boomerang
Guru
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2016
- Messages
- 1,446
- Location
- united states
- Vessel Name
- Wandering Star
- Vessel Make
- Hatteras 42 LRC
Having worked for/owned a marine electronics business since the early 90's and prior to that, in the marine field since the early 80's it goes without saying I've seen lots & lots of lightning strikes. Sailboats, power boats... fiberglass, wooden ,aluminum and steel. Lightning protectors ,no lightning protectors, in the water, on land, on a boat lift and even on trailers where it's assumed that the thing would've been less prone to a strike due to being isolated from an earth ground by the rubber tires (honestly I can't say if the tongue jack had a plastic wheel or a metal pad).
I'm of the opinion that lightning is going to do what it's going to do and there's no rhyme or reason as to the path it's going to take or the path it took. I've seen VHF antennas literally disintegrated by a strike but the radio itself worked (I actually had to reset the processor but after I did that, I installed it on my own boat where it worked fine). I maintain a fleet of steel-hulled fishing ships here locally on the Bay and I can't think of one ever being damaged by a strike, even though I've been on the phone with the Captains while they were describing lighting bolts striking the water all around them! Steel boats sitting in salt water with the highest thing in the sky being a giant steel mast 65' in the air. If that's not an adequate path to ground for a bolt of lightning, then I don't know what would be!
Most recently, an outboard powered fiberglass center console just took a hit through the VHF antenna while it was on the lift at the end of the dock. Pretty much all of the electronics were DOA or not functioning correctly, the Suzuki electronically-controlled outboard was fried but the trim-tilt still worked. All of the DC pumps worked as did the incandescent indicator lights but every LED light on the boat was toast EXCEPT the one directly beside the VHF radio, which had the face blown loose from the strike,btw. Go figure!
My point is, if lightning enters an object ,it has to exit it to earth. I don't know if anyone will ever figure out the potential path that lightning will take and what the best method of prevention from a strike would be.
I'm of the opinion that lightning is going to do what it's going to do and there's no rhyme or reason as to the path it's going to take or the path it took. I've seen VHF antennas literally disintegrated by a strike but the radio itself worked (I actually had to reset the processor but after I did that, I installed it on my own boat where it worked fine). I maintain a fleet of steel-hulled fishing ships here locally on the Bay and I can't think of one ever being damaged by a strike, even though I've been on the phone with the Captains while they were describing lighting bolts striking the water all around them! Steel boats sitting in salt water with the highest thing in the sky being a giant steel mast 65' in the air. If that's not an adequate path to ground for a bolt of lightning, then I don't know what would be!
Most recently, an outboard powered fiberglass center console just took a hit through the VHF antenna while it was on the lift at the end of the dock. Pretty much all of the electronics were DOA or not functioning correctly, the Suzuki electronically-controlled outboard was fried but the trim-tilt still worked. All of the DC pumps worked as did the incandescent indicator lights but every LED light on the boat was toast EXCEPT the one directly beside the VHF radio, which had the face blown loose from the strike,btw. Go figure!
My point is, if lightning enters an object ,it has to exit it to earth. I don't know if anyone will ever figure out the potential path that lightning will take and what the best method of prevention from a strike would be.