Lightning Strikes

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by sabray

Okay so is the mast deck stepped or keel stepped.suggesting having no protection which I take is no direct ground path is bad advice,

my friend's boat is keel stepped and designed to cruise. built in canada.
the one i sailed in gom was hit in similar fashion--i wasnt there--but the report was that only the autopilot face was damaged when hit. no other damage--also keel stepped, but is over 55 ft tall. we sailed that in lightning storms for anear year sans hit--he was hit at dock, only 50 yards from the bad luck charley who has/had the 2 strikes in 4 yrs and sunk boat due to lightning protection on a beneteau 55......(the nasa engineer!)

i choose not to protect, and that is my choice--from what i have found, experience wise, is safer to be sans protection and under way than withit in a dock situation. i am currently in a dock situation sans protection. many near me have protection, so i am prolly not in too much danger what with nightly lightning shows....

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by Kefaa

In the 1800s possibly, as the ability to truly redirect the current/voltage/amps did not exist. Today the science favors the prepared.

A "taller" tree is unlikely the path of least resistance as it lacks all the nice copper plumbing, grounds, etc, our homes have in place.

Its funny you say in the 1800s as that is all the experiance I have with them ...I reclaim log houses and barns from the period and a lot of them have rods that were made at that time..I sell them (the wind directional and the pretty colored glass balls that have some sort of metal sheet in them that glow and then burn out when struck) for 300.00 for the directional and glass ball..The tips are made of zinc(?) and they curl up when struck and I have taken many down that have been struck,so maybe they do work after all,the houses are still standing a hundred yrs. later...DVC

[sabray]

Keel stepped that is protection / diirect path. Real simple big conductor sticks way up like a pole or mast is not something to go hug in a storm. Can we agree that hugging conductive big tall aluminum things in a storm is bad. Now it's bad because it is capable more then other material to conduct it also is placed in a way that reaches out. Now if it's capable to
Transfer the energy directly it has less chance to let said charge go bouncing all about. Similar is a drogue it transfers energy. Starting to get the idea of sailng? We transfer energy with the most efficient method available.

[zeehag]

mykeel stepped direct path goes into concrete and my direct path is of wood. unless ye mean the lower bobstay fitting-- but that path would fry me jib....bu ti refuse to place additional lightn9ng rod activity into my boat--i dont ask f or trouble when it is all around me and i am just fine.
doesnt make sense to add a pathway so it comes to you---unless you are going to dock a few slips away from me with it so i am safer....
i think this place has more lightning than florida..been to fla in lightning season---been here in lightning season--wow!!! is very exciting.

[goldiphlox]

Originally Posted by tropicalescape

The greatest con ever pulled on the general public was the Lighting Rod..if there are trees taller than your house would not that suffice as opposed to directing it to your house?!..DVC

Well...I may not know jack.....but being that I live in Ft Myers Fl...which some people call the lightning capital of the world I questioned my rigging guys about the benefits of a lightning rod and they said exactly almost word for word what you just said....now they could have easily taken my money and installed one for me....but they did not

[zeehag]

goldie--we in similar boat---just different parts of world---similar problems with lightning season...stay safe--keep sailing..LOL

where do ye keep your boat in ft myers?/ we were in moss marina and on moorings at matanzas...the pizza was awesome .... was a good place--i hope i can enter there with a 6'6 draft....

[sabray]

Originally Posted by goldiphlox

Well...I may not know jack.....but being that I live in Ft Myers Fl...which some people call the lightning capital of the world I questioned my rigging guys about the benefits of a lightning rod and they said exactly almost word for word what you just said....now they could have easily taken my money and installed one for me....but they did not

So what is your rig. Saying that adding something is a waste is okay. Question is how is you are set now. How is your mast stepped? Is there a ground strap? Why do they think added stuff is not neccessary? Zee is just throwing out illogical garbage and can not see how direct path. helps. Very bad science zee go Hug that big pole. Most people think this s bad idea. Since you are non Bonded go stand next to the big connector and let us know if you survive the side flash.

[j dragon]

Hay Z, I thought the reason you never had a strike is because you have a cat and ware crocks. Cats never get struck and nothing is attracted to crocks.

[goldiphlox]

[QUOTE=zeehag;996104]goldie--we in similar boat---just different parts of world---similar problems with lightning season...stay safe--keep sailing..LOL

where do ye keep your boat in ft myers?/ we were in moss marina and on moorings at matanzas...the pizza was awesome .... was a good place--i hope i can enter there with a 6'6 draft....[/QUOTE
I am at Fort Myers Boat Club Marina just north of where you were on the Caloosahatchee River. It's awesome where you were but more congested with boats and being i am a newb i didnt want to crash into anyones bazillion dollar yacht...lol
My boat is alot smaller than yours...24' with a 2.67' shoal draft...knowing how shallow our local waters are...tis was one of my deciding factors for purchasing this boat....6.6 is pretty steep....idk....i don't have the experience to handle that....but apparently you do....if i told you about my experience of when i bought the boat andthe guy i purchased it from helped me sail it across the river to its current location you would lyao.....all i'm sayin is you probably shouldnt sing the theme song from gilligans island before your maiden voyage! Lmao

