at that time and is scares the $hit out of me.
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"concluded very little was actually known for certain at that time"
More likely, very little accurate information was available publicly. Lightning, being very closely related to EMP, is a military topic. And I am fairly confident that there is much more information that has been derived, but it is stashed in folders with a big red stripe across the face of it and cleverly worded bureaucratic phrases such as "lethal force authorized".
The whole Farraday cage idea works, but there are severe downsides if there is a slight flaw in the cage. Still, it seems to be the only game in town...
More likely, very little accurate information was available publicly. Lightning, being very closely related to EMP, is a military topic. And I am fairly confident that there is much more information that has been derived, but it is stashed in folders with a big red stripe across the face of it and cleverly worded bureaucratic phrases such as "lethal force authorized".
The whole Farraday cage idea works, but there are severe downsides if there is a slight flaw in the cage. Still, it seems to be the only game in town...
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They had (still have, far as I know) an awesome lightning cage exhibit at the Boston Science Museum that made the point pretty well - but that thing was designed for the purpose, there wee no variable environmental factors, and dude in the middle wasn't dripping wet.
I run my boat exclusively from the open bridge (with eye level about 14' above the waterline), no matter the weather. Lightning would be the one and only thing that would drive me down to the enclosed bridge.