Good to hear that you are OK, sh1t like that can ruin your whole day.

When you think about it, being in the wrong place at the wrong time means you weren't there at all. You were in the wrong place at the right time, or conversely, the right place at the wrong time.

Check all your through hulls as soon as you can if you don't have a grounding system . So glad your OK SC

Wow, charriot, so glad you're okay. Tell me, did you know the storm was coming and decide it was a million to one? I think I'd be getting off the boat myself, but who knows where you're safer.

I watched the storm coming over as I was driving and ABC 702 were talking to listeners who were where it had already passed. I saw one of the thickest bolts of lightning I've ever seen come down somewhere just west of Mosman.

It's good to hear experiences like these two; anyone else been struck either whilst in the boat or not?

An experience like that could be enough to turn you into a landlubber. Glad to hear you are still with us.

Has anyone got any good informative links for wiring against lightening

It does try and find the easiest path
My thought were a heavy lead from the mast to the engine gear box and prop and sharft
What is hate is if it blew out some sea cocks

LooseChange said..

HG02 said..
Has anyone got any good informative links for wiring against lightening

When it's your time to get zapped, you will get zapped. To protect your wiring will be more good luck then good design. A typical lightning bolt will be in the order of 3.3 million volts and amperage has been recorded as high as 200,000 amps, though 20,000 to 30,000 is more average.

After I got zapped I read extensively on the subject!! Bit late but, you never know. I've met one person who's been nailed 3 times in his career, twice whilst aboard..
The US Navy has spent billions on research to try to stop damage from lightning.....conclusion : if you are in the wrong place etc etc.

The definite information I got :
1
In an electrical storm, if possible, totally disconnect from the power source as many things as possible. Turning off at the powerboard / distribution board / instrument panel may not be enough as the voltage can and probably will jump the switch gap. The lightning travels round the negative wiring so I am told, as a common earth is usually used.
2 : Put all possible gear ( especially back up GPS, computers, hand held GPS, mobile phones and all spare batteries) into oven or microwave or biscuit tin. These act as a Faraday's Cage.....Ah, yes...I remember it now! At least these bits of gear will be OK. When we were hit, ALL our mobile phone batteries went instantly flat and our AAA battery digital clocks all reset to 1200 hrs!....don't ask me how!
3 : Turn OFF your mast head TV amplifier! Possibly where I went wrong. And don't use the VHF...I would strongly suggest totally disconnecting it...power lead and aerial lead out of the back of the unit. We were hit in a remote location and communication afterwards was an issue as we were out of mobile range and we had no spare handheld VHF ( which I should have had). Fortunately another vessel helped us.
4 : Carry a spare VHF aerial and aerial cable so that an emergency rig can be set up on deck or on masthead halliard.....after a strike your old one will be frazzled into the shape of a question mark and of no further use. Spare VHF aerials easy to get from Whitworths....wrap it up, store it away and one day you might be very glad you did.

I have read that some old salts have wrapped their anchor chain around the mast base and over the side into the briny to provide a "line of least resistance". Sounds like as reasonable idea but can get gnarly on the deck finish. No evidence that it necessarily works though.

Glad you're ok

Read this after a posting on the windsurfing forum, glad to hear you are ok.

Just wanted to mention something I recently read in a book about Captain Cook, when he left england one of the new "hi tech" innovations he had fitted to the Endeavour was a lightning chain, this would be hoisted to the top of the mast and was connected "to a point below the waterline". This conducted the lightning down rather than it splitting the mast. His ship was struck several times and the chains saved them from serious damage.

The book is Cook, by Rob Mundle, a most enjoyable read.

WazzaYotty said..

LooseChange said..

HG02 said..
Has anyone got any good informative links for wiring against lightening

When it's your time to get zapped, you will get zapped. To protect your wiring will be more good luck then good design. A typical lightning bolt will be in the order of 3.3 million volts and amperage has been recorded as high as 200,000 amps, though 20,000 to 30,000 is more average.

After I got zapped I read extensively on the subject!! Bit late but, you never know. I've met one person who's been nailed 3 times in his career, twice whilst aboard..
The US Navy has spent billions on research to try to stop damage from lightning.....conclusion : if you are in the wrong place etc etc.

The definite information I got :
1
In an electrical storm, if possible, totally disconnect from the power source as many things as possible. Turning off at the powerboard / distribution board / instrument panel may not be enough as the voltage can and probably will jump the switch gap. The lightning travels round the negative wiring so I am told, as a common earth is usually used.
2 : Put all possible gear ( especially back up GPS, computers, hand held GPS, mobile phones and all spare batteries) into oven or microwave or biscuit tin. These act as a Faraday's Cage.....Ah, yes...I remember it now! At least these bits of gear will be OK. When we were hit, ALL our mobile phone batteries went instantly flat and our AAA battery digital clocks all reset to 1200 hrs!....don't ask me how!
3 : Turn OFF your mast head TV amplifier! Possibly where I went wrong. And don't use the VHF...I would strongly suggest totally disconnecting it...power lead and aerial lead out of the back of the unit. We were hit in a remote location and communication afterwards was an issue as we were out of mobile range and we had no spare handheld VHF ( which I should have had). Fortunately another vessel helped us.
4 : Carry a spare VHF aerial and aerial cable so that an emergency rig can be set up on deck or on masthead halliard.....after a strike your old one will be frazzled into the shape of a question mark and of no further use. Spare VHF aerials easy to get from Whitworths....wrap it up, store it away and one day you might be very glad you did.

I have read that some old salts have wrapped their anchor chain around the mast base and over the side into the briny to provide a "line of least resistance". Sounds like as reasonable idea but can get gnarly on the deck finish. No evidence that it necessarily works though.

Great suggestions. Thanks!