Lightning & Narrowboats

[timetraveller]

Hi to the group and best wishes to all. Now we are just in the process of buying a narrowboat with the intention of joing the 'live-a-board' community, but with all the recent news report of thunder and especially the 'lightning' we got to thinking about how this wonderful atmospheric lightshow affects narrowboats. typically how does a narrowboat cope with a lightning strike?, we appreciate that cars, planes etc are protected via the farady cage effect - does the same apply to a narrowboat bearing in mind that it is directly in contact with water ?, and are there any precautions that can be taken to protect electrical equipment?

[larrysanders]

This is a great question and something i've often thought about especially when caught in a storm?? I don't have the answer but I'm sure someone on the forum might and I too would be really interested to know.

[Albion]

Hi to the group and best wishes to all. Now we are just in the process of buying a narrowboat with the intention of joing the 'live-a-board' community, but with all the recent news report of thunder and especially the 'lightning' we got to thinking about how this wonderful atmospheric lightshow affects narrowboats. typically how does a narrowboat cope with a lightning strike?, we appreciate that cars, planes etc are protected via the farady cage effect - does the same apply to a narrowboat bearing in mind that it is directly in contact with water ?, and are there any precautions that can be taken to protect electrical equipment?

 

Welcome.

To be pedantic it is the things inside a Faraday cage that are protected and a narrow boat would give the same protection to the occupants. However, I would think that it is extremely unlikely that lightning would strike a narrow boat. The lightning is looking for a way to discharge and will choose the easiest (usually tallest) route to earth. On a canal you will almost certainly be moored near a tree, building etc and these are likely to be chosen as the preferential path rather than your boat. Obviously, if you have a tall TV aerial up at the time then there is a risk that this will be used and you, and the TV, are vulnerable should the lightning choose that route......but that is the same in a house and it has always been the advice to disconnect the TV aerial from the back of the TV during a lightning storm (but how many of us do it?)...............however there don't seem to have been that many incidents of house TVs exploding due to a strike on the aerial (there have been some but it's very rare). You've probably got more chance of winning the National Lottery twice than you have of a lightning strike on a narrow boat

There is also an added complication that, if I remember correctly, lightning favours sharp pointed objects to discharge down which is why lightning conductors on buildings are pointed at the top to encourage the lightning to choose the conductor path rather than the building path.

 

Enjoy your boating and don't worry. I've boated for over 25 years now and can't recall, to the best of my memory, ever hearing or reading about a lightning strike on a narrow boat.

Roger

[Chris-B]

Never moor next to anybody like this !

 

[sueb]

I did draw the line at having a shower during the last storm, but have had no probs with lightning during 20yrs of liveaboard.

Sue

[alan_fincher]

You've probably got more chance of winning the National Lottery twice than you have of a lightning strike on a narrow boat

I have never bought a Lottery ticket.

 

Does this comment still apply, please ?

 

Actually I know of multiple people who have had a full lightening strike on a car whilst driving - I can't really see why a strike on a narrow boat is massively less likely.

 

Personally I'd not stand on the back of one when crossing Pontcysyllte in a major electrical storm.

[nb Innisfree]

Seem to recall an article somewhere recently to the effect that avoiding trees and unplugging TVs etc isn't necessary as statistically these areas are no more vulnerable than others, there's an awful lot of trees, cars, boats and aeriels out there, more chance of winning the Lottery jackpot than being struck? but then we feel optimistic when buying a ticket

[NB Alnwick]

A narrow boat dweller phoned in to the Jeremy Vine show on BBC2 earlier this week and asked this very question. The 'expert' on the show answered that most narrow boats were so low down that they were unlikely to be struck but if the narrow boat had a high metal mast, aerial or wind turbine erected, it may attract a lightning strike. He recommended fitting the mast, aerial or wind turbine with a lightning conducter earthed into the water . . .

 

I am just wondering if the lightning conductor should be fitted with a galvanic isolator?

Edited July 3, 2009 by NB Alnwick

[Nightwatch]

Is a lightning conductor a chap who can run fast whilst directing a musical extravaganza?

 

Thought I'd ask.

[WotEver]

:::passes Nightwatch his coat:::

[Albion]

I have never bought a Lottery ticket.

 

Does this comment still apply, please ?

 

LOL, I really hope so 'cos I've never bought one either

 

Actually I know of multiple people who have had a full lightening strike on a car whilst driving - I can't really see why a strike on a narrow boat is massively less likely.

Perhaps the drivers work on the buses or railways.......as conductors? Sorry, I'll get my coat.

 

Personally I'd not stand on the back of one when crossing Pontcysyllte in a major electrical storm.

That's just my point, there are no buildings or trees around in the middle of the Pontcysyllte so a boat is a relatively exposed item......Hhhm, no trees? I wonder, is BW's maintenance program is a lot worse than it was when I last crossed the aqueduct?

Roger

Edited July 3, 2009 by Albion

[Bon]

......but that is the same in a house and it has always been the advice to disconnect the TV aerial from the back of the TV during a lightning storm (but how many of us do it?)...............however there don't seem to have been that many incidents of house TVs exploding due to a strike on the aerial (there have been some but it's very rare).

 

Strangley my Moms next door neighbors house got hit by lightning last year. All the lightbulbs in both houses exploded. The TVs didnt explode as such but stopped working, all the sky boxes also. Scared my Mom lots and now she turns everything off!

