Lightning strikes twice!

[spannerman]

Here I am just winding down with one day to go before the break when mother nature decides what my next job will be when I start back in Jan.
We have just had multiple lightening strikes, a ball of lightning came in across reception and made all the stainless handrails on the stairs light up with blue sparks, the data sytem went offline, several fuses tripped leaving a burnt smell coming from the main distribution cabinet.
Out on the hard a 45ft Halberg Rassey took a direct hit blowing the top lantern off the mast and the VHF aerial split into several pieces, the lightning has burned the fuse panel to a crisp and taken out every system in the boat including most of the wiring, it went to earth through the shorepower lead and blew the breakers off their rail in the power box, it also went into a Sunseeker 44 Carmargue standing alongside burning that shore power cable. It found its way into the rebar in the concrete quay and has blown large chunks of concrete out of the wall where the rebar is near the surface.
We heard an almighty bang and saw smoke in the air but had no idea it had done so much damage, well after just spending 3 weeks repairing lightning strike damage to a Nimbus 30, I have a Halberg Rassey and Sunseeker to sort out, looks like my future career is going to being lightning damage repairs!

 

[KevB]

When you're next in the UK let me know please so I can avoid you...

 

[spannerman]

Spannerman is coming to a place near you this Saturday! I fly into Heathrow this weekend and leave the following, so break out the rubber gloves and galoshes!

 

[Mr Googler]

Good job no one was using the stairs at the time!! Scary stuff.

 

[AndieMac]

?...........looks like my future career is going to being lightning damage repairs!

I reckon after an atmospheric attack like that the law of averages should dictate you would be unlikely to be struck again anytime soon, freaky stuff though!

 

[sarabande]

is it time to consider setting up a lightning protector and charge conduction system on the building and adjacent yard ? Your insurance company could be grateful.

 

[spannerman]

There is no rhyme or reason as the first boat was on its owners quay about 16 miles away with an 800ft high hill with a radio mast just 1/2 a mile away, and the lightning strike yesterday struck the mast of a boat on land and our boat hotel which is 50 mtrs away is twice high. So you can never be sure where it will strike.
What is interesting is that all 3 boats were plugged into the shorepower, and as is well known lighting begins from the ground up, with a weak upwards stroke as it tries to equalise the charge bwtween the earth and clouds, when the electrical pathway is established we then get the powerful return stroke to ground which is what we see.
So it is obviously using the earth wire in the shorepower cable as its pathway, and when the potential in the cloud blasts back to ground it wipes out every electrical item passes through.

 

[sarabande]

Spannerman - that is exactly the process, and there are commercially available solutions to prevent it happening. This is about managing a known and perceived risk. I bet the answers are cheaper than having to fix boats and marina power systems, let alone the possibility of staff or owners being injured next time.

 

[spannerman]

I can't see boat owners installing such systems as the chances are pretty low, as is getting struck by lightning yourself. Lets be honest a fair few boats have inadequate or non funtioning bilge pumps and the risk of sinking is ever present, but it doesn't seem to worry the owners unduly or they'd fix it.
And we are not complaining as it provides us with extra specialist work which the owners insurance covers.
Its the nearest I have seen lightning strike in my entire life so don't percieve it as a real threat.
Lets face it if lightning is going to strike you there is very little you can do to prevent apart from living in a Faraday Cage, and you never know when it will happen so you might as well just get on with life.