Lightning ?

   What happens if your boat is struck by lightning? 

Other than getting off the water, what can you do to help yourself if you are caught a in the path of a storm?

and

If you are sailing a 'non reefing' boat what can be done to put you and your boat in the best position possible ?

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headfry Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 15 Jul 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 359	Post Options Post Reply Quote headfry Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Lightning ? Posted: 31 Mar 05 at 9:44am
	What happens if your boat is struck by lightning? Other than getting off the water, what can you do to help yourself if you are caught a in the path of a storm? and If you are sailing a 'non reefing' boat what can be done to put you and your boat in the best position possible ?

KnightMare Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 08 Feb 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1682	Post Options Post Reply Quote KnightMare Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Mar 05 at 9:50am
	Well I had this converstion with a friend and he said that he had seen a boat struck with lighting and it glowed like a xmass tree and when they went up to help they could see that all the fittings had been blown off of the boat. The guy was ok as the fiberglass insulated him. I think if u r in a storm just try not to touch any of the metal on your boat.


5420 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 16 Mar 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 622	Post Options Post Reply Quote 5420 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Mar 05 at 9:53am
	the best thing you can do is tutal you boat so all the meal is under water so it wont get struk

DannySimpson Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 18 Mar 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 8	Post Options Post Reply Quote DannySimpson Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Mar 05 at 11:30am
	I wouldn't be happy clinging on to an aluminium, steel or even lead keel sticking up from an otherwise flattish sea. Probably best to find a boat with a slightly higher mast and sit next to them as they'll get hit instead
	OmegaPiZeta

Stefan Lloyd Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 03 Aug 04 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1599	Post Options Post Reply Quote Stefan Lloyd Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Mar 05 at 11:38am
	The Merlin class association used to run training events on Lake Bala. We about to start a practice race when the first rumbles of thunder were heard - the storm was obviously coming our way rapidly up the lake. We headed for shore along with several others but the start sequence was not abandoned and most boats stayed on the lake. A few minutes later the storm arrived and one boat was hit by lightning. It came down the mast and charred the hull on the way to its exit point at the transom but the damage was apparently only cosmetic. The crew were wide-eyed but unhurt. At the time I thought the trainers were daft to continue with the start sequence and that remains my opinion today. I will also tell a less cheerful lightning story. In my early teens I belonged to the scouts & I went to one large camp with several hundred boys from all over the county where I lived. There was a big thunderstorm and two brothers leaned on the tent poles as they watched the storm. The tent was struck by lightning and both lads were killed outright. That clearly has implications on what could happen with a metal mast and a direct hit. Edited by Stefan Lloyd

headfry Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 15 Jul 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 359	Post Options Post Reply Quote headfry Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Mar 05 at 11:45am
	I was on a Girl Guide camp (in my younger days) two boys in next field were killed in their tent!! To this day I do not feel happy in a storm, thus the above question was raised.

DannySimpson Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 18 Mar 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 8	Post Options Post Reply Quote DannySimpson Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Mar 05 at 11:52am
	I've not studied this in depth, but in all my time as a sailor I've not heard of anyone dying as a result of lightning strike in a boat. Lots of reports on pretty lights and mastop fittings disapperaring, but with the nice easy route to the sea and all that rubber, why the electricity should 'choose' to pass through a crew I don't know. Perhaps someone could compare likelihood of dying from lightning strike and from being trapped under your boat by your trapeze harness, results copied to ISAF, although this could kickstart massive redundancies in mast builders the world over...
	OmegaPiZeta

KnightMare Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 08 Feb 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1682	Post Options Post Reply Quote KnightMare Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Mar 05 at 12:49pm
	yeah thinking about the tent poles my friends mum was leaning against the pole in the tent and it was struck by lighting, at this point she was wearing a wet suit and this saved her life.


hurricane Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 15 Mar 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1047	Post Options Post Reply Quote hurricane Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Mar 05 at 6:26pm
	the best thing to do is to capsize the boat if at sea and caught in a storm and as you are in water i think you will be fine!

Black no sugar Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 04 Dec 04 Location: Somewhere between Brighton and Lancing Online Status: Offline Posts: 3941	Post Options Post Reply Quote Black no sugar Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Mar 05 at 9:48pm
	As long as you've got time to do it! One of my friends was windsurfing in Normandy with some mates, quite a few years ago. There were a few darks clouds on the horizon and, with the first rumbles, they decided to head back to the beach. A thunderbolt came out of nowhere, hit my friend's mast and fried him! His boom kept the inprint of his hands and his swimsuit melted on his skin OUCH He arrested several times in the ambulance on the way to hospital. Fortunately, he's a GP and was sailing with colleagues. They CPR-ed him and kept him alive... It took him a long time to recover but he still sails. Keen or what?
	Lancing SC