Safe sailing

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Safe sailing

Postby Guest » Thu Jun 14, 2001 4:27 pm

So does anyone want to venture forth ideas or suggestions for lightning protection for DSII. Besides not going out in a thunderstorm. Has anyone tried any of the static dissapation devices or special grounding .

Russ (russellr-at-islc.net)
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Postby Guest » Thu Jun 14, 2001 5:23 pm

Good topic! I am also interested in lightning protection measures. I sail in Tampa bay and, this time of the year, a storm can come out of no-where. Some say this is the lightning capital. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Calvin Trotter (calvin.g.trotter-at-saint-gobain.com)
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Postby Guest » Fri Jun 15, 2001 10:05 am

I wish I had a sure-fire, guarranteed method to prevent Lightning strikes to Day Sailers, but I do have one bit of advice....if your boat ever does get struck, replace the shrouds before you use the boat again! My DS II got struck by Lightning on her mooring about 11 years before I bought her, the shrouds had actually been melted where they passed over the spreaders. The owner at the time ended up breaking one of them while sailing in a gentle breeze a few days after the storm. The lightning also appeared to have blown a hole in the bottom on the boat as well.

Rod Johnson (rjohnson24-at-juno.com)
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Postby Guest » Wed Jun 20, 2001 4:34 pm

i am new with the day sailer but i have had this problem before with my hobie cat. a couple of years ago one of my hobies got struck by lightning, it went down the mast, through the dolphin striker in to the hulls and blew huge holes where the boat was against the rolers on the trailer and went to the ground. it killed a rabbit that was under the boat and completly distroyed the hulls on my boat. i have replaced the hulls for that boat and bought another boat since then. but ever since that happened i have tied a copper wire on the dolphin striker and ran it to a stake in the ground. after the storms i go and check the boats and there are arks on all of the boats were the wires are connected.
if you leave your daysailer parked in the water i cant help you. but if you park your boat on the trailer i would drop the mast and/or run a copper wire from the mast to the trailer or to a stake in the ground. that way the lightning doesnt blow a hole in you boat. but if you do try this on any boat i highly suggest you check your shrouds after the storm is over

John Paul (John316live-at-aol.com)
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Postby Guest » Wed Jun 20, 2001 5:18 pm

You could also employ the sheep approach. When the wolf comes, he only takes one from the herd--usually the weakest/slowest/etc...

How's this apply to sailboats and lightning you say? Simple. Store your boat next to a boat w/ a taller mast than yours! :^) Caught in a storm on the lake? Get close to that Catalina 32 w/ the 35' mast. It's true some of the bolt could arc to your mast, but the bulk of the energy will follow the best and shortest path to ground and that won't be you.

I've talked w/ a windsurfer from New Mexico who was struck by lightning. Blew a hole in his board, scared the heck out of him, but he survived unscathed. Contrary to what some think, you want the most conductive mast you can find if you are struck. You want the mast to be a MUCH better path to ground than yourself.

Kevin Clark (kevin.clark-at-usa.alcatel.com)
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