BlueJacket Lightning Strike
Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2017 4:31 pm
Believe me, this is not the post that I wanted to be making, but it's reality...
Last weekend when we returned to BlueJacket, which was on the hard at RAM marine in the Rio Dulce of Guatemala, we found that she had suffered a lightning strike which took out almost everything that had a semi-conductor in it.
It appears that the lightning entered/exited through the 2 VHF antennas, which were on top of the mast, and vaporized them. The charge travelled down the mast and through the boat's ground plane and then arced from the sink to a dehumidifier that we had sitting next to the sink and draining into it. The dehumidifier was plugged into a 120V extension cord which went through a thru-hull and down to the power pedestal.
At this point the failed systems include:
RayMarine SeaTalk ST80 depth and speed transducers
RayMarine Course Computer with gyro
5 RayMarine displays/controllers
ST60 wind instrument & display
Most interior LED lighting
LED running lights
LED anchor light
Victron Phoenix 3000 watt inverter/charger
Stereo
Next Generation Power 3 KW generator run hour meter
Brand new Mermaid marine dehumidifier
Standard Horizon VHF RAM mic
2 VHF whip antennas (lightening entry point)
SEA235 SSB & 1635 tuner
SSB Whip antenna (????)
Bullet Platinum WiFi booster
Balmar Alternator
Bilge water sensor
Microwave
120V side of electrical panel has melted wires/scorching
12V meter on electrical panel
What does seem to be working are the following:
Engine & tachometer
Windlass
Sirius radio (display is funky) & external
Iridium Go & antenna
MarineAir AC
Refrigeration system w/electronic controllers & hour meters
Next Generation Power 3 KW generator
Engine
Electric winches
Class B AIS transponder
Water pump
Washdown pump
TV
We will further test the generator, AC and refrigeration systems next week when the boat is in the water to pull the mast.
Needless to say, we aren't going anywhere any time soon...
-- Geoff
Last weekend when we returned to BlueJacket, which was on the hard at RAM marine in the Rio Dulce of Guatemala, we found that she had suffered a lightning strike which took out almost everything that had a semi-conductor in it.
It appears that the lightning entered/exited through the 2 VHF antennas, which were on top of the mast, and vaporized them. The charge travelled down the mast and through the boat's ground plane and then arced from the sink to a dehumidifier that we had sitting next to the sink and draining into it. The dehumidifier was plugged into a 120V extension cord which went through a thru-hull and down to the power pedestal.
At this point the failed systems include:
RayMarine SeaTalk ST80 depth and speed transducers
RayMarine Course Computer with gyro
5 RayMarine displays/controllers
ST60 wind instrument & display
Most interior LED lighting
LED running lights
LED anchor light
Victron Phoenix 3000 watt inverter/charger
Stereo
Next Generation Power 3 KW generator run hour meter
Brand new Mermaid marine dehumidifier
Standard Horizon VHF RAM mic
2 VHF whip antennas (lightening entry point)
SEA235 SSB & 1635 tuner
SSB Whip antenna (????)
Bullet Platinum WiFi booster
Balmar Alternator
Bilge water sensor
Microwave
120V side of electrical panel has melted wires/scorching
12V meter on electrical panel
What does seem to be working are the following:
Engine & tachometer
Windlass
Sirius radio (display is funky) & external
Iridium Go & antenna
MarineAir AC
Refrigeration system w/electronic controllers & hour meters
Next Generation Power 3 KW generator
Engine
Electric winches
Class B AIS transponder
Water pump
Washdown pump
TV
We will further test the generator, AC and refrigeration systems next week when the boat is in the water to pull the mast.
Needless to say, we aren't going anywhere any time soon...
-- Geoff