I think if your "lightning rod" rig ever did get hit, you'd find that the heat from the bolt instantaneously melted the halyard to which it was tied....
Which would result in the how rig dropping 50 feet to your deck. Not sure how the deck would fair... Add to that injury the insult that the stuff that was dropping (the wood, the copper, the chain) was probably still on fire or certainly glowing red. Which may set the deck on fire or at least scar it... Unless it was a wire halyard. But the bolt may yet still melt the nicropress that forms the eye in the halyard..... Food for thought. -Keith -----Original Message----- From: Jack Brennan [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2012 16:56 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Stus-List Isaac: Lightning on the hard I fashioned a home-made lightning rod for my boat. I bought some thin copper tubing and strapped a four-foot section to a piece of hardwood, then attached 40 feet of no. 4 electrical cable to the tubing. To provide support for the cable, I ran 40 feet of line tied together at set intervals. At the bottom of the cable, I used a ground strap to connect the cable to a length of chain, with the rest of the copper tubing wrapped around the chain to provide plenty of edge for the lightning to disperse. The line, of course, is also tied to the chain. The idea is to straighten the flexible tube at the top, then run it up a spare halyard so the copper tubing is above the VHF antenna. Toss the chain overboard and you have a direct connection to ground without using your rigging. Of course, the best-laid plans ... I had lightning strike very close a couple of months ago. But I was anchoring in a cove at the time to wait out the storm and hadn't had time yet to deploy the lightning rod. A charge from the lightning zapped, oddly, my battery monitor and my 110-volt battery charger, both old pieces of gear. Everything else was fine. -----Original Message----- From: Martin DeYoung Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2012 4:40 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Stus-List Isaac: Lightning on the hard >> ...but grounding it also makes it attract lightning. As there are now >> many grounded boats, It's now likely that the safe boats are the ones >> not grounded. << This statement differs from my understanding, granted I am no expert but I have read much on the topic and have sailed (mid-Pacific, Lake Ontario, and Puget Sound) with lightning striking the water within sight. The theory I put the most stock in refers to the difference in potential between the boat and the static charge (lightning's energy). For example; if the ocean around your boat all has a plus 2 charge (++) and your mast has a plus 4 charge (++++) then the mast looks better than the near by water. When underway and faced with a lightning storm I would drag jumper cables, chain, large gauge wire etc over the side with the other end attached to Calypso's rod rigging. My expectation is connecting or bonding the sea to the mast would equalize the potential between them reducing the attractiveness of the mast to the lighting energy. I am most interested in any experiences that support or refute this strategy in advance of my next lighting storm sail. Martin Calypso 1971 C&C 43 Seattle -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2012 1:27 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Stus-List Isaac: Lightning on the hard Hi, On Saturday, the weather predictions had Isaac a cat 2 hurricane heading right for us. The travel lift at my marina was working over time, and by afternoon the boat yard ran out of stands and were only hauling out those who had their own stands. My boat remained at the slip, and I prepared for the storm. Fortunately for us, the path went more to the west, and we experienced tropical storm winds and a 5-6 foot surge. The only damage occurred to a sailboat which was hauled out. It was struct by lightning which blew out two transducers in the hull and burned a line along the hull from the keel forward to a chain which cross-connected the forward metal stands( due to the full keel, the chain actually touched the bottom of the hull). The keel was stepped on wooden blocks so it appears that the easiest electrical ground path was through the stands. In short time, this incidence inspired many to ground their boats. One guy, actually has battery cables connecting his shrouds to a piece of rebar pounded into the ground. I never though much about grounding (or bonding) a boat on the hard before, but I am not yet convinced that it is a good thing. Yes, if my boat is hit by lightning, I would want it well grounded, but grounding it also makes it attract lightning. As there are now many grounded boats, It's now likely that the safe boats are the ones not grounded. - Paul E. s/v Johanna Rose Carrabelle, FL _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com [email protected] _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com [email protected] _______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com [email protected]
