Thunderstorms!

[Sade]

Hi all,

 

Hope you are all doing ok in the thunderstorms. Personally I love a good thunderstorm!

 

Is it a stupid question to ask if living in a metal box is dangerous in a thunderstorm? Teehehehee...

 

Anyway, we're still looking for a boat and trying to sort our finances side of things out. Lots of lovely boats but as we are still not quite sure of our budget we are just using this as a tick-box exercise before we are completely in a position to set our hearts on something (I've got loads on my watchlist on Apollo Duck though ahaahaha!) Very stressed trying to box stuff up in the house and get it all ready for sale etc but the excitement is driving us forward with our plans.........hoping to be all moved and settled by October but as we all know with house sale/boat buying, things never go quite as expected!

 

 

[Guest]

Hi all,

 

Hope you are all doing ok in the thunderstorms. Personally I love a good thunderstorm!

 

Is it a stupid question to ask if living in a metal box is dangerous in a thunderstorm? Teehehehee...

 

Anyway, we're still looking for a boat and trying to sort our finances side of things out. Lots of lovely boats but as we are still not quite sure of our budget we are just using this as a tick-box exercise before we are completely in a position to set our hearts on something (I've got loads on my watchlist on Apollo Duck though ahaahaha!) Very stressed trying to box stuff up in the house and get it all ready for sale etc but the excitement is driving us forward with our plans.........hoping to be all moved and settled by October but as we all know with house sale/boat buying, things never go quite as expected!

 

 

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?s=fa978f2a5df8d6b7c2dba80ff3fbec6b&showtopic=58507&hl=

[carlt]

 

 

Is it a stupid question to ask if living in a metal box is dangerous in a thunderstorm? Teehehehee...

 

 

 

No it is probably one of the safest places to be.

 

The lightning will strike the boat and be directed straight to earth through the boat's shell.

Can't be bothered typing it all out again so...

 

 

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 our trousers.

[Sade]

Hehehe thank you guys.....was being a bit lazy there but also wanted an excuse to post!

[KJT]

Mr Faraday and his cage has something to do with it!

 

A narrow boat Is one of the safest places to be.

 

If only we could somehow harness the power in a lightening strike to charge the batteries! Maybe Bizzard can come up with one of his wonderful schemes!

 

Ken

[Gypsey_Kings]

For the Faraday cage effect to protect you (by directing the lightning around the outer skin of the boat) - you must be inside the boat !!!....

[KJT]

For the Faraday cage effect to protect you (by directing the lightning around the outer skin of the boat) - you must be inside the boat !!!....

You're correct of course! Sitting or standing on the outside of your boat wouldn't do you any good at all!

[AidanLincs]

Well we've just experienced the most horrendous weather here in Newark. 3 hours of rain coming down so fast and hard that it was pouring through the vents, and gusts of wind so strong that they nearly took the cratch cover off.

 

Watch out, those of you on the Fosse Ditch!

[stickleback]

We had severe thunder and rain moored in Stoke the other evening. I am reassured reading about the Farraday cage effect - but would a strike wreck the internal electrics.

 

The rain was so hard it was bouncing up if the roof, up the mushroom vents and into the boat! It got so loud on the roof the thunder was almost drowned out

Edited August 4, 2013 by stickleback

[mattlad]

We had severe thunder and rain moored in Stoke the other evening. I am reassured reading about the Farraday cage effect - but would a strike wreck the internal electrics.

The rain was so hard it was bouncing up if the roof, up the mushroom vents and into the boat! It got so loud on the roof the thunder was almost drowned out

Chances are they'll be fine unless your electrics are dodgier than a set of Christmas tree lights put up on amateur night. After all Airbus and Boeings fly through thunder and lightning every day and their electrical systems survive, I'm sure that their electronics area wee bit more sophisticated than anything on a narrow boat! ;-)

[ditchcrawler]

I would have thought that in most cases it is very unlikely that a narrowboat would take a strike. its only 6 foot tall so quite close to the ground

[Sade]

All these comments are very reassuring! lol.......to be honest, I don't think any weather would put us off doing it....possibly just weeks away now arrghhhhh!!! Still in stressed mode at the moment trying to sort everything out But it's a happy stress! lol

[ditchcrawler]

If its any help I have just lost my second modem at home due to thunder storms. last time it was also the computer.

[kendo]

I would have thought that in most cases it is very unlikely that a narrowboat would take a strike. its only 6 foot tall so quite close to the ground

Has anyone ever been hit? Out on the cruiser stern, higher than the roof, in the middle of the river.... It can be quite a worry.

[The Pipe]

Chances are they'll be fine unless your electrics are dodgier than a set of Christmas tree lights put up on amateur night. After all Airbus and Boeings fly through thunder and lightning every day and their electrical systems survive, I'm sure that their electronics area wee bit more sophisticated than anything on a narrow boat! ;-)

Not so you try and avoid lightning. "When commercial airplanes are struck by lightning, the result can range from no damage to serious damage that requires extensive repairs that can take the airplane out of service for an extended period of time." Boeing.

[Sade]

If its any help I have just lost my second modem at home due to thunder storms. last time it was also the computer.

Much the same reason I don't go out with an umbrella in a storm? Hehehehee

[Guest]

If its any help I have just lost my second modem at home due to thunder storms. last time it was also the computer.

 

Yes - I once had PC a motherboard 'fry' in an electrical storm - allegedly caused by a power surge as the power came on and off during it.

 

We were also once on holiday and lost the modem in the villa we were staying in the same way as we did the swimming pool pump once in a Gite we were staying in the Dordogne.

 

I use surge protectors at home now for the PC and tend to switch it off and unplug anyway during a storm.

[ditchcrawler]

 

Yes - I once had PC a motherboard 'fry' in an electrical storm - allegedly caused by a power surge as the power came on and off during it.

 

We were also once on holiday and lost the modem in the villa we were staying in the same way as we did the swimming pool pump once in a Gite we were staying in the Dordogne.

 

I use surge protectors at home now for the PC and tend to switch it off and unplug anyway during a storm.

So do I but I mist this storm. on the first one the electricity was isolated but the modem was plugged into the phone line and connected to the computer by the cable.