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7:07 pm
Saturday,10 March, 2012
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Hi All
Please could someone tell me how electronic equipment on a narrowboat is affected by lightning during thunderstorms. I’m thinking that a steel box in water during a storm would attract lightning and blow things like a laptop.
Please help. Thanks.
Mons
7:32 pm
Wednesday,5 December, 2012
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monzie said
Hi All
Please could someone tell me how electronic equipment on a narrowboat is affected by lightning during thunderstorms. I’m thinking that a steel box in water during a storm would attract lightning and blow things like a laptop.
Please help. Thanks.
Mons
Hi Mons
Steel box, sitting in fresh water, forms what is called a Faraday Cage, see
http://www.howstuffworks.com/f…..y-cage.htm , and will protect stuff inside it.
However, generally lightening will strike the highest conductive item it can find. Normally a wet tree or similar. It will be very rare that a narrowboat is the tallest local object.
Even if the boat was struck the hull should act like a Faraday Cage and the charge dissipate into the water.
I don’t think I have ever heard of a narrowboat being struck.
If there was a storm and the boat had a stickyup tv aerial I would lower it and disconnect the aerial cable from the set. Never had to do it yet:)
8:18 pm
Saturday,10 March, 2012
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Thanks GM … again!
I’ve had my PC taken out by lightning in the house, so now whenever there is the faintest rumble of thunder, everything gets unplugged. As I stay near the airport, I first have to detect whether the rumble is an aircraft or thunder (usually determined by the length of the rumble!)
Glad that narrowboats don’t get hit. Another reason for me to move onto one!
Mons
8:32 pm
Wednesday,5 December, 2012
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Glad to help.
Only short am at Calcutt and signal not to good.
Oh and Clarence look wonderful in her all green livery. I will post some photos on my blog, probably when I get home to a good link
3:50 pm
Thursday,12 January, 2012
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As mentioned by GM, no worries to equipment or people inside in the extremely unlikely occurrence of a lightning strike to a steel narrowboat.
Following a direct strike on my GRP sailing yacht in the Chesapeake’s, east coast USA, taking out $20,000 of electronics, I always used to put my laptop in the (cold) oven whenever lightning was around.
Although on this occasion it wasn’t, ironically the laptop survived the direct hit to the top of the 68 foot mast, which simultaneously took out the towns electricity supply for six hours. Said laptop still works fine 8 years on.
Regards – Richard –
Ecky Thump
7:01 am
Saturday,10 March, 2012
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Thanks for sharing your experience with lightning Richard. I’m glad to know that my electronic gadgets will be safer on the boat than in my study at home during a storm!
7:11 am
Friday,19 February, 2010
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I think a good point to add is that we rarely have any significant electrical storms (or storms of any kind) in the UK compared to the more extreme weather you experience in the USA. During my half century living in England I can’t remember any thunder storm which has lasted longer than a few minutes and consisted of more than half a dozen rumbles of thunder and a few half hearted flashes of lightning. We live in a tranquil land!
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5:33 pm
Thursday,30 June, 2011
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I have to say, even though I don’t fear a lightning strike in the narrow boat I would try to avoid mooring next to a lonely tree.
5:47 pm
Wednesday,5 December, 2012
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Brendan said
I have to say, even though I don’t fear a lightning strike in the narrow boat I would try to avoid mooring next to a lonely tree.
That makes good sense, the boat could be hit by the tree or other debris.
10:06 pm
Thursday,12 January, 2012
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Paul Smith said
I think a good point to add is that we rarely have any significant electrical storms (or storms of any kind) in the UK compared to the more extreme weather you experience in the USA. During my half century living in England I can’t remember any thunder storm which has lasted longer than a few minutes and consisted of more than half a dozen rumbles of thunder and a few half hearted flashes of lightning. We live in a tranquil land!
Well I must be plain unlucky then Paul. Whilst sipping wine at my sisters house in Ruthin, North Wales, a few years before the boat strike, we had a direct hit onto the phone line during a mid summer storm. The phone entry box in her bedroom exploded and the strike jumped across to the radiator which then passed it through the CH system throwing us up in the air from the sofa we were sitting on in front of another radiator. No personal injuries but it took out a couple of TV’s. Worst was that I spilt a full glass of red wine over my shirt!
Regards – Richard –
Ecky Thump
5:56 am
Friday,19 February, 2010
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Yes, that’s definitely what I call unlucky! (especially losing your red wine)
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