[zeehag]

" Zee is just throwing out illogical garbage and can not see how direct path. helps. Very bad science zee go Hug that big pole. Most people think this s bad idea. Since you are non Bonded go stand next to the big connector and let us know if you survive the side flash."

nonesense???? roflmfao--i only sailed thru the stuff in fla for a near year and i only spend my lightning season in lightningville, mexico-- as i CRUISE instead of sail a desk--
so i know nothing??
i also was a near miss at age 3 yrs by phenomenon known as ball lightning, particular to those higher elevation areas such as denver.. no - - i know absolutely nothing--which is what EVERYONE actually knows of lightning.
dont forget--even the scientists who study the stuff state there is no actual prediction nor protection from the stuff.
are you a lightning specialist????
try sailing thru it and living in it for a few years. i suggest you place the latest nasa engineering updated special on your boat--lets watch as it is hit and befouled mercilessly by the stuff we do not want on board our boats.

i was raised in an environment of engineers and engineering. those engineers were smart-- saludatorian from rensselear polytechnic institute. therefore i know nothing about anything scientific. nothing at all......rethink, pal. just beause i cannot type doesnt make me stoopit. neither does having lightning EXPERIENCE...LOL

oh, yes, the saludatorian was a friend of tesla and did work with him. i learned a lot from this man--was my grandpoppa, the one of smartest men on earth.

mebbe those who diss me should see what i have seen thru my eyes as regards lightning....and should have heard what my grandpoppa taught me...LOL--if ye had this knowledge, ye wouldnt attract lightning to a boat in the salty ocean...just look at the NASA ENGINEER WHO LOST HIS BOAT NOT JUST ONE TIME BUT TWICE TO LIGHTNING, COMPLETE WITH HIS FANCY AND SMARTLY ENGINEERED BS INSTALLED...

never forget that the individual who hasnt anything more of intelligence to say will go on the personal attack, as you have done to me.


"Hay Z, I thought the reason you never had a strike is because you have a cat and ware crocks. Cats never get struck and nothing is attracted to crocks."

true dat--makes as much sense as the crap sold to attract lightning to your boat instead of letting it hit elsewhere....

[sabray]

My 27 footer had a 2 inch heavy gauge copper strap that went to sea ground, why ? Zee you are way wrong and advocating something that is bad practice. Direct path ground of a mast is good practice. Little Brillo things stuck topside and other stuff may add zip. What you are advocating is dangerous. Bad practice, I didn't get hit does not work here.

[goldiphlox]

Originally Posted by sabray

So what is your rig. Saying that adding something is a waste is okay. Question is how is you are set now. How is your mast stepped? Is there a ground strap? Why do they think added stuff is not neccessary? Zee is just throwing out illogical garbage and can not see how direct path. helps. Very bad science zee go Hug that big pole. Most people think this s bad idea. Since you are non Bonded go stand next to the big connector and let us know if you survive the side flash.

Please don't pick on me...i am too boat blonde at the moment to answer these questions....but being very cute ...i have many very experienced people ready to help me....and so i ask them....i will find out how i am set up and get back to you on that....all im saying is the very experienced guys from Ocean Rigging, who have worked on thousands of boats that have had lightning damage....have told me that they have seen no benefit in having a lightning rod.... i will add though....the last time i was on my boat and a major lightning storm brewed...i hopped off and went home....i guess if i can't do that when i am out at sea....i'll bring my cat!!

[zeehag]

sabray---

ye wanna dictate right and wrong in a non exact science????
get reality oriented.
you lose.
is not an exact science, as medicine is not an exact science.
there are NO rules governing lightning strikes.
there are NO rules governing where or when or how intense is the damage from lightning strikes.
there is no right and wrong. get a reality check, guy.
when did you rewrite science, sabray???
i bet ye didnt --seems ye should at least sail for a near year in the stuff or spend a coupla years in lightning central before ye diss someone's knowledge base and EXPERIENCE with something.
seems the folks with least experience and knowledge have to resort to disrespect of those who have been there-- there is no reason to diss someone just because their experience is not same as yours.
with lightning, that will ALWAYS be the case.
not every lightning experience will be exactly same--is because lightning follows no rules. it makes own path and follows path of least resistance.
so why is keeping that path away from you a wrong???
re-educate, mon-- loosen up and realize lightning studies are from desks, not from in it. be IN it before you continue to diss those who live in it and sail in it actively.

goldie--is all good---ye will be fine as long as a less resistant pathway is nearby. be safe and dont over think or over engineer anything. over engineering is a big problem--causes troubles where there were none.

wear crocs,also-they attract nothing...

[j dragon]

This is the only lightning protection system that has any scientific basis.
Science & Technology

[sabray]

Wow I didnt pick on any one I asked for detail. Someone said being unprotected is good. I said you have some protection inherent to your design. The design Of the boat you used as an example that was hit had mast stepped on keel. . Advocating no protection without explanation of design is bad form. added protection and having protection are different, not reccomending more is different then having having enough.