Bet THAT made some noise.

[David W Pratt]

Re: Bet THAT made some noise.

Somehow, one would think, that sailboats with aluminum masts sticking up out of salt water would get hit by every thunderstorm.

[John Meachen]

Re: Bet THAT made some noise.

Somehow, one would think, that sailboats with aluminum masts sticking up out of salt water would get hit by every thunderstorm.

When they do get hit it can be dramatic.I saw a strike that did the sort of damage mentioned in post #7 and was a bit relieved as I was attached to the next nearest metal mast.... I would expect a lightning strike to have more effect on a metal mast as the carbon tubes have quite a bit of insulation courtesy of the resins.I happen to know a man who was welding a bracket to a part of racecar with a carbon chassis and he had attached the earth clamp to the suspension at the other end of the car.After a couple of tack welds,he noticed a tiny amount of smoke from one of the metal bobbins that connected the chassis to the powertrain.He then moved the earth clamp.

[Garret]

Re: Bet THAT made some noise.

When they do get hit it can be dramatic.I saw a strike that did the sort of damage mentioned in post #7 and was a bit relieved as I was attached to the next nearest metal mast.... I would expect a lightning strike to have more effect on a metal mast as the carbon tubes have quite a bit of insulation courtesy of the resins.I happen to know a man who was welding a bracket to a part of racecar with a carbon chassis and he had attached the earth clamp to the suspension at the other end of the car.After a couple of tack welds,he noticed a tiny amount of smoke from one of the metal bobbins that connected the chassis to the powertrain.He then moved the earth clamp.

My boat's mast is spruce - I know as it's a quart of varnish per coat...

[Hugh MacD]

Re: Bet THAT made some noise.

Isn’t carbon fiber pretty conductive? It seems that more damage would be visible, at deck level or shroud ends, if a lightning strike. More likely too much backstay tension?

I'm told that the most damage from a lightning strike on carbon is the humidity inside the mast flashing to superheated steam and blowing it apart. That's secondhand info, but from a well known boat builder here in the NW.

[Hugh MacD]

Re: Bet THAT made some noise.

Long and skinny hull screams Wiley to me...but I don't recognize it.

[ron ll]

Re: Bet THAT made some noise.

And now a very similar boat directly across the dock from the one in the OP looks like this. I don’t think these happened on the same day, and there hasn’t been THAT much wind lately.

08A193B6-9D03-403B-A636-872869886E66.jpg

C22FDB39-CD3B-4EF4-B70B-C7D01F8941B2.jpg

[ron ll]

Re: Bet THAT made some noise.

Just occurred to me that Memorial Day is the Swiftsure race. I’ve sailed in it and used to follow it, but not this year. It can be brutal or a drifter. Don’t know which this year. I wonder if that was the culprit.

[Nicholas Carey]

Re: Bet THAT made some noise.

And now a very similar boat directly across the dock from the one in the OP looks like this. I don’t think these happened on the same day, and there hasn’t been THAT much wind lately.

Monday morning was a pretty stiff northerly, probably 20 knots. Whitecaps on the Sound. Noticed it when I was out with Scout-The-Dog at what we like to call "the edge of the world" at Sunset Hill Park. Though I'd hope that those rigs could put up with that.

[Garret]

Re: Bet THAT made some noise.

Maybe there's a mastworm infestation?

[ron ll]

Re: Bet THAT made some noise.

Monday morning was a pretty stiff northerly, probably 20 knots. Whitecaps on the Sound. Noticed it when I was out with Scout-The-Dog at what we like to call "the edge of the world" at Sunset Hill Park. Though I'd hope that those rigs could put up with that.

Yeah, I’m familiar with “the edge of the world”.