 

Glad i don't have a TV arial really, have to have the on a 20ft pole in my marina!

 

 

Bonnie

[carlt]

I was on my mooring, in a storm, when a boat was waiting for another to come through the bridge hole.

 

Both had brollies clamped to their tillers and there was an almighty bang and both brollies were launched high in the air, as they were stuck by lightning.

 

They were lower than the bridge, which had my landrover parked on top, and there are plenty of trees about but the boats were still struck.

 

Nobody was hurt but we all sloped off indoors, to change trousers.

 

Is a lightning conductor a chap who can run fast whilst directing a musical extravaganza?

No but he's really quick, when checking your train ticket.

[churchward]

Assuming your inside a boat when it is struck I would expect it to act like a Faraday cage just like a car does. The charge when struck goes to earth round the outside of the metal structure and should disperse "harmlessly" without causing any damage or discernable effect inside. Might make the Radio crackle a bit though!

[alan_fincher]

Assuming your inside a boat when it is struck I would expect it to act like a Faraday cage just like a car does. The charge when struck goes to earth round the outside of the metal structure and should disperse "harmlessly" without causing any damage or discernable effect inside. Might make the Radio crackle a bit though!

A car may make a Faraday cage, but when some former colleagues were driving one down the M4, and it took a full strike, it did more than leave a bit of smoke on the paintwork.

 

My understanding is that not only were any fuses and electronics destroyed, but that some actual wiring took a hit too.

 

Of course a car is mounted on rubber tyres, (albeit wet), not sitting with the metalwork immersed in canal, so the effects would probably different between car and narrowboat.

[churchward]

A car may make a Faraday cage, but when some former colleagues were driving one down the M4, and it took a full strike, it did more than leave a bit of smoke on the paintwork.

 

My understanding is that not only were any fuses and electronics destroyed, but that some actual wiring took a hit too.

 

Of course a car is mounted on rubber tyres, (albeit wet), not sitting with the metalwork immersed in canal, so the effects would probably different between car and narrowboat.

 

ANY metal cage/box will act as a Faraday cage it doesn't matter if it is a car or narrowboat. A stike may cause damage on the outside to paintwork or indeed to some electrics but harmless to the occupants.

[Albion]

I was on my mooring, in a storm, when a boat was waiting for another to come through the bridge hole.

 

Both had brollies clamped to their tillers and there was an almighty bang and both brollies were launched high in the air, as they were stuck by lightning.

 

They were lower than the bridge, which had my landrover parked on top, and there are plenty of trees about but the boats were still struck.

 

Nobody was hurt but we all sloped off indoors, to change trousers.

snipped

 

And that's my point. The brollies would have had metal pointed spikes pointing skyward on them. Your Land Rover and the bridge are pretty blunt objects connected to the ground as opposed to the pointed spikes connected through steel to the water. Lightning chooses the easiest path to ground and that has to be a pointed steel spike connected through steel to water rather than other routes such as leaves, wood, Land Rover tyres and stone.

Roger

[mayalld]

And that's my point. The brollies would have had metal pointed spikes pointing skyward on them. Your Land Rover and the bridge are pretty blunt objects connected to the ground as opposed to the pointed spikes connected through steel to the water. Lightning chooses the easiest path to ground and that has to be a pointed steel spike connected through steel to water rather than other routes such as leaves, wood, Land Rover tyres and stone.

Roger

 

There is something about pointy objects spraying electrons up that makes them a good target

[Albion]

There is something about pointy objects spraying electrons up that makes them a good target

 

I'm not sure whether it is electrons or ions (it's all a long time ago now ) but you are correct about the principle and it is the reason that the path is chosen by the lightning.

Roger

[kiki]

Do as one friend and narrowboater does when in a lightening storm - they close the curtains....that aparantly keeps it out

[mayalld]

Do as one friend and narrowboater does when in a lightening storm - they close the curtains....that aparantly keeps it out

 

Curtains?

 

Surely you mean the back of the sofa?

[nb Innisfree]

Actually lightning travels from the ground up, building up potential ready to launch. In recent years it has been confirmed that lightening reaches to far higher an altitude than was thought possible, been observed by airline pilots well in excess of their cruising altitude but gone unreported in case they were thought of as mentally unstable! a bit like UFOs. Another example is mega waves at sea considered by scientists to be impossible and attributed to sailors grog etc., but they were confirmed by satellite images. The scientific community now have the prob of finding an explanation. Seems quantum theory is the nearest to an explanation, so there is a large grey area around lightning and it's behaviour.

 

Spooky!

[mayalld]

Actually lightning travels from the ground up, building up potential ready to launch.

Everything in elastictrickery travels the opposite way to the direction that the layman imagines!

[Yoda]

Sprites and all come from lightning.

 

I had a loud bang outside my office one day, a bolt of lightning had hit a tree outside and split it in two. The tree was very close to the building I was in, which was a steel framed steel clad, armored hanger. Much taller than the tree.

[timetraveller]

Well, I've just got home having posted this question first thing this morning, I never for a moment realised just how many people would contribute to the topic - just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone - and what I have learned from this - well I guess that mostly narrowboats don't seem to be struck that frequently, so yes I'll play the lottery as the odds are better - but at the same time I think I'll unplug all the appliances, leave a door open, close the curtains, and seek refuge behind the sofa ('just in case')