[Rhodes22-list] lightning protection

[brad haslett]

Wally, my plan is to treat lightning the same way I
treat wind shear; avoidance, avoidance, avoidance. 
But, even though we preach wind shear avoidance at all
costs we train for wind shear encounters anyway.  I
think having some kind of "hip pocket plan", even if
its a weak one is better than none at all.  I like the
StrikeShield product just not the cost.  If a simple
and quick means of attaching to the mast can be found
the rest of the hardware is cheap and easily
available.  I can still remember being in an aluminum
canoe with my boys while trees were cracking all
around us.  My oldest asked, "what's the plan Dad?" 
"Pray this isn't your day to die!", is all I could
come up with.  Brad.
--- Wally Buck <tnrhodey@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Brad,
> 
> I hear you, I am not down playing the risks of
> lightning. Like I said I 
> asked this same question, read up on the subject,
> and never really figured 
> out the best course of action. I have checked out
> the site you mention and 
> it is a good one. Someone on this list suggested it
> a while back and I 
> bookmarked.
> 
> In the summer we have a chance of lightning just
> about every evening (like 
> most of the south). If it is less than 30% chance I
> usually go out, if 
> chance of storms is 70% or above I don't go. When it
> is 50% chance or so I 
> may still go out but I will check a bunch of weather
> sites before doing so 
> and keep a close eye on the weather when sailing. I
> also sail close to many 
> safe inlets that I can duck into.
> 
> I always check weather closely before heading out.
> With live radar, updates 
> on temperature, dew point, humidity and so on; one
> can make as good a guess 
> as the local weather dude. I guessed wrong once
> early in the summer time and 
> got caught in a lightning and hailstorm. Now that I
> think about it, that is 
> when I started asking about lightning protection.
> 
> By the way, I sometimes fly a kite (not a head sail)
> while sailing and 
> anchored.
> 
> Wally
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> >From: brad haslett <flybrad@yahoo.com>
> >Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
> <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
> >To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
> <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
> >Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] lightning protection
> >Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2002 06:29:05 -0800 (PST)
> >
> >Wally, if you didn't get some experience last week
> you
> >should have!  The statistics are that more people
> die
> >of lightning strikes than do of hurricanes, floods
> or
> >tornadoes.  You've already dodged one bullet this
> >year.  The fast moving cold front convective
> activity
> >is easily enough predicted.  You just stay home on
> >those days.  The summertime isolated T-storms are
> my
> >concern.  You would stay off the water half the
> summer
> >in our part of the world if you only sailed on CAFB
> >days.  That is why Florida leads the nation in
> >lightning strikes and boat lightning deaths.  The
> >StrikeShield website goes into great detail on
> their
> >testing. The guru of the day is Prof. Thomson of
> the
> >University of Florida who also has done extensive
> >testing.  Based on what I've read so far I'm
> thinking
> >in terms of an aluminum lug (bolt) extending from
> the
> >front of the mast an inch or so.  Conductor cables
> and
> >plates could be stored in a bag for quick
> attachment
> >in impending lightning conditions.  The best course
> of
> >action is of course to head for home or at least
> get
> >close to the shoreline, (your mast is now competing
> >with trees for a ground).  Absent that, get in the
> >cabin, stay away from the mast step area,
> disconnect
> >the radios, and don't touch two potential
> conductors
> >at the same time.  I've been waiting for someone on
> >the list to tell me to "go fly a kite".  Guess
> we've
> >filled that square!
> >
> >Brad Haslett
> >"CoraShen"
> >--- Wally Buck <tnrhodey@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > > Brad,
> > >
> > > This comes up quite often.  I asked the same
> > > question myself a while back.
> > > There seems to be a bunch of different opinions
> on
> > > how effective the various
> > > lightning protection devices work. Right now I
> just
> > > try to avoid sailing
> > > when high probability of lightning exists. I
> would
> > > love to hear what you
> > > come up with.
> > >
> > > How does one test a system like this? If you had
> an
> > > old beater sailboat you
> > > could do some real world testing. Ben Franklin
> had
> > > to fly a kite in a
> > > lightning storm didn't he, we expect no less
> from
> > > you. :-)
> > >
> > > Be careful!
> > >
> > > Wally
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > >From: brad haslett <flybrad@yahoo.com>
> > > >Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
> > > <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
> > > >To: rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org
> > > >Subject: [Rhodes22-list] lightning protection
> > > >Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2002 04:58:54 -0800 (PST)
> > > >
> > > >This all got started while doing research on
> > > >installing a mast antennae.  Several vendors
> > > lightly
> > > >addressed surge protection from lightning
> strikes
> > > to
> > > >the mast and I thought, "who cares about
> electronic
> > > >euqipment? I want the boat to survive!" 
> Yesterday
> > > I
> > > >spent eight plus hours on the net researching
> the
> > > >issue and downloaded a 3" binders worth of
> material
> > > >including the R-22 site info.  My conclusion is
> > > this;
> > > >sailboats take more lightning strikes than one
> > > would
> > > >think, freshwater boats without grounding don't
> > > fare
> > > >well, and, protection is not that difficult. 
> While
> > > >there are many different opinions and several
> "old
> > > >wives tales" the general concensus among the
> > > experts
> > > >is that having a protection system on board
> does
> > > not
> > > >make one more likely to be struck.  All
> protection
> > > >systems pretty much do the same thing, they
> provide
> > > a
> > > >path from the mast to the water.  While at dock
> its
> > > a
> > > >simple matter of attaching a #4 cable or flat
> > > >conductor to a 1' square or bigger conductor in
> the
> > > >water.  The straighter the path and the fewer
> the
> > > >bends the better (lightning doesn't like to
> turn
> > > >corners).  Under sail is a different story.  No
> one
> > > >wants to sail with cables on the foredeck and
> > > plates
> > > >dangling in the water.  Therefore, a portable
> and
> > > >quickly attachable system is needed (battery
> cables
> > > >get knocked off at the moment of strike).  The
> > > >StrikeShield system is perfect but expensive. 
> I am
> > > >presently researching a "homemade", ie, Home
> Depot
> > > >approach that will do the same thing for far
> less
> > > >money. Most boat manufacturers don't address
> the
> > > >issue, probably for liability reasons. 
> Catalina
> 
=== message truncated ===


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