lightning protection

[Capt_BJ]

at the top of the main mast

 

[UNV-IT!!!]

Why delete my post. I'm happy they installed the squid protection. :eek:

[Krazy Kruizers]

We were on a Princess ship years ago. Lightning hit the rod right above our cabin in the middle of the night -- scared us and the people in the cabin next to us.

 

Nothing happened to the ship.

[tahqa]

WHAT!?!?! No kite flying????

Not unless your name is Ben Franklin! ;)

[navybankerteacher]

The ship, its superstructure and masts, being largely steel or other highly conductive material, is essentially one large lightening rod - which conducts the charge to the sea. Passengers on the ship are as safe as they would be in their own house - assuming that they had lightning rods installed all around -- if they do not have lightning rods on their house, they are far safer on a cruise ship during a lightning storm than they would be at home: just one more reason to cruise.

[Eng23]

in my years on the bridge, I've had the ship hit by lightning several times - {in my job we didn't always have the luxury of avoiding storms . . .}

 

As mentioned, most of the time the bolt makes contact with a 'lightning rod' on the mast, or just the metal mast or hull itself and the charge passes harmlessly just as it does when a bolt hits an airplane in flight.

 

A few occasions have had a bit more drama tho. On these hits the bolt came down on an antenna - one connected to a radio. THAT gets a little more interesting. The first time I experienced this was a very long time ago when I was a cadet at the Academy and sailing on EAGLE the Coast Guard square rigger training ship.

I was the cadet officer of the deck, standing watch on the bridge which on EAGLE meant you were out in the weather between the main and mizzen masts; it was night and we were in the English Channel heading for Germany - the first time EAGLE would return to Hamburg since becoming 'American' as a war prize.

 

"the weather started getting rough" as the story goes ... lightning was popping all around and suddenly every ones hair - altho we didn't actually have much being cadets - stood up and tingled and a bolt hit a fiberglass whip antenna, a 12 footer, attached to the mizzen mast just above and behind us. BLAM .... as we all checked to see if we were still intact - we were fine - it began to snow. Looking up, the antenna remains looked like a banana peel and white powder was gently falling. The radio that antenna was connected to was completely fried, you could see where the cable 'tween the two had scorched the paint on the mast and melted its plastic cover. But that was the extent of the damage ... and we carried spares of all those items so a few hours of repairs and all was well.

 

Had similar experiences a few more times over the years but that's the one I have the most vivid memories of. Even had a bolt hit the home TV antenna once back in the 80's and blow the TV up. Blast didn't come thru the power cord, it was fine. The antenna connection was melted tho and the tuner.

Great picture! Now that's what I call sailing a ship!

[Keith1010]

Just wanted to wish you a wonderful cruise.

 

Keith

[Travelnerd44]

WOW! If this is "your" photo, you need to enter it in a contest.

 

 

ya what she said! :eek: What an awesome photo!!!!!!!