[Rhodes22-list] sailing and lightning

[Todd Tavares]

Bill,

    (list edit)

I am  not saying that you are right or wrong, Just one part of your
statement sounded ridiculous.  Actually, I tend to agree more with your
side of the lightning theory.  Is there really a "cone of protection", or
do the shrouds and mast just start the ground leaders away from the
cockpit? Does grounding the boat's mast and shrouds really help?  It
seems that ground will help divert the lightning around the boat, but
does it also invite the lightning?  The truth is that depending on who's
research you read, (or which sailor you talk to) you could make a case
for or against either argument. 

 If you can't take a joke, oh well.  Maybe we can change the subject to
something less inflammatory; something we all can agree upon, like
religion, politics, or perhaps anchoring.

Have a nice Day!

Todd T.

PS.  My brother has played Powerball twice a week for years and years,
but has never won.  Those ping pong balls are always bouncing around in
that machine, it is not difficult for the right six balls to pop out, but
why hasn't he ever won?  Maybe he was standing too close to a bigger
powerballer when he bought the tickets. :-D

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: "Bill Effros"
  To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list"
  Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] sailing and lightning
  Date: Sun, 30 Jul 2006 07:43:46 -0400


  Todd,

  With all due respect, you do not seem very sorry.

  The electricity is above your head all the time. The ground is
  below your feet all the time. If it were not difficult for the
  electricity to arc the gap it would do so all the time.

  There are thousands of R-22s out there, yet I cannot point to a
  single one without a grounding plate that has been hit by
  lightning. I have been looking for years. Have you done the
  research that has found one?

  I do have friends with other mast-stepped boats who grounded the
  masts and were soon after struck by lightning. "Thank God I put in
  that ground just in time!" they say. I see it differently.

  Along with Rummy, I stay out of lightning. But my boat, and every
  other boat, is exposed to lightning 365 days a year--and yet they
  just don't get hit. Why?

  Do the people who ground their boats to the water ground them to
  the land when they pull their boats for the winter?

  When towing do you drag chains?

  If it ain't broke don't fix it.

  Bill Effros



  Todd Tavares wrote:
  > Bill E. wrote:
  >
  > "Since our masts do not go down into the water, it would seem
  > difficult for lightning to jump to a ground if you don't provide
  it."
  >
  > Sorry to pick on you Bill, but if lightning can arc 1000ft between
  the
  > earth or water and the clouds, what makes you think it wouldn't
  jump that
  > last (or first) five feet from your mast or shroud to the water?
  There
  > you go again making statements without first doing the
  research....we
  > didn't even get a dead-end link to follow. ;-D Murphy's Law of
  > lightning says that as soon as you say you would never get struck
  by
  > lightning, that's when you get hit.
  >
  > Todd T.
  >
  > (joking of course)
  >
  > ----- Original Message -----
  > From: "Bill Effros"
  > To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list"
  > Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] sailing and lightning
  > Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2006 21:20:18 -0400
  >
  >
  > Ed,
  >
  > I think Rummy has had the most to say on this one, although I agree
  > with what he has said.
  >
  > It boils down to "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." It seems to us
  > that grounding your boat provides lightning with a better path.
  > Since our masts do not go down into the water, it would seem
  > difficult for lightning to jump to a ground if you don't provide
  it.
  >
  > Our thought is that when you hear lightning you should hang out
  > around boats with taller masts that are more likely to be struck.
  > We think the last thing you want to do when you see or hear
  > lightning is grab hold of a grounding plate and throw it into the
  > water. The last thing you may hear is "Wow! Did you see that one?"
  >
  > Bill Effros
  >
  > Tootle wrote:
  > > Where did it go?
  > >
  > > Where is that question I posted?
  > >
  > > Here is what started the question:
  > >
  > > http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d000001-d000100/d000007/d000007.html
  > >
  > > It say you should ground your mast. But it does tell me how to
  > ground the
  > > mast that I can figure out. So how do you ground a sail boat??
  > >
  > > Bill Effros, you are the expert on this subject, aren't you?
  > >
  > > So how do you ground a sail boat? John Lock, you are the current
  > > research expert. What is the correct answer?
  > >
  > > Ed K
  > > Greenville, SC, USA
  > >
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  >
  >
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