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<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Re: [Alberg30] Lightning protection</TITLE>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I worry a fair bit about lightning - mostly because
you can find supporting evidence for the effectivness of any coflicting theory
about protection. I don't know what works. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A business colleague of mine lost his father to a
strike when in his boat. (Dufour 27 with factory installed grounding) They
think the strike hit him directly then went through the cockpit sole, set
fire to the diesel then out via the shaft and through-hulls causing serious
leaks. Horrible.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Near my club five years ago two boats were
rafted together: one wooden (obsessivly grounded) the other glass (no grounding)
masts same height - the strike hit the wooden grounded boat and sent side
flashes THROUGH THE HULLS WHERE THEY TOUCHED. The
grounded boat had major damage - the worst being her wooden rudder which
literally fell into splinters the next day, while the glass ungrounded boat had
gel coat damage. People were in both boats - no injury.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>In our boat, when at anchor, there is a direct
conductor to ground via our all chain rode (metal roller) but even then we had
an experience two years ago where a storm was coming, and as we approached our
boat I noticed my wife's long hair standing on end reaching toward the
boat. Clearly a charge was building! Nothing happened although a
yacht was struck several miles away that day.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have clung to the hope that the bow strip might
help.... I have also clung to the hope that we might never get hit!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face=Arial size=2>I dunno!
</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Gord</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>#426 Surprise</FONT></DIV>
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style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A href="mailto:helm@georgianbaysailing.ca"
title=helm@georgianbaysailing.ca>Wally Moran</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
href="mailto:public-list@alberg30.org"
title=public-list@alberg30.org>public-list@alberg30.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, March 15, 2002 10:13
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Alberg30] Lightning
protection</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite type="cite"> </BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV>There are a lot of theories about lightning protection. One of those is
that a thin, broad piece of metal on the hull is better than, for example, the
strip on the A 30. Another says that creating a link from the stays to the
water - for example, by using a battery cable with a piece of metal welded
to the wet end - can help also. Still others suggest bonding all metal
on the boat together and leading that to a proper ground on the keel. So there
are lots of opinions, very little that is known for sure. Evidence seems to
point to the thin broad metal. Also, a lightning bolt isn't just a small jolt.
If the lead to ground isn't sturdy enough, the lightning can shoot out and
connect to other pieces of metal onboard, or even pierce the hull in its
search for ground, causing a multitude of small pinholes. You can imagine the
fun that would be. There was a tale in Gam about one boater who suffered that
fate.</DIV>
<DIV>You might check in Nigel Calder's books re lightning protection. Also,
the ABYC standards are worth looking at. I'll look this weekend and see what
other books address the issue and post that info later.</DIV>
<DIV>Have you considered prayer? As they say, there are no atheists at sea in
a storm.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Wally Moran</DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite type="cite"><FONT size=-1>A posting to this mail group
in 1999 suggested all Alberg 30's are lightning grounded by virtue of the
stainless strip running from the stemhead down to about 3 feet below the
waterline. It connects to the forestay and thereby providing a
grounding from the masthead to the water.</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite type="cite"> </BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite type="cite"><FONT size=-1>Any comments as to whether this
should be sufficient and what alternatives there might be.</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite type="cite"> </BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite type="cite"> </BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite type="cite"><FONT size=-1>George and Kathy
White</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite type="cite"><FONT size=-1>Close Harmony #
637</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite type="cite"> </BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite type="cite"><FONT size=-1>email:</FONT> <A
href="mailto:salty@ns.sympatico.ca"><FONT
size=-1>salty@ns.sympatico.ca</FONT></A></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite type="cite"><FONT size=-1>Telephone: 902 893
1080</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><X-SIGSEP><PRE>--
</PRE></X-SIGSEP>
<DIV>The gods do not deduct from man's allotted span the hours spent in
sailing. Anon<BR>www.georgianbaysailing.ca for interesting reading for
sailors</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>