My father in law's boat was tied up to his dock and got a direct hit. It did enough damage to his 2 outboards that they were replaced and he had to replace his GPS, but not his VHF. Not sure if it matters...but he kept it on a lift and it was out of the water. He seems to think he'd have been better off if it was floating at the time.
regarding lightning, what is the best protection? I read book mentioned in this thread (calder) talking about the mast etc but on my boat I have no mast and there is no protection in place. Engine would not be an issue as mine has absolutely nothing electronic but I am worrying about damage to the boat itself. Damaged to a vhf or an old gps lie mine would be limited cost but damage to the hull would be something else.
Up here we have a lot of severe storm usually in summer and I was wondering if there is any risk mitigation system easy to retrofit on a boat not equipped. For example if I install a mast higher than my antennas to catch the lightning leader, where to run the massive cable needed for it?
Many boats run a large copper wire or strap from the highest point on the boat to a very large ground in the bilge. In theory that gives the Lightning a direct route to the water.
Read and read and read, I have and there does not seem to be enough agreement on how to protect a boat for me to put much effort into it.
The one thing I might do is wrap my phone, backup hard drive and favorite computer in 4 or 5 wraps of tin foil or stick them in a microwave/oven. A makeshift faraday cage but will I do it every time a thunderstorm passes?
Probably not an you can get nailed bt a clear blue bolt so roll the dice.
I live in the lightning capital of the world. (actually not true regardless of what people say, but in the top of lightning in the US).
I have no intention of doing much of anything for lightning protection. First, I don't believe it's really that effective.
I've been here since 1968 and done a bunch of boating and flying. And in the past 15 years have probably been out on the water somewhere here 4 days out of every week.
I've boated thru numerous thunderstorms with lightning that scares the bejesus out of me, and I've never been hit. Now, in flying, I can fly around them, but have been hit several times.... fortunately nothing horribly serious, but has damaged the radome and left "exit" tails by the static wicks, etc.
I guess I've been lucky, and I'll take luck over skill any time. I don't believe a lot of effort to prevent strikes from hitting is worth it.
I've had MUCH worse things to deal with... like keeping the beer cold so I can debrief the lighting later on.
For me 55 years in FL And no losses. Second year in west NY and took a direct hit to an antenna. This is where people stare at lightning stores because of the scarcity.
For me 55 years in FL And no losses. Second year in west NY and took a direct hit to an antenna. This is where people stare at lightning stores because of the scarcity.
1) A lightning ground should never be in bilge!!!(as some have stated) it must be on the outside of your hull and should be a dedicated plate just for this not combined with radio's ground plateor similar.
2) The lightening ground should never be connected to your thru hulls
3) It's a fact the Catamarans suffer way more strikes than Mono hulls(mainly due to double the water line length)
4) Trawlers/power vessels moored in a marina or presence of sail boats are largely unlikely to be struck.
5) Recently i came across a seemingly good idea as a Silicon bronze Anode placed inside a nylon thru hull fitting (which protects the hull but allows the charge to dissipate into the water as below,