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Old 09-03-2016, 19:06   #1
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Lightning

A Columbia 29 near me was struck today. The owner was napping, awakened by the strike, dozed back off until the smoke from the boat wires brought him up in a panic. A number of his neighbors reported damage to their electronics.

I thought I had skated until I noted that my battery charger was not putting out. Found 1 shorted 50 amp diode on my #3 bank.

More storms headed our way.
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Old 15-03-2016, 07:38   #2
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Re: Lightning

Did he/you/neighbor had a grounding system?

Like a wire from standing rigging to the water or from the mast to keel's bolt?
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Old 16-03-2016, 19:28   #3
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Re: Lightning

Quote:
Originally Posted by stefano_ita View Post
Did he/you/neighbor had a grounding system?

Like a wire from standing rigging to the water or from the mast to keel's bolt?

I have no idea of his setup other than an earlier comment he had made of an an entirely DC system other than his charger.
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Old 17-03-2016, 05:20   #4
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Re: Lightning

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I have no idea of his setup other than an earlier comment he had made of an an entirely DC system other than his charger.

Thanks,

Were you plugged to the dock at that time?
Does your battery charger get burned or only on/off and it came back to life?
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Old 17-03-2016, 12:20   #5
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Re: Lightning

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Thanks,

Were you plugged to the dock at that time?
Does your battery charger get burned or only on/off and it came back to life?

I was on shore power. My charger has an auto-resetting over current device. 1 diode out 6 in the rectifier shorted and the OCD continually cycled until I disconnected the 110vac.

The diodes have been replaced and unit is back in service.

BTW, I will not have a bonded neutral connection on my boat.
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Old 18-03-2016, 14:53   #6
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Re: Lightning

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Originally Posted by Cap Erict3 View Post
I was on shore power. My charger has an auto-resetting over current device. 1 diode out 6 in the rectifier shorted and the OCD continually cycled until I disconnected the 110vac.

The diodes have been replaced and unit is back in service.

BTW, I will not have a bonded neutral connection on my boat.

Thanks.

Just to know, where do you connect the ground of battery charger and other stuff that has a metallic box that need to be grounded? (on the shore, but on the sea?to the keel's bolts?)
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Old 18-03-2016, 17:27   #7
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Re: Lightning

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Originally Posted by stefano_ita View Post
Thanks.

Just to know, where do you connect the ground of battery charger and other stuff that has a metallic box that need to be grounded? (on the shore, but on the sea?to the keel's bolts?)

The negative of my batteries tie to my engine and to my DC buss. The grounds on my AC equipment that tie to a floating buss that is part of my fault detection circuit.

I use ground fault lights to monitor AC circuit insulation
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Old 18-03-2016, 17:31   #8
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Re: Lightning

Have a lightning rod on my steel boat. Not sure what good it will do. Isn't the rod's purpose to dissipate the possibility of a strike instead of attracting it?

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Old 18-03-2016, 17:55   #9
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Re: Lightning

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Have a lightning rod on my steel boat. Not sure what good it will do. Isn't the rod's purpose to dissipate the possibility of a strike instead of attracting it?


My primary purpose for the electrical system design is to avoid electrical shock and lessen electrolysis potential.

While I hope the design kept my damage to a minimum, I suspect it was pure luck. While I feel comfortable with electrical system design, I make no claim to having a handle on lightning.
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Old 19-03-2016, 04:51   #10
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Re: Lightning

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Originally Posted by Cap Erict3 View Post
...............................
........................ I make no claim to having a handle on lightning.
Here's a statement that I can agree with! I continue to accept both sides of the debate. I understand that, if struck by lightning, it's best to provide a route to lead the current quickly to ground (the water) with a large conductive surface area. Conversely, I don't want to present my vessel as the least resistant path for the developing potential of a lightning strike by offering a high conductive point.
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Old 19-03-2016, 07:37   #11
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Re: Lightning

There was a recent thread on this forum regarding lightning [among many...]

Here is a science based resource worth delving into if anyone is interested...

Good luck to us all with regards to lightning...

Bill
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Old 19-03-2016, 07:56   #12
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Re: Lightning

Studying the nature of lightning and lightning management and avoidance is a noble cause.

So far, no one seems to have a good handle on it.

