Are we safer in an marina ?

The storm didn't happen here in Malta (but thanks again for the tip), that said we're next to a boat with a 40m mast (I'm not being mean, said yacht doesn't have any electrics..) not sure it would've made a difference?
Last crossing Sardinia - Sicily we were genuinely surrounded by electrical storms for a good 12 hours, only boat out there for miles. Twitchy times!! Boss was already mentally calculating what new kit we'd get if hit :)
 
sailaboutvic said:
As another lightening storm passes over Sicily , in all so far four yacht have been hit in the marina one very badly , wiping every thing out , one have to wonder are we safely out at sea on an anchor then in a marina with hundreds of mast sticking up in the air . ?

www.bluewatersailor5.webs.com
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Insurers appear to think so.
 
sailaboutvic said:
As another lightening storm passes over Sicily , in all so far four yacht have been hit in the marina one very badly , wiping every thing out , one have to wonder are we safely out at sea on an anchor then in a marina with hundreds of mast sticking up in the air . ?
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That's an interesting point; that many potential earth connections may attract conditions for a strike, although I believe the actual path to be random when it does occur, as recounted in a post I made earlier this year - it's pertinent enough to repeat:

A friend's boat on the hard in our NE Italian marina sitting in a steel frame was hit this year; his main power switch melted and his anchor winch burned out. He was asleep in the foreward cabin berth just under the winch!

The yacht with mast up was surrounded by as high or higher masts than his and just 20m away was the marina's 30m, substantial, latticed-framed radio mast with full lightening conductor's earthed connectors.

As previous posters have said, there seems little that will prevent a strike if the potential differentials exist, the forces are so vast they can create their own paths regardless of local physicals.

I still worry as I lie at anchor in the local lagoons and one of the many thunderstorms approach - the area is a crucible of violent storms with cold air of the high mountains ringing the warm Adriatic. With my all-chain rode making a good earth connection and mast as the highest point for miles around I seem to be the perfect connector to the approaching dark clouds with flickering lightening arcing down almost continuously. But, it hasn't happened yet ....
 
Barnac1e said:
As previous posters have said, there seems little that will prevent a strike if the potential differentials exist, the forces are so vast they can create their own paths regardless of local physicals..
Yep, I'd agree with that, theory is fine but in practice? We had a bad thunder storm here a couple of years ago with lightening strikes all around the moorings, lots of hits onto the salt marshes and nearby low island and saw a strike into the water between 2 boats but, no masts struck.
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I spent a day under several thunderstorms between Lipari and the mainland many years ago. As well as three waterspouts we had two close strikes, one each side of the boat, one near enough for me to hear the water fizz! I wondered afterwards why we weren't hit and reasoned that maybe the direct path to water is lower resistance than passing through a yacht. That year's article was called Tornado Alley! Still posted below.
 
You know? I don't give a damn and worrying about it won't make any difference. We had our "strike" two years ago coming out of Preveza. We lost the cockpit plotter and the autopilot. With those gone, the trip back to Gouvia in virtual nil visibility was all down to compass, contour lines and hourly plots from the chart table GPS making hourly plots on a paper chart - how ever did we manage in the old days?

I sometimes wonder if the strap the builders put between the mast and the keel is a good idea or not.
 
SamanthaTabs said:
The storm didn't happen here in Malta (but thanks again for the tip), that said we're next to a boat with a 40m mast (I'm not being mean, said yacht doesn't have any electrics..) not sure it would've made a difference?
Last crossing Sardinia - Sicily we were genuinely surrounded by electrical storms for a good 12 hours, only boat out there for miles. Twitchy times!! Boss was already mentally calculating what new kit we'd get if hit :)
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We had another big lightening storm last night , anther hit , still time to change you mind what marina to use Sam LOL

www.bluewatersailor5.webs.com
 
sailaboutvic said:
We had another big lightening storm last night , anther hit , still time to change you mind what marina to use Sam LOL

www.bluewatersailor5.webs.com
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Lol, I'm pretty sure lightening doesn't know the difference between Licata & Ragusa. Boss says a complete new set of electronics on insurance would be brilliant, we'd like the first strike at the beginning of next year please?!
 
SamanthaTabs said:
Lol, I'm pretty sure lightening doesn't know the difference between Licata & Ragusa. Boss says a complete new set of electronics on insurance would be brilliant, we'd like the first strike at the beginning of next year please?!
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Trouble is that the lightning appears to be picky about what it takes out; I've lost the radar, wind direction (only, speed looks fine) and one of the water tank gauges. It may still be damp for some of that as it rained a bit too!

Apparently there are also several plotters gone and part of a mast.
 
Cardo said:
It's what we have insurance for. Lightning strike? New toys time!
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Thats as mebbe, given the excess and fair wear and tear clauses its debatable if its worth a claim - the radar is probably 20 years old & the wind instrument an ST50, only the tank gauges were new. Oh and btw the TV aerial is also f*cked. Nonetheless I'll see what Pantaenius have to say.
 
RobbieW said:
Thats as mebbe, given the excess and fair wear and tear clauses its debatable if its worth a claim - the radar is probably 20 years old & the wind instrument an ST50, only the tank gauges were new. Oh and btw the TV aerial is also f*cked. Nonetheless I'll see what Pantaenius have to say.
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You don't have an agreed and fixed value policy then?
 
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