Lightning Sailboat Strike Protection, the most beautiful of all risks.
While the Lightning is a great dingy class sailing boat this site is all about lightning. Lightning is one of nature’s most awe inspiring wonderful sights.
I am forever in awe and can recall some spectacular shows while sailing offshore, and such places like the Caribbean and sailing through the Mona Passage spring to mind.
Florida is probably the capital of the world for this so if sailing down to Key West your risks will be higher.
On an average year Florida experiences greater than ten deaths and more than thirty injuries.
What is also important to note is that some 50% of those deaths and injuries happen to people doing recreational activities, and of that some 40% are water-related, which includes boating, sailing, fishing, swimming etc and in 2006 some 500 people were killed in China.
On a recent summer passage I was unfortunately hit by a rather unpleasant weather front, accompanied by a great deal of activity all around, and it had me looking at the whole subject again. This has long been a problem for mariners.
As far back as the early 1800's on old sailing ships, the boat builders were installing protection systems to minimize the catastrophic effects of strikes. These methods were essentially based upon the grounding of spars and rigging.
More than one vessel lost mizzens and masts along with subsequent electromagnetic pulse related compass problems as a result. Protections systems were also evolved as a response to dissipation of strike energy.
In the early 21st century, nearly 200 years on, the same measures are still valid, even though the subject seems frequently awash in controversy.
What causes a strike? how it happens is via this link, all you need to know to understand one of natures great phenomena and all about lightning strike protection and more.
How do you protect yourselves and the boat against a strike? Lightning protection and more.
More useful information on how to design and set up your boat lightning protection system lightning rods and more.
Safety and protection for you and your boat during a storm and all about lightning bolts and more.
It is a simple fact that virtually all marine classification societies and national marine authorities lay down recommendations for protection of vessels from strikes (one good example is The National Fire Protection Association, Lightning Protection Code) but relative few yachts owners adhere to the them.
Strikes cause, along with death and injury an enormous amount of damage in shore installations, in particular in the telecommunications and electrical power distribution industries.
Do you want more lightning sailboat protection and related boat electrical systems, such as corrosion? This article was extracted from The Marine Electrical & Electronics Bible and this is available through West Marine and Amazon.com. Lightning Sailboat Strike Protection