Masts & Lightning

[mika]

In our area, afternoon and evening thunder and lightning storms are very frequent the summer months. All my long life, I've been subjected to apprehension about the propensity for lightning to strike sailboat masts. Consequently, I am fearful of remaining on my Mac during such a storm, although it appears to me that other sailors are not troubled. What's the conventional wisdom on this topic among the Mac sailors who frequent this site? - Thanks

[seahouse]

You know something they don't.

[Sumner]

My thoughts....

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Sum

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[chautauqua]

I was in this situation today. I live in north east Florida, i knew there was a chance of thunderstorms today but the weather looked good early afternoon. figured i would just sail in the ICW for a little while. needless to say clouds started building, wind picked up and i was heading back to the dock. Still sailing as i watched the weather fill in a little faster than i would like, i fired up the 60, furled sails, raised dagger and rudders and drained the ballast. caught a little bit of rain, a little more spray but i was back at the marina and washed down and packed up when others i passed were just coming in. other captains were telling me that lightning was popping all around them. i believe them, it looked scary to the south. they all had the same thought as i did, get that mast away from the lightening. its just they couldn't move any faster. I've been sailing off and on for 18 years, I've had traditional sailboats, and motorboats. i don't think i've ever been on the water when i didn't keep an eye on the weather and if it looks like lightening i know the mast is the tallest thing around so i avoid putting my crew or myself in unnecessary danger. I'm new to the Mac and today the tall freeboard and building crosswinds were not my friend, the 14kts back to the marina was. still a Mac newbie so I'm learning every time i go out and so far am very happy with my choice. I'm sure many of you have heard this before but as it relates to lightening "there are Old Sailors, and Bold Sailors, but no Old Bold Sailors"

[Ixneigh]

I am not ashamed to admit I have used the engine to skitter away from lightening.
Keep in mind the water has to be pretty flat for best skittering. ( I call it the ballyhoo mode)

[mastreb]

Just don't have this situation. However, when I was in the Navy our ship took a couple of lighting strikes. They're well grounded to ocean and typically nothing happens at all other than some paint needing to be touched up. It's really difficult to know whether grounding a boat like this or leaving it high resistance is better--the right answer changes from situation to situation. But if you have a mast light connected, and you have your outboard in the water, you've got a path to ground that goes right through your most expensive and important accessory so I think I fall on the side of grounding a copper strap down from the mast foot through the daggerboard trunk.

The only thing I know for sure is to hang out next to boats with much taller masts.

[Russ]

Lightning is a powerful force. I'm fairly respectful of it, however statistically speaking, you are not likely to be killed by a strike. Even though you are standing on a boat with a metal stick in the air. I've seen stats that say sailboats have fewer fatalities from strikes. Maybe because the mast and boat take most of the force.
Nevertheless, if you are inclined to protect your boat, do a lot of research starting with Sumners thread above, it's excellent.

Still sailing as i watched the weather fill in a little faster than i would like, i fired up the 60, furled sails, raised dagger and rudders and drained the ballast.

I ran from T-Storms all day Saturday. We get some pretty nasty ones also. What concerns me about your post is the draining of the ballast. I get it that you want more speed getting back. I put the peddle to the metal a few times Saturday to get out of harms way also. However, if you didn't make it, you'd be a sitting duck without ballast to keep you upright. I read a story on this forum of a guy who didn't outrun a T-storm and got caught sans-ballast and it wasn't pretty. For the extra 3-4MPH, I won't drain my ballast with clouds threatening. If I don't make it back, I'm going to turn and fight the beast head on with full ballast.

For me, it's not the lightning that concerns me, it's the wicked winds and waves that a T-storm can whip up. With our lightweight and high freeboard boats, the wind and waves will beat us up pretty bad.

This isn't our lake, however it looks very much like it did one day last year when a T-Storm came in. Smartphones are great for weather radar. We keep an eye on it all day.

[SeaGriff]

I may be wrong but I think all this concern over lightning is only a concern.
I have been anchored out in some pretty wild thunder storms and my main
concern was the wind and the waves not lightning. The odds of being hit
are so minimal its not worth worrying about. Its like worrying about what
you're going to do if you win the lottery. I think grounding the mast to the
water would attract more lightning than it would help. I have heard of far
more people in canoes being hit than sailboats. Although that is very rare
too.

[MAC-A-TAC]

Hello mika,

I remember doing some research on lighting while in college and recall that it is more likely to strike a pointed verses a flat object. This would explain why lighting rods are pointed on top.

Lighting can and does strike where ever it wants, but at least the top of our mast doesn't resemble a lighting rod. The top of my mast is flat and caped with a non-metallic boot.

I am not advocating for playing in a lighting storm as I would be leading the charge back to the ramp .

MAC Out.

[dlandersson]

After it hits the first time, it's not so bad, you really don't remember much.

Hello mika,

I remember doing some research on lighting while in college and recall that it is more likely to strike a pointed verses a flat object. This would explain why lighting rods are pointed on top.

Lighting can and does strike where ever it wants, but at least the top of our mast doesn't resemble a lighting rod. The top of my mast is flat and caped with a non-metallic boot.

I am not advocating for playing in a lighting storm as I would be leading the charge back to the ramp .

MAC Out.