08
Sep
A nearby strike will be blindingly bright. All in all it is still not safe to be out there on a cruise during a lightning storm but if in any such case of that uncertain event you are much safer in an aluminum boat than in other types.
In the powerboat world trawlers most of which also have masts are the primary targets about four.
Lightning strikes on aluminium boats. The aluminum alloys boats are very much safer in the case of lightning as compared to other boats. This is because once the lightning finds your boat the metal boat provides a very good conductors role so as to turn the lightning strike to go to the ground thereby reducing the risk of a person on the boat being struck by the lightning. Additionally the aluminum metal boats with some sort of T-tops Hardtops.
Lightening and the Aluminum boat. Lightning electricity also moves through damp stuff so your wet bimini may bring in more lightning than an antenna. I heard that most lightning strikes hit 7 miles from the storm–in other words bolts are hitting all around it not directly under the dark cloud.
Thats why you move out at first sign. Is it safe to be in an aluminum boat during a lightning storm. The aluminum alloys boats are very much safer in the case of lightning as compared to other boats.
All in all it is still not safe to be out there on a cruise during a lightning storm but if in any such case of that uncertain event you are much safer in an aluminum boat than in other types. Thats an attitude aided by the low odds of a boat being struck by lightning which BoatUS. Pegs at about one out of 1000 boats in any given year.
Count the seconds between the flash of lightning and clap of thunder then divide by 5. The result is the distance in miles from the storm. Therefore steel is the safest hull material during a lightning strike since the entire boat is grounded.
The best protection comes when an aluminum mast is used since it acts as a giant lightning rod but with a wood spar the stays will ground the current to the hull. The majority of lightning strikes happen on sailboats adds BoatUS as an aluminum mast makes a great lightning rod or air terminal in todays parlance. In the powerboat world trawlers most of which also have masts are the primary targets about four.
Lightning consultants encourage you to create a halo of metal or wires around the people on a boat as when the strike hits the current will follow the metal halo away from the operator and crew You and towards the boats perimeter where it will continue along the hull and to ground. Lessons in Lightning. Ocean Navigator article by a cruiser in an aluminum boat who was struck by lightning in the Baltic.
Of particular interest to those like myself who own aluminum boats. There are lots of other resources out there but these four links are a very good place to start. In 2012 and 13 insurance policy claims for lightning strikes on those boats were the lowest.
They had a 01 chance in 1000 of a direct lightning strike. Thats about as impressive as it can get. Averaged across all boats the rate of lightning strikes was 09 in.
Answer 1 of 4. Yes it can be. I once read in the British yachting magazine Practical Boat Owner that if the lightning is to strike within a radius roughly equal to that of the mast height it will hit the mast else the sea.
If the mast is earthed electrically connected to the sea water. The idea of the grounding system is to divert the lightning current through a predetermined path so that it does not make its own explosive path through fiberglass teak crew members etc. Figure 4 shows what can happen when lightning strikes an ungrounded fiberglass boat with an aluminum mast.
The lightning charges all of the rigging but no conducting path exists to channel the charge into the water. Lightning Protection For Marine Boats and Vessels. 10 of the boat accidents that resulted in death have been occurred by lightning strikes.
Even the boats anchored in the ports are under risk the risk is much higher for the boats in offshore. The level of the risk is directly associated with the materials that boat is. The strike to the boat more like up from the boat to meet a strike coming down from cloud still has to ground through the water so whats happening is the several vertical feet of boat aluminum is replacing those feet of air.
Prior to the plasma path being established the electrical conductivity of air is near zero so the lightning strike is far. Powerful dangerous highly unpredictable all are common descriptions of lightning storms. A direct strike that results only in ringing ears and a few roasted electronics would be considered lucky.
Unlucky would be through-hulls blown out a sunk boat or worse possibly serious injury or death. Avoid touching metal around the boat such as shrouds and guardrails. A nearby strike will be blindingly bright.
Sit in the cockpit until your night vision returns. The aluminum alloys boats are very much safer in the case of lightning as compared to other boats. All in all it is still not safe to be out there on a cruise during a lightning storm but if in any such case of that uncertain event you are much safer in an aluminum boat than in other types.
Sailboats aluminum Jon boats or other metal boats will greatly increase the chances of being struck. That is because the boat is made out of an electrical conductive material. Electricity can run through metal water or aluminum extremely easy.
Lightning in this region is incredibly intense and second only to Florida for the number of boat strikes. Running a boatyard in the region for 11 years I repaired scores of vessels that had been struck even sunk. Ive worked on boats that were struck ashore and afloat dockside at anchor on a mooring and under way.
Answer 1 of 12. Ive seen this twice once close up. The first was a sailboat tied to the dock in the Marina I was in.
The lightning hit the highest point the aluminum mast which blew a large hole in the bottom where the mast was connected. The boat sank at once tied to the dock. According to US insurance claims from BoatUS Marine Insurance the odds of a boat being struck by lightning in any year are about 1 per 1000 increasing to 33 per 1000 in lightning prone areas.
Lightning strikes create huge problems on todays boats due to all the integrated systems black boxes and fly-by-wire technology. Back in the day main engines were mechanical and did not have the sophisticated computerized control systems electronic fuel systems and the like. Lightning strikes of boats are still fairly rare but are on the increase.
Image Reality Alamy According to US insurance claims from BoatUS Marine Insurance the odds of a boat being struck by lightning in any year are about 1 per 1000 increasing to 33 per 1000 in.