Jim Witt
Winters, CA
Boat Name: Sea Ya
Model/Year: Cat 22 ' 1974
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Lake Berryessa |
 08/03/2004 1:28 PM Pacific Time
I was recently sailing on Lake Tahoe in my 1974 22' Catalina and a lightning storm came up. Coast Guard advised all boats off the Lake since multiple lake stikes were expected. Does anyone know if the Catalina boats (and my model) are grounded for lighnting strilkes? The internet depicts some nasty results if hit (hulls blown out and possible sinking). Does Catalina make a lightning grounding retrofit? |
Paul David
Melbourne Australia
Boat Name: Reflections
Model/Year: 1986
Hull No. 13369
Hailing Port: Melbourne Australia |
08/03/2004 11:07 PM Pacific Time
No and No. This topic was covered a few years ago, and someone suggested trailing a jumper lead or thick braided wire from the mast overboard and into the water, but could not guarantee effectiveness. Best defense is prevention and get off the water.
Reflections |
Bob Keim
Nashville
Boat Name: Pursuit
Model/Year: C22/1976
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Nashville |
08/04/2004 4:44 AM Pacific Time
It would be too easy to run grounding straps from the shourds, stays and mast to the keel. Since I am replacing what looks to be the original standing rigging on my '76, this seems to be a good use for the old wire. Maybe some should be run to the keel cable winch and others to the keel hold down bolt. |
Artur Piotrowski
Burlington, Ct
Boat Name: Spirit
Model/Year: C22 1986
Hull No. 13485
Hailing Port: Bantam, Ct |
08/04/2004 6:09 AM Pacific Time
Sounds like a good idea but how're you going to test it.
Is it really going to make you feel safer in the storm?
-Spirit #13485 |
Al Gearing
Burleson, Texas
Boat Name: Torch of Freedom
Model/Year: C-22 '76
Hull No. 6448
Hailing Port: Arlington YC |
08/04/2004 6:17 AM Pacific Time
As mentioned above, there was a long discussion on lighting a few years back with many different techniques and results. If I can sum it up:
Do what you can to discharge the static build-up, as trailing a braid and/or tieing all metal to something in the water.
Then pray that that is enough. If lighening decides to strike, and hits hard, nothing that man can do will stop the distruction.
Al Ge |
Boat Name:
Model/Year:
Hull No.
Hailing Port: |
08/04/2004 6:50 AM Pacific Time
Knock on wood. I'm not for a grounded hull. Which is mainly used to stop electrolysis from occurring between different metal parts in close proximity to each other and you're running shore power
.
Lightning is mega volts and if you are under its scrutiny you're cooked along with your hull. If you are that worried about it don't sail when it's in your area and follow the USCG's directions. |
Louis
Mobile, AL.
Boat Name: Moon-Raine
Model/Year: 1989
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Mobile, Al. |
06/26/2006 7:32 AM Pacific Time
I was sailing my just bought 22 yesterday on Mobile Bay, and along came an afternoon thunderstorm. The forum answered my question about whether or not I can get struck, the only problem I see is that when I'm out on the bay during a beautiful day, one of these storms can pop up with horrible lightning and there not be sufficient time to get back to port. I guess my only solution would be to pray!............. |
Paul Moore
Tucker, Georgia
Boat Name: Me Too
Model/Year: 1986
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Atlanta, GA |
08/01/2006 7:55 AM Pacific Time
Here's a good article on lightning effects and prevention on a sailboat - http://www.thomson.ece.ufl.edu/lightning/SGEB17.html He does suggest that sailaboats are a little bit safer than open boats, and safer still are larger sailboats in salt water, since it's a better conductor. Doesn't make me feel too safe on a 22 on a lake. The goal seems to be just to minimize arcs by providing as direct a path to the water as possible. And the hope is not really to prevent a strike altogether, just minimize the chances of fatal injury.
After a recent strike directly overhead with my buddy standing on the deck, I'm going to try the cable overboard technique. My plan is to hang heavy jumper cables down into the water from atleast one stay on each side and from the forestay. That way you get a pretty straight line down to the water, it encourages the voltage to travel away from the cockpit, and if hung deep enough, hopefully avoid hull damage. And make sure my buddy gets off the deck in thunderstorms.
