[Rhodes22-list] sailing and lightning

[TN Rhodey]

man I need to run spell check....


>From: "TN Rhodey" <tnrhodey at hotmail.com>
>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] sailing and lightning
>Date: Sun, 30 Jul 2006 08:46:10 -0400
>
>
>
>In Florida sailboats get hit by lightening fairly often. I don't know if 
>the "hit" rate is higher for grounded vs. ungrounded. I know we have had a 
>few sailboats get hit while slipped at marina. Again I don't know the 
>specifics. I just do what I can to stay out of the way but I have been 
>caught out in some violent storms. Once at anchor a storm rolled in and we 
>watched a nearby tree take a direct hit. There wasn't a damn thing we could 
>do other than hope for the best. After a short hail burst the storm passed.
>
>For my boat and my use I am not worried about lack of lightening 
>protection.
>
>Wally
>
>
>
>
>>From: Bill Effros <bill at effros.com>
>>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] sailing and lightning
>>Date: Sun, 30 Jul 2006 07:43:46 -0400
>>
>>Todd,
>>
>>With all due respect, you do not seem very sorry.
>>
>>The electricity is above your head all the time.  The ground is below your 
>>feet all the time.  If it were not difficult for the electricity to arc 
>>the gap it would do so all the time.
>>
>>There are thousands of R-22s out there, yet I cannot point to a single one 
>>without a grounding plate that has been hit by lightning.  I have been 
>>looking for years.  Have you done the research that has found one?
>>
>>I do have friends with other mast-stepped boats who grounded the masts and 
>>were soon after struck by lightning.  "Thank God I put in that ground just 
>>in time!" they say.  I see it differently.
>>
>>Along with Rummy, I stay out of lightning.  But my boat, and every other 
>>boat, is exposed to lightning 365 days a year--and yet they just don't get 
>>hit.  Why?
>>
>>Do the people who ground their boats to the water ground them to the land 
>>when they pull their boats for the winter?
>>
>>When towing do you drag chains?
>>
>>If it ain't broke don't fix it.
>>
>>Bill Effros
>>
>>
>>
>>Todd Tavares wrote:
>>>Bill E. wrote:
>>>
>>>"Since our masts do not go down into the water, it would seem
>>>difficult for lightning to jump to a ground if you don't provide it."
>>>
>>>Sorry to pick on you Bill, but if lightning can arc 1000ft between the
>>>earth or water and the clouds, what makes you think it wouldn't jump that
>>>last (or first) five feet from your mast or shroud to the water?  There
>>>you go again making statements without first doing the research....we
>>>didn't even get a dead-end link to follow.  ;-D    Murphy's Law of
>>>lightning says that as soon as you say you would never get struck by
>>>lightning, that's when you get hit.
>>>
>>>Todd T.
>>>
>>>(joking of course)
>>>
>>>   ----- Original Message -----
>>>   From: "Bill Effros"
>>>   To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list"
>>>   Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] sailing and lightning
>>>   Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2006 21:20:18 -0400
>>>
>>>
>>>   Ed,
>>>
>>>   I think Rummy has had the most to say on this one, although I agree
>>>   with what he has said.
>>>
>>>   It boils down to "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." It seems to us
>>>   that grounding your boat provides lightning with a better path.
>>>   Since our masts do not go down into the water, it would seem
>>>   difficult for lightning to jump to a ground if you don't provide it.
>>>
>>>   Our thought is that when you hear lightning you should hang out
>>>   around boats with taller masts that are more likely to be struck.
>>>   We think the last thing you want to do when you see or hear
>>>   lightning is grab hold of a grounding plate and throw it into the
>>>   water. The last thing you may hear is "Wow! Did you see that one?"
>>>
>>>   Bill Effros
>>>
>>>   Tootle wrote:
>>>   > Where did it go?
>>>   >
>>>   > Where is that question I posted?
>>>   >
>>>   > Here is what started the question:
>>>   >
>>>   > http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d000001-d000100/d000007/d000007.html
>>>   >
>>>   > It say you should ground your mast. But it does tell me how to
>>>   ground the
>>>   > mast that I can figure out. So how do you ground a sail boat??
>>>   >
>>>   > Bill Effros, you are the expert on this subject, aren't you?
>>>   >
>>>   > So how do you ground a sail boat? John Lock, you are the current
>>>   > research expert. What is the correct answer?
>>>   >
>>>   > Ed K
>>>   > Greenville, SC, USA
>>>   >
>>>   __________________________________________________
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>>>
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