Would any of you wise CD owners know how to properly Lighting ground a typhoon? I understand that CD offered it as an option. My boat is a '76 and has the steel eyebolt in the bilge. Is this simply a matter of connecting this by copper wire to a chainplate or is it more involved? All ideas appreciated.
Paul Danicic
Typhoon "HORNET"
nyeme001@tc.umn.edu
Typhoon Lightning Ground
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Tom Cramer
Re: Typhoon Lightning Ground
Paul:
The steel eye bolt does not go through the hull. Ground is usually to a through-hull fitting that goes all the way through the hull. I'm no expert on lightning but I would imagine that if you lead the lightning charge down to the steel eye bolt and the charge has no where to go when it gets there (ie - out into the water) it will blow a hole in the bottom of your Ty. You can get grounding plates in most marine stores especially designed to increase surface area.
Hope this is helpful.
Tom
twc53@aol.com
The steel eye bolt does not go through the hull. Ground is usually to a through-hull fitting that goes all the way through the hull. I'm no expert on lightning but I would imagine that if you lead the lightning charge down to the steel eye bolt and the charge has no where to go when it gets there (ie - out into the water) it will blow a hole in the bottom of your Ty. You can get grounding plates in most marine stores especially designed to increase surface area.
Hope this is helpful.
Tom
twc53@aol.com
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D. Stump, Hanalei
Re: Typhoon Lightning Ground
Paul,
I don't own a Typhoon, mine is a CD-30, but I seem to remember that someone else had a question about that eye bolt. I think that it was a lifting eyebolt used during the manufacture of the Typhoon. At any rate, it is not a thru-hull fitting and would not act as a good ground plane for a lightning strike. If you are ever hit, a massive charge needs to be led to ground (sea), a small ground plate will have trouble disappating the charge. The marine world provides large sintered bronze plates that are fastened external to the hull with large bronze bolts thru hull to serve as the ground connection. Your shrouds and stays should be connected to that with the largest bare copper you care to run. What all that essentially does is to reduce the apparent height of the mast to that of the surrounding water, hence you will be much less likely to ever experience a strike. From what I have heard, if you ever are hit, it is likely that even a large(maybe 3"X 8" or so) external ground plate will be blown off the boat underwater. But again the likelyhood of being hit is greatly reduced by having the tall stuff grounded. Oh, and don't put bottom paint over the external bronze plate, that would insulate it and defeat it's purpose. Also, I have sailed as crew on other vessels, and I remember that one skipper carried a battery jumper cable that he hooked to a backstay when a storm came up to provide a similiar type of protection, that may be a cheap way out, with no new holes in the boat! I'm not an expert on lightning strikes, but I hope this helps....
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30
I don't own a Typhoon, mine is a CD-30, but I seem to remember that someone else had a question about that eye bolt. I think that it was a lifting eyebolt used during the manufacture of the Typhoon. At any rate, it is not a thru-hull fitting and would not act as a good ground plane for a lightning strike. If you are ever hit, a massive charge needs to be led to ground (sea), a small ground plate will have trouble disappating the charge. The marine world provides large sintered bronze plates that are fastened external to the hull with large bronze bolts thru hull to serve as the ground connection. Your shrouds and stays should be connected to that with the largest bare copper you care to run. What all that essentially does is to reduce the apparent height of the mast to that of the surrounding water, hence you will be much less likely to ever experience a strike. From what I have heard, if you ever are hit, it is likely that even a large(maybe 3"X 8" or so) external ground plate will be blown off the boat underwater. But again the likelyhood of being hit is greatly reduced by having the tall stuff grounded. Oh, and don't put bottom paint over the external bronze plate, that would insulate it and defeat it's purpose. Also, I have sailed as crew on other vessels, and I remember that one skipper carried a battery jumper cable that he hooked to a backstay when a storm came up to provide a similiar type of protection, that may be a cheap way out, with no new holes in the boat! I'm not an expert on lightning strikes, but I hope this helps....