If anyone's still interested in this topic, I do have some questions I've wondered about.
1. Is it safer up in a cove or harbor? It's certainly my inclination to find a protected area, but not sure it's any safer. Maybe the chances of a strike don't change, just puts you closer to assistance in case you are hit. Could the presence of taller masts make our mast less of a target?
2. Wonder if the stainless mast support post on the newer boats was intended to provide any additional grounding of the mast to the water? Wonder if it would?
Thanks,
Paul |
Peter
South Daytona, Florida
Boat Name: (Working On A Name)
Model/Year: C-22, 1974
Hull No. 2679
Hailing Port: South Daytona, Florida |
08/01/2006 11:42 AM Pacific Time
Hi Paul,
Take a look at the information at this site: http://www.stewartfam.net/arlyn/lightning2.html
Take note of the information under the heading - Arrestor. I personally like this approach. An ungrounded mast will not necessarily attract lightning, not saying that it won't get hit. The moment you ground it, that's a different story. I live near a marina in Daytona Beach, and I seldom hear of sailboats getting hit by lightning, yet you have this huge aluminum masts sticking up in the air. The following is taken from the end of his article.
-"If you invite the monster aboard (by grounding), you better be prepared to deal with it." I think those are very wise words. Many small boat sailors use less than adequate schemes in the hopes that doing something is better than nothing... that may not be true in the case of lightning.-
Let me known what you think.
Peter |
Christopher Dube
Mansfield Texas
Boat Name: Gypsey Girl
Model/Year: C-22 1977
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Joe Pool Lake |
03/04/2007 6:26 AM Pacific Time
I was a First Mate abord an 90' Aluminum Research vessel that was hit directly on the VHF Whip antenna. I was below at the time and heard a very loud "BANG" followed by three short blasts on ships horn. I went up to the pilot house and found my skipper on his back , on the wheel house floor. As I steped into the wheel house he started screaming for me to get out which I found very strange since I was trying to help him. As I looked around the wheel house I noticed that anything that was mounted to the overhead , like the VHF,ALL RADIOS, LORAN {its been awile} were blown completely off their mounts. The VHF Whip when new was about 12' tall. Now it looked like a sizzled 1' hair. WOW! We returned to our dock and disembarked our charter. Latter, when I asked my skipper why he screamed for me to get out of the cabin he said. " All I could see was grey" Apparently, all the air particals were charged and blinded him temporarly. I took the helm while he recovered, and then went below to the engine room to inspect for fire and any other dammage. I will never forget it. I to belive in the " dont invite it with ground " idea. But remember ! Thats just an idea. Chris... |
Christopher Dube
Mansfield Texas
Boat Name: Gypsey Girl
Model/Year: C-22 1977
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Joe Pool Lake |
03/04/2007 6:30 AM Pacific Time
Addition to the post above. My skipper told me to get out of the wheel house so I to would not become incapacitated. I was the only other crew member. Chris. |
Greg Baker
Charlotte, NC
Boat Name: Sea Sharp Minor
Model/Year: Catalina 22 - 1984 - Swing Keel
Hull No. 11823
Hailing Port: Lake Norman Sailing Club |
03/05/2007 7:11 AM Pacific Time
I don't understand the "don't come in the wheel house" argument. The lightning doesn't "linger" in the area it strikes. The captain’s temporary blindness was most likely caused by the bright flash which certainly accompanied the strike. You obviously did go in the wheel house and take control of the boat without injury right? |
Howard Friedman
Pisgah Forest, NC
Boat Name: Forspacious Seas
Model/Year: Wing - 1989
Hull No. 14907
Hailing Port: Lake Keowee-Seneca, SC |
03/05/2007 7:31 AM Pacific Time
I had a 1975 Catalina 22 that I sailed on Biscayne Bay in Miami. I got stuck in a horrendous lightning storm that scared the bejesus out of me with every closer thunderous crack. I could barely see more than a few feet in front of me as it turned very dark. As I had the swing keel, I just headed into the mangroves figuring that they would give me protection and that it would be easy to kick off if I grounded. Fortunately, nothing happenned. This got me to thinking about the whole grounding issue so I called Catalina yachts and spoke with Frank Butler, the boat designer. He said that the boat was not grounded intentionally as grounding could cause other issues that could be worse. He would not give me any specific details for legal reasons but stood by the ungrounded condition and suggested that I leave it that way. This jives with some of the previous advise on this link. Miami is the lightening capital of the U.S. and I never heard or saw any major lightening damage except to electronics, in the marinas that I was at. |