My latest experience with it was at home...lightning strike was on the house. One of those strikes where you hear no resultant thunder because you are at ground zero, only a loud snap when the electrical discharge occurs.

I was laid back in my recliner early evening, post dinner, eyes closed practicing for going to bed later, closed laptop computer laying on my stomach. When the SNAP occurred, I felt a punch to my stomach as if someone poked me firmly with an extended finger, under the computer. Wife sitting adjacent (a few feet away) in her recliner was electrically shocked, but felt it only in her left shoulder.

Computer was undamaged, which was a surprise to me, with no loss of data. No other ill effects on the house or its furnishings or contents.

Up until the time of that strike, numerous strikes had occurred within a couple of miles (distance determined by timing the interval between lightning and thunder) in the preceding few minutes. After that strike, there were no others within several miles.
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Old 19-03-2016, 08:19   #13
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Re: Lightning

Quote:
Originally Posted by wrwakefield View Post
There was a recent thread on this forum regarding lightning [among many...]

Here is a science based resource worth delving into if anyone is interested...

Good luck to us all with regards to lightning...

Bill

EXCUSE ME FOR OT

You have pm but full

I tryed to send you this:

Hi, how are you?

May i ask you, (i'm reading your blog) who does your boat sails and sails performance?

Meaning i calculated that fully loaded your sail area/displ ratio is 14, and over 450 the displ/lengh...meaning a slow heavy cruisier, i would like to know if only by sails with 8-10 kts wind how fast does it sails 40-90-140-from aft ,degreee of wind?
Do you have folding propeller? Saildrive or direct shaft?

Do you consider your boat a motorsailer ?

If you have some ideas here they would be welcome

Sail Area/Displacement Ratio - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

Thanks
Stefano

End ot
Stef
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Old 19-03-2016, 09:53   #14
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Re: Lightning

Quote:
Originally Posted by stefano_ita View Post
EXCUSE ME FOR OT

You have pm but full

I tryed to send you this:

Hi, how are you?

May i ask you, (i'm reading your blog) who does your boat sails and sails performance?

Meaning i calculated that fully loaded your sail area/displ ratio is 14, and over 450 the displ/lengh...meaning a slow heavy cruisier, i would like to know if only by sails with 8-10 kts wind how fast does it sails 40-90-140-from aft ,degreee of wind?
Do you have folding propeller? Saildrive or direct shaft?

Do you consider your boat a motorsailer ?

If you have some ideas here they would be welcome

Sail Area/Displacement Ratio - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

Thanks
Stefano

End ot
Stef
Hi Stefano,

[Temporarily Continuing OT]

I apologize to you and all the others who have tried to contact me via my full PM box.

As I respond to the messages in the PM box Ill be able to make room for new ones, but it seems all you can do is respond and delete.... or have all new messages bounce... and that is our current state.

[This forum has an arcane limit of 50 PM messages (Sailnet offers 500, so we may need to take this conversation there...) and the interface appears to have been designed in the 1980s... It is almost useless for the intended purpose from my experience, and there is no way to offload messages beyond text only export. Ridiculous, but there must be reasons, so we will have to live with it... Thanks for your patience...]


RE: Our Nauticat 43, it sails extremely well being a Sparkman and Stephens design. [This hull design originated as the Nautor Swan 42.]

Our ratios are slightly off due to being over-loaded to cruising weight, but that just makes her a bit stiffer [and there is no coring anywhere...] We glide along at 4 kts in 6 kts of breeze on a beam reach, and when the wind force doubles at 10 kts, she starts moving right along. We take the 1st reef between 20 and 25 kts- depending on circumstances, and the 2nd reef at 35-40 kts; All while keeping the heel angle under 15°...

RE: Do I consider it a motor sailor? More of a sailor that can motor well, and for long distances... [90hp inboard diesel...] We have motored against steady 40kt headwinds in Johnstone straight against ~6 ft wind waves on ~15 ft intervals and kept a steady 7 knots with the engine alone. Perfect for our current cruising grounds...

I am happy to answer more of your questions, but we should probably start a new thread...

Thanks everyone for indulging Stefano and I on our OT sidebar.

Now, back to lightening... but not first-hand thank you...

Cheers!

Bill
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Old 19-03-2016, 11:46   #15
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Re: Lightning

Stefano, I have managed to create some space in my Pm box [for now...] in case you had further questions.

Cheers!

Bill
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