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30
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D. Stump, Hanalei
Re: Typhoon Lightning Ground
D. Stump, Hanalei wrote: Paul,
I don't own a Typhoon, mine is a CD-30, but I seem to remember that someone else had a question about that eye bolt. I think that it was a lifting eyebolt used during the manufacture of the Typhoon. At any rate, it is not a thru-hull fitting and would not act as a good ground plane for a lightning strike. If you are ever hit, a massive charge needs to be led to ground (sea), a small ground plate will have trouble disappating the charge. The marine world provides large sintered bronze plates that are fastened external to the hull with large bronze bolts thru hull to serve as the ground connection. Your shrouds and stays should be connected to that with the largest bare copper you care to run. What all that essentially does is to reduce the apparent height of the mast to that of the surrounding water, hence you will be much less likely to ever experience a strike. From what I have heard, if you ever are hit, it is likely that even a large(maybe 3"X 8" or so) external ground plate will be blown off the boat underwater. But again the likelyhood of being hit is greatly reduced by having the tall stuff grounded. Oh, and don't put bottom paint over the external bronze plate, that would insulate it and defeat it's purpose. Also, I have sailed as crew on other vessels, and I remember that one skipper carried a battery jumper cable that he hooked to a backstay and dragged in the water when a storm came up to provide a similiar type of protection, that may be a cheap way out, with no new holes in the boat! I'm not an expert on lightning strikes, but I hope this helps....
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30
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Dana
Re: Typhoon Lightning Ground
Well, this is an interesting discussion. Let me add a little to it.
A T storm sets up charged positive ions in the atmosphere. When that hits a critical positive charge, it will discharge to the negative electron charge of the ground. A "grounded" mast provides a conductive path for the electrons up the mast. Therefore, if lightning were to strike in your immediate area it will strike the mast. If the proper wiring is installed it should be conducted to the water. But that is a big "should". Large conductors with straight paths (no turns) is the best. But, a lot depends on the cabling path.
But don't fool yourself....lightning protection is designed to attract lightning. When it does, it is hoped that people are protected by not getting into the conductive path. But it may or may not save the boat or electronics. Lightning is unpredictable.
So it has always been the classical question. Do I attract lightning in my immediate area with lightning protection, or do I keep the mast insulated from the water, do not attract the lightning as much, but provide an uncertain path for the discharge.
I have picked a better solution. I have my boat (with its ungrounded mast) slip right next door to a boat with a much taller grounded mast. Best protection.
darenius@aol.com
A T storm sets up charged positive ions in the atmosphere. When that hits a critical positive charge, it will discharge to the negative electron charge of the ground. A "grounded" mast provides a conductive path for the electrons up the mast. Therefore, if lightning were to strike in your immediate area it will strike the mast. If the proper wiring is installed it should be conducted to the water. But that is a big "should". Large conductors with straight paths (no turns) is the best. But, a lot depends on the cabling path.
But don't fool yourself....lightning protection is designed to attract lightning. When it does, it is hoped that people are protected by not getting into the conductive path. But it may or may not save the boat or electronics. Lightning is unpredictable.
So it has always been the classical question. Do I attract lightning in my immediate area with lightning protection, or do I keep the mast insulated from the water, do not attract the lightning as much, but provide an uncertain path for the discharge.
I have picked a better solution. I have my boat (with its ungrounded mast) slip right next door to a boat with a much taller grounded mast. Best protection.
darenius@aol.com
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Kurt
Re: Typhoon Lightning Ground
Years ago I read a 'Lightning Protection' article in a boating magazine. It stated that a small percentage(less than 1%) of lightning strikes are so powerful that a grounded aluminum mast would be instantly vaporized like the filament of a fuse and the charge would then move on to the next grounded object in its path and so on. Bottom line was to use the heaviest copper wire and connectors you can muster to do your grounding. Several Billion volt/amps are possible.