Christopher Dube
Mansfield Texas
Boat Name: Gypsey Girl
Model/Year: C-22 1977
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Joe Pool Lake |
03/12/2007 3:59 PM Pacific Time
Greg , Yes I did go into the wheel house without injury. As I remember, when I asked why he told me to stay out his reply was that he worried about me also having tempory blindness due to the " Air Particals " being electricly charged. After the way that wheel house looked I would have believed anything. He also just went through a very tramatic few moments and my not have been thinking all that great. As it turned out , he took a few moments to shake it off and then gave me the helm as he went below to inspect for fire / dammage. |
Chip Ford
Marblehead, MA
Boat Name: Chip Ahoy
Model/Year: 1974-Swing Keel
Hull No. CTY032820374
Hailing Port: Marblehead, Mass. |
03/13/2007 2:54 AM Pacific Time
After two experiences in terrific lightning storms, I bought into the argument that ungrounded C22s are pretty much safe from strikes. I was wrong.
The first was on a cruise when caught in a lightning storm some three miles offshore. One bolt struck just behind the dinghy I was towing 20 feet behind in open ocean -- the flash-bang levitated me from my seat at the tiller, in that split second I thought the gas tank had exploded under me. My buddy, who happened to be looking aft was wide-eyed, gasped that the bolt hit just behind the dinghy. Not only was "Chip Ahoy" the tallest thing around -- it was the ONLY thing around.
The second was at a dock in Portsmouth, NH, on my annual extended cruise. One night a ferocious front moved through -- nastiest lightning storm I've ever seen in my life, howling wind. Lightning was, as I described in the cruise log, like a machine gun fire-fight. My mast was the tallest around. I sat up most of the night during the two-front squalls waiting to abandon ship when it got hit. It never did.
I was feeling pretty good about "Chip Ahoy" being probably protected by being ungrounded -- until last summer, when it got hit sitting out on its mooring. The strike blew up the mast-top VHF antenna's ceramic base, probably vaporized the metal antenna mast, and fried all connected electronics (and many but not all light bulbs aboard, go figure), including my old electric-start Tohatsu 9hp outboard -- as well as likely the antenna coax cable and perhaps the mast wiring harness. Fortunately, my insurance paid off for $1,700 worth of damages from that strike. See:
http://www.chipford.com/2006_haul-out2.htm
Top two photos
http://www.chipford.com/cape_062.htm
Photos 4, 6, 7 and 8
Chip Ford --
Marblehead, Mass.
1974 Swing Keel "Chip Ahoy" #3282
CTY032820374
Chip Ahoy website: www.chipford.com
|
Christopher Dube
Mansfield Texas
Boat Name: Gypsey Girl
Model/Year: C-22 1977
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Joe Pool Lake |
03/15/2007 6:32 AM Pacific Time
Wow Chip !!!!!!!! Thats one thing I hate with a passion. "Lightning". So, it sounds like you do belive in the "ground the boat" thing. I was kinda going with the dont ground the boat thing. Now, I am back to the " Im not sure which way to think thing". I have read some single handed sailing books that mention wrapping a shot of chain around the mast and hang it in the water. I guess that the question is weather or not this would actually attract a strike. Also, If it did attract a strike would it send it directly to the water ? It seems to me that this is a sort of a "dont go there area" for the Marine designer types. Also, I thought I had saw something about some kind of insulators that can be installed inline to the shrouds "for/aft and side stays. Any thoughts???? Chris... |
Christopher Dube
Mansfield Texas
Boat Name: Gypsey Girl
Model/Year: C-22 1977
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Joe Pool Lake |
03/17/2007 9:51 AM Pacific Time
Just found a product Lightning Master by Forspar. They claim it helps reduce the chance of a strike. 95 bucks at Sailboat owners.com |
