[Rhodes22-list] Roger, I need your input...

[John Tonjes]

Carol,
Sounds more like a static electricity build up than an electrical short. It 
comes from the Dacron sails on the boat. I've gotten the same burn across my 
belly that you described earlier. A volt meter showed there was 26 volts of 
electricity built up, but fortunately no amperage.

Robert Bovee


>From: CarolN8 at aol.com
>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Roger, I need your input...
>Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 00:26:52 EDT
>
>Roger, (And Gil and Michael)
>Thanks for your thoughts on this. As for the motor, the wires from the 
>motor
>go directly thru the transom and connect to the battery so I'm pretty sure
>they weren't connected. But I'm far from a technical person so I could have
>missed another connection. Where would I look for that?
>
>The mast connection sounds interesting to me. I originally thought it might
>have something to do with these wires because they were lying loosely at 
>the
>bottom of the mast. The running light and mast antenna wires were torn out 
>when
>I forgot to disconnect them before taking down the mast last winter (add it 
>to
>the hard lessons learned list). When I saw them after the storm, both wires
>were exposed at the bottom of the mast and were touching each other. At 
>first I
>though this might cause a short, but then thought, neither was connected to
>anything since they are broken. I did separate them and considered putting
>electrical tape over the exposed wires, but forgot to finish this project. 
>I hope
>to go out this weekend and will check it with a VOM meter.
>
>Thanks again for your help!
>
>========Original Message========
>Subj:    Re: [Rhodes22-list] Roger, I need your input...
>  Date:   8/4/2004 4:37:40 PM Mountain Daylight Time
>  From:   cen09402 at centurytel.net
>  Reply-to:   rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
>  To:     rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
>  Sent from the Internet (Details)
>
>
>
>Carol,
>
>Since your outboard has electric start, it must also have an alternator to
>keep the battery charged.  Usually, the alternator is hooked into the 
>boat's
>electrical system at or near the fuse panel or circuit breaker panel.  
>Thus,
>even though you disconnected your batteries, your alternator was still
>hooked up to your boat's electrical system.  That's probably why you kept
>getting a shock even after disconnecting the batteries.
>
>My guess is that you have a short circuit from an electrical cable running
>inside the mast, for example the VHF antenna coax cable or the masthead
>running light.  Under conditions where there is lighting nearby, the mast
>acts as a pretty efficient charge collector.  The fact that your forward
>lower sidestays are making sounds is an interesting clue.  My guess is that
>the short circuit somehow involves the mechanical fasteners for this 
>element
>of the standing rigging.  On Dynamic Equilibrium, my 1976 Rhodes 22, the
>lower sidestays are fastened to the mast with a thru-bolted fitting.
>Assuming your mast is built in the same manner, perhaps the threads on this
>thru-bolt have chafed thru the insulation on one of the electrical cables
>inside of your mast.  You can check this hypothesis with a VOM meter.
>Measure the electrical resistance to see that there is no electrical
>connection between all the conductors running up inside of your mast and 
>the
>mast itself as well as all the sidestays.  If the electrical resistance is
>anything but infinity (open circuit or overrange); then, the hypothesis is
>confirmed.
>
>Try this test &report the results back to the list.  In the meantime, I'll
>think about what else might be causing the symptoms you describe.
>
>Roger Pihlaja
>S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <CarolN8 at aol.com>
>To: <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2004 11:12 AM
>Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Roger, I need your input...
>
>
> >Roger,
> >
> >I sent this to the list last week but I think you were gone, and I'd like
>to
> >know if you have any ideas on this. Thanks!
> >Carol
> >
> >OK, since I've come out of lurker mode I might as well ask a question. 
>The
> >last two times I've been out when there are storm clouds in the area, I
>have
> >had
> >a problem with static electricity building up in the boat. Both times, I
>have
> >
> >received pretty bad shocks. The first time was when I tried to start the
> >motor (with an electric start). I thought I must have a short somewhere,
>so I
> >
> >unhooked both batteries but still got shocked every time I touched the
>motor.
> >I
> >was docked at the time, so I just went home. When I came back, it was
>sunny
> >out
> >and I had no problems.
> >
> >The next time it happened, there was a storm nearby (this happens
>frequently
> >in Colorado) and I was out sailing. All of a sudden I started hearing a
> >clicking sound coming off the forward stays. It was a steady and strong
> >click. I
> >immediately unhooked both batteries again, but it kept clicking. So I
> >carefully
> >hand-started the motor without touching the metal guard on the back 
>(which
> >was
> >no easy feat) and went back to the docks.
> >I've had this boat at the same marina for four years and this has never
> >happened before. Anybody have any ideas on what I can do? It's pretty
> >nerveracking!
> >
> >Carol
> >s/v Painkiller
> >
> >__________________________________________________
> >Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
> >
> >
>
>
>__________________________________________________
>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>__________________________________________________
>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list

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