Simple Lightning Protection Idea?

[medicrene]

OK, sometimes I come up with some off the wall ideas, but I thought this one might actually work. For that reason, I thought I might bring it to this forum for input...but be nice, I know this might be just stupid.

I was thinking that an easy and cheap lighning protection might be to have two sets of galvenized chain (six feet long) that have a quick connect shackle. In the event that I see the potential for lightning, I could drop these chains into the water with the quick connect connected to the wire shrouds of the boat. I figure this would be a direct chanel to the ocean that may be quicker than going through all of my electronics.

While I admit this requires me to be alert for the possibility of lightning, as long as I am willing to do it at the righht time, it just might work.

What are your suggestions? Am I crazy?

The Witchdoctor

[GordMay]

It might help to mitigate potential damages, but it's not anywhere near an ideal solution. Likely, better than nothing, though (many people do use a similar set-up).
You actually want at least 2 square feet of electrode (your submerged chain), solidly connected between your metals and the water (ground).

[SoonerSailor]

Not that your plan may not help, but lightning is capricious and often does not follow what would seem to be the logical path. Just dont count on perfect protection no what steps you eventually take.

[Chattcatdaddy]

Some years ago I had to watch a safety film on electricity and lightening some other things that I have forgotten. The only thing I remeber is the guy in the video with a live wire and three different conducters placed exactly the same length from the live wire. He would apply power and it would arc to one of the conducters and rinse and repeat. There was no predicting which conducter would get zapped. He final conclusion was "What does electricity do...whatever the hell it wants". So based on that I say your plan could not hurt and just might work or be a complete disaster.

FWIW I`m no electrical engineer but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express about 11 yrs ago during a lightening storm.

[callmecrazy]

The basic idea of providing a direct route to ground is about as solid as they get.

But, as others have mentioned, lightning is entirely unpredictable... I knew a guy that was struck and killed walking down the beach holding hands with his two children. Both kids were thrown more than 10 feet away, but he was burnt to a crisp... This was before the rain ever fell, just when it was getting cloudy and people were starting to leave the beach.

The principal is, provide the most efficent route to ground so that other routes may be avoided...it works well in theory, but in reality it's completely unpredictable.

[david samuelson]

I wonder what effect these chains will have on your topsides paint as you are sailing.

[atoll]

i once saw a boat hit by lighning in a marina,funny thing was in a forest of masts his was the only one with a lightning protector at the top of the mast in the area!

fried his mast and all his electronics

[Bash]

One way to evaluate such an idea is to ask whether it's more likely to keep you from being struck by lightning than it is to keep you from successfully entertaining a member of the opposite sex the first time that person visits your boat.

My guess is that the odds favor the later option, as far as this idea is concerned.

[atoll]

i like the sex anology,but one has to consider if making your boat a better lightning conductor, if it actuallly increases the probability of attracting a lightning strike?

[sailinman]

aceepting that lightninig does what it wants... you can buy int other ideas as well... that lightning prefers tall objects and paths of least resistance...

if you dont create a path to ground or make it high resistance by not submerging chain would that be safer or less likely for lightning to find a different path or not strike at all...

[Ram]

Science & TechnologyHere is something to read on the subject-

[denverd0n]

The idea of hanging a piece of chain in the water is an age-old idea for mitigating lightning damage. From what I've read, it works as well as anything else. Which is to say, not especially well.

[zeehag]

having sailed thru lightning for a near year, and having been attentive as a NASA engineer's boat was hit not just once but TWICE in 4 yrs, i can honestly say--aint no such a thing as lightning protection. i wear crocs , rubber suit with hood, and have my cat on board. there has never been a recorded event of a gato being hit by lightning. crocs attract nothing.

[Wotname]

Oh gawd, here we go again.

Lets dispel some myths.

1. Lightning goes where it wants to - myth, lightning is electricity and follows the science of EMF and current flow (in gases - air, in liquids - water and in solids - metals, boats etc)

2. Where lightning strikes is unpredictable - mainly true. The problem here is that the process of ionization of the air very difficult to predict given all the variables. However we can predict that it more often strikes higher rather than lower structures and more often strikes conductive structures rather non-conductive one; however it is not truly predictable in any real sense of the word.

3. Lightning takes the path of least resistance to ground - myth. Lightning takes ALL paths to ground in strict accordance with the known rules of current flow. That tells us that the majority of the current flows through the path of least resistance but it also tells us that some current will flow in all parallel paths.

It is hard (impossible?) to predict if you will be struck by lighting and where the arc (current flow though ionized air) will enter the boat however it will usually be the mast. However once the current flow moves into the solids; mast, rigging, grounding cables etc, then it is a bit easier to predict where it will flow. Most will go down the path of least resistance unless that path fails (normally due to heat build up or skin effect on sharp bends) and rest will take all the other paths. After a strike entry and if the path to ground fails sufficiently, the EMF may well be great enough to ionize the air locally resulting in arcs in and around the boat - not good!

As to the OP's question, I think Gord answered it best in post 2

Perhaps this is a reason why chain plates are so named!

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Ram

Science & TechnologyHere is something to read on the subject-

Nice link, thanks for posting it.