Lightning (as in with thunderstorms)

D

Deimos

Member
Over here at the moment we seem to be having continual thunderstorms and it struck me (excuse the pun) that, on a larger boat you bond the mast to the keel so there is a through electrical path should the mast be struck by lightening. However, what about in a small dinghy. Often out well clear or high land based objects and there is this conducting thing sticking out clear of the water attracting lightening ! (I would think anyway). Obviously you cannot ground the mast but do people go out when there is a risk of lightening ?


It is more of interest as, at the moment we loads of thunderstorms but no wind so I'm not going out anyway. But it's a thought.


Ian
 
I wouldn't be tempted to. You probably could attempt to ground the mast but I'd be afraid to still in a small boat like the Laser. This might just be a silly thought in my head but the thought of epoxy smoking due to the extreme heat of the high electrical current is coming to mind. I don't know how hot it has to be exactly before epoxies break down.
 
In there areas of the US that I have sailed, there is a healthy respect for the power in both the lightning and the winds that can go from calm to 30-40knots before you know what hits you. Many of the junior programs now have someone back at the club monitoring weather radar and will radio out to instructors to bring the kids in as soon as a cell is picked up. Race committees do the same during race days.

That leaves practice and races where you can't get in on time (longer distances races) as the times we really need to keep our eyes out. If it's just a practice day, what's to be gained by going out ? Not worth it IMHO.

I haven't been caught out in a severe one during a laser race in a long time, but if I were, I'd give serious thoughts to capsizing on purpose and possibly going turtle sitting on the bottom of the hull if the lightning were bad enough...
 
phosphor said:
I wouldn't be tempted to. You probably could attempt to ground the mast but I'd be afraid to still in a small boat like the Laser. This might just be a silly thought in my head but the thought of epoxy smoking due to the extreme heat of the high electrical current is coming to mind. I don't know how hot it has to be exactly before epoxies break down.
Click to expand...

A direct lightning hit will put a hole right thru a hull, think of it as a really high powered laser (no pun intended)...
 
A few years ago, the Class magazine showed a pic of a laser after being hit by lightning. The entire hull joint was split from the bow to the cockpit, and the deck was blown upwards. The sailor was thrown 20 feet I believe, but sailed the next day. I think it was in Oz.

We called a race last Tues, sailed in during rain and lightning. Even getting in the fleet of moored big boats made me feel better. After 15 mins or so, we went back out and did 2 races in 25-30.

Al
 
The was a picture in The Laser Sailor last year showing a boat that was hit by lighting. If I remember correctly, the front of the deck and part of the hull were missing. Not an event one should want to experience!
 
wouldn't myself, and if caught out I think I would have little choice but to capsize (given the gusts). I remember stories about larger boats where the keel is cased in fibreglass and the glass is all "blown-off" the keel (i.e. even when mast and keel are electrically bonded).


Ian
 
At Sarasota, Florida in the late 1980's, a young lady was heading back to the club in her Laser trying to avoid a Labor Day thunderstorm. I happened to be looking that way from my Suicide boat when a bolt came down and struck the Laser mast. It threw some nearby Windsurfing guys in the water, but they later claimed that it was more from the shock of the noise rather than electrical shock. Kathy was absolutely unhurt except for a very temporary hearing loss. The Laser, however, looked like the proverbial exploding cigar. The bow was blown outward. Apparently the suddenly expanding steam of water inside the boat blasted it outward. The boat was never successfully repaired. Interestingly the mast seemed to be OK.
 
I think I have the answer. If we ground the mast to one of these:
flux_capacitor.jpg


We can harness the 1.21 gigawatts in the lightning strike, and send the Laser straight into [FONT=&quot]Ludicrous Speed.

Probably not class legal, but I think I know somebody that might take the idea and run with it. :D
[/FONT]
 
49208 said:
I think I have the answer. If we ground the mast to one of these:
flux_capacitor.jpg


We can harness the 1.21 gigawatts in the lightning strike, and send the Laser straight into [FONT=&quot]Ludicrous Speed. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Probably not class legal, but I think I know somebody that might take the idea and run with it. :D[/FONT]
Click to expand...

I have Michael J. Fox's number on speed dial, if I call him he can take us back...TO THE FUTURE <---
 
49208 said:
I think I have the answer. If we ground the mast to one of these:
flux_capacitor.jpg


We can harness the 1.21 gigawatts in the lightning strike, and send the Laser straight into [FONT=&quot]Ludicrous Speed. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Probably not class legal, but I think I know somebody that might take the idea and run with it. :D[/FONT]
Click to expand...

Not to mention Mel Brooks. We've gone to plaid.
 
If you do go out in the lightening I reccomend taking some buddies out as well. With more mast out there your chances of being struck go down. With 5 boats you are 20% likely to be struck. With 10 boats you are at 10%.
 
Dosn't matter if the mast is connected to the keel or not really.
If you get hit by lightning it will chose the easiest path in the case of the laser it will go streight down through the boat, make a hole under the mast and probably blow the hull apart from the pressure (depending on the strenght of the lightning).

With bigger boats the lightning tends to split some will go down the mast wile some of it will go through other parts of the rigg, when it hits the end of the rigg it will pretty much aim for whatever water is closes and just punch holes through the boat.

At least thats what I've read when reading things written by lightning experts =P

Don't have any experience with boats badly damaged by lightning but I've seen bigger boats who has made it (not very powerfull lightning) with some cables grouding the rigg to the water.
I really doubt that it would help in lasers though as the lightning will probably just go streight down the mast and punch a hole under the mast anyway.

jamesfreedman said:
If you do go out in the lightening I reccomend taking some buddies out as well. With more mast out there your chances of being struck go down. With 5 boats you are 20% likely to be struck. With 10 boats you are at 10%.
Click to expand...

Thats not true, of course, with 10 boats there is a 10% chanse that it's you if anyone has to get hit.
I'm no thunderstorm scientist but I know that if you stack up more boats the likelyness of the lightning to hit one gets higher.
 
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