Lightning Strikes on Electric Boats

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Peter B said:
It appears to be accepted nothing will be reliable every time ...
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That is my view.

The other way to look at it is that the "vast majority" of injuries or fatalities occur on small open boats - like a 12 foot aluminum fishing boat - being used by a couple of guys on a lake or river.

I haven't bothered to look at the stats that close but a cursory review seems to support the facts that it just isn't that big a deal. Among the threats to our lives and health, getting whacked by lightning on a boat is pretty far down the list, probably below getting food poison from eating a bad squirrel.
 
Back to the initial question - lightning protection on electrically propelled boats.

I don't know of a single production cruising yacht being made anywhere in the world with electric-only propulsion.

There are several day boats being produced - Elco is a good example. These boats have limited.range, never outside of cell or VHF range of Sea Tow.

I think it's a non-issue at this time.

The thread drift may be of more consequence since any modern motor is computer controlled and may be susceptible to a lightning strike?
 
Peter, Rick, Interesting point of view. Our reality doesn't match up with it's so rare that it won't happen to me. As I mentioned earlier, the dock at our previous marina (actually a sailboat several slips down) was hit by a big strike that impacted the entire dock. Last year the flag pole at our present marina was hit and took out all the electronics on the fuel dock. I pulled the power chords to the dock when the huge cell appeared. A fried cat under tow was just mentioned in this thread. Airplane propulsion systems that utilize electronic controls are required to address lightning. I'd agree that fried comm/nav are not a significant concern, although I pull at least one GPS out of the system if lightning is in the area when I'm cruising, and I have a charged portable battery pack aboard at all times.
 
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skidgear said:
Interesting point of view. Our reality doesn't match up with it's so rare that it won't happen to me. As I mentioned earlier, the dock at our previous marina (actually a sailboat several slips down) was hit by a big strike that impacted the entire dock. Last year the flag pole at our present marina was hit and took out all the electronics on the fuel dock. I pulled the power chords to the dock when the huge cell appeared. A fried cat under tow was just mentioned in this thread. Airplane propulsion systems that utilize electronic controls are required to address lightning. I'd agree that fried comm/nav are not a significant concern, although I pull at least one GPS out of the system if lightning is in the area when I'm cruising, and I have a charged portable battery pack aboard at all times.
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Disconnecting from shore power and/or wall outlets is a good safety precaution to avoid getting the electro magnetic pulse (EMP) from the power grid. However, if the strike is very close, the EMP can be conducted into the boat through any antenna and long runs of wire make good antennas. For a GPS you need to disconnect the power and the antenna cable before the lightning gets close.

The systems we develop for the military have EMI (electro-magnetic interference) protection requirements. One recent program had a near strike lightning protection requirement. I think it was a strike 1 meter away. Our Electrical Engineers were saying there was no way we could meet it, but once we ran the numbers it was OK. We meet the requirement mainly because it was a small device and the longest wire in it was 8" long. Also shielded wires help a lot.

Quality power isolation helps a lot. Adding a DC to DC converter to your engine electronics helps isolate it from EMI/EMP.
 
rjtrane said:
Back to the initial question - lightning protection on electrically propelled boats.

I don't know of a single production cruising yacht being made anywhere in the world with electric-only propulsion.

There are several day boats being produced - Elco is a good example. These boats have limited.range, never outside of cell or VHF range of Sea Tow.

I think it's a non-issue at this time.

The thread drift may be of more consequence since any modern motor is computer controlled and may be susceptible to a lightning strike?
Click to expand...

This is getting a bit convoluted given the thread drift and the subsequent thread split. The original premise in the solar boating thread (where this started) was that it's time to go completely solar. My question was in regard to the premise....all solar/all electric...not a hybrid like your boat. A hypothetical question addressing the hypothetical premise, if you will. Might be a non-issue at this time, but I think I read in one of these threads about an all solar great circle (loop?) boat in the works. Seems a fair and timely question to ask of the experts.

When you say "motor", I'm not clear if you mean electric motor or electronically controlled internal combustion. I obviously agree with you that modern reciprocating and turbine engines have an issue if they are not protected...same for electric, I would think. I believe most state of the art diesels are protected to one degree or another. What about the engines in your hybrid?
 
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portager said:
Disconnecting from shore power and/or wall outlets is a good safety precaution to avoid getting the electro magnetic pulse (EMP) from the power grid. However, if the strike is very close, the EMP can be conducted into the boat through any antenna and long runs of wire make good antennas. For a GPS you need to disconnect the power and the antenna cable before the lightning gets close.

The systems we develop for the military have EMI (electro-magnetic interference) protection requirements. One recent program had a near strike lightning protection requirement. I think it was a strike 1 meter away. Our Electrical Engineers were saying there was no way we could meet it, but once we ran the numbers it was OK. We meet the requirement mainly because it was a small device and the longest wire in it was 8" long. Also shielded wires help a lot.

Quality power isolation helps a lot. Adding a DC to DC converter to your engine electronics helps isolate it from EMI/EMP.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Yes, I remove all wire connections to a component when I take it out of the boat's wiring system. In fact I even do it for the more expensive components when the boat is in the marina and surrounded by lightning rods.

Flight critical systems on civilian aircraft have been subjected to EMI/Lightning requirements for many years. Same considerations regarding isolation of power supplies. I'm no electrical/electronics expert, but I had a team of them working in my organization and flight tested plenty of these devices (for EMI). I'm surprised at the don't worry be happy approach here.
 
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Lightening can do funny things.

Back when I was a kind, lightening struck my dads antenna and it fried the radio. Oh wait, after poking around, it only fried the mic. But too late. He had convinced mom that he had to get a new radio and he wasn't back tracking. Now, I recall he had lightening protection on the coax from the antenna. A dummy load I recall. I don't know if the strike came down the antenna or some other electrical line, but only the mic was fried.

I doubt a strike would take out every electrical system on a boat, all electric or not. But the chances are greater that it could take out some important systems, and especially on an all electric boat taking out the propulsion systems would be problematic. I suppose I'd be more concerned about getting my hearing back, and then fires would be the second priority.
 
Also shielded wires help a lot.

In a new build shielded wiring adds very little cost to the vessel.

Building USCG inspected boats , the only wire we could find that was USCG inspected that met the coastie specks and was shielded was Naval Gun Fire Wire.

Very little added cost when 1,000 ft spools are purchased.

Our lightning method was a heavy copper wire outside all the rigging , held loosely with wire ties that ended in a chain that was dropped into the water when thunder was heard.

Got lucky , so far no strikes.
 
FF said:
Building USCG inspected boats , the only wire we could find that was USCG inspected that met the coastie specks and was shielded was Naval Gun Fire Wire.
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Which "coastie specks" are those?

"Naval Gun Fire Wire" :confused:
 
By "motors" I mean electronically-controlled (computer), internal combustion gas or diesel motors. Sorry for not being explicit.
 
FF said:
Which "coastie specks" are those?

IEEE45
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It's hard to get more all-encompassing than that. Have you ever read the CFRs with regard to wiring requirements and who they apply to? Or IEEE45?

Still trying to figure out WTF "gunfire wire" is.
 
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