I was sailing in my boat the other day when a thunderstorm came by. I got frightened so I backed the foresail and dove into the little cabin and waited to die. I called Ryerson to say goodbye while I was in there and he commented mildly that he was waiting inside his house until the thunderstorm was over and then he was going to go to the harbour to take pictures because "the light can be very interesting after a thunderstorm.." Annie's advice was to kiss my ass goodbye, which I was already doing. Anyway, when the lightning was over, I popped out and saw that the light was, indeed, interesting:
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Does anybody know whether or not it's an old wives tale that a sailboat with a wooden mast is much less susceptible to lightning strikes than sailboats with a metal mast? (Stays notwithstanding)
Just curious.
Cool pixures, though. And I like your bell. I'm gonna need one of those.
I dunno...ever seen a tree thats been hit by lightning? I don't want to find out. I've heard people say that a mast stepped on the keel, the lightning just zips through into the water, but stepped on the deck it blows the boat to hell... This doesn't sound right though, I don't think lightning "zips" through wood...
The lightening doesn't really go through the mast but rather along it on the surface. The mast will likely be wet and as a result there is probably not much of a difference between a wooden and metal spar. Anyway by the time lightening reaches you it has already lept several hundred yards thought clear air.Â
I thought that lightning actually went from the surface UP to the clouds? So the wet parts of his boat would glow with St. Elmo's fire before discharging like something out of Star Wars?
Nice images Keith! I got a few good ones as well including some with your boat in it, from atop Pilots Monument so far away. Oh, and I have your sailing hat at my place.
(08-05-2009, 06:12 AM)Andrew_Butchart link Wrote: [ -> ]I thought that lightning actually went from the surface UP to the clouds? So the wet parts of his boat would glow with St. Elmo's fire before discharging like something out of Star Wars?
St. Elmos fire is an interaction between the charge in the ground and the charge in the air. The accumulation in charge in the ground is drawn by the charge in the cloud, this causes a plasm that will glow. The charge accumulates in the tall pointy objects partially due to the hieght and partially due to the shape of the object. Lightening comes from the cloud to the ground.Â
I love the ship's bell. Great photos.
Dave
Those are a couple of great photos! What kind of mast hoops are you using?
I made the mast hoops out of steel embroidery hoops from a womens store, then wrapped them with string and dipped them in glue. They are stiff and strong, but kind of scratchy... I haven't settled on an ideal mast hoop yet, but these ones don't bug me too much.
I've seen St Elmo's fire on aeroplane propeller tips and temperature probes, and along the windshield centre post. It's freaky.
My friend Corrine took this picture last year:
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