Thunderbolts and lightning, very, very frightening.

[Detling]

My experience is a long time ago 1971 when electronics was a transistor radio sat on the cockpit seat. We were on a wooden boat with a wooden mast, brass main sail slide track and stainless rigging. We never really thought about lightning until a one day when sailing off penalty in the bristol channel there was a  b***** great bang and the top 10 foot of the mast fell sideways. The brass track had vaporized down to the hounds where the stainless shrouds were bolted. Presumably the lightning had gone down the shrouds and through the chainplates to the sea. Nobody was hurt but it took us ages to get to the main sail down so we could motor to harbour. 

[Bee]

P38 is a funny looking thing but what is the odd looking recess on top of each 'boom'(?) looks like it used to have a cockpit in each one.

[GUMPY]

10 minutes ago, Bee said:

P38 is a funny looking thing but what is the odd looking recess on top of each 'boom'(?) looks like it used to have a cockpit in each one.

Exhaust outlets ?

[Stilllearning]

On 08/04/2021 at 20:25, Jackofalltrades said:

Have any of you ever had your narrowboat or widebeam struck by lightning?  I've read various yachty stories over the years but these have almost always been GRP yachts with a tall alloy mast stuck on top.  When it happens reports of fried electronics seem commonplace.  So what happens on a steel-hulled boat?  Does the lack of a 20 metre mast pointing skyward mean it almost never happens?  Does the steel hull act as a faraday cage and protect everything that isn't electrically connected to the hull, like phones and laptops?  What about electrical appliances that are permanently wired in or plugged in at the time?  And what about solar panels on the roof, or [gulp] your shiny shiny electric propulsion motor & electronics?

 

 

A faraday cage is a wonderful thing.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

31 minutes ago, Stilllearning said:

A faraday cage is a wonderful thing.

Yes they are.

This is in the Museum of Science in Boston. (The American, not the Lincolnshire one). If you ever get a chance to see them running their van der Graaf generator, do so. It is amazing.

Jen

[cuthound]

1 hour ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Yes they are.

This is in the Museum of Science in Boston. (The American, not the Lincolnshire one). If you ever get a chance to see them running their van der Graaf generator, do so. It is amazing.

Jen

 

That explains why you never see a domestic budgie that has been killed by lightning. ?

[Jim Riley]

Is there a misspelling in the title? Given the emotions displayed by some regulars, it should be Thunderboats?