Electicity in the air
Submitted by bradz on Sat, 2011-10-22 16:23
Was out fishing this morning during the rain and lightning. After the first downpour we could hear a buzzing noise. To my suprise the rods in the rocket launcher were humming with the electricity in the air. A little while later the antenna started humming really bloody loud. It was actually a bit disconcerting.
Was there anything to worry about or is that sort of thing common place?
My mate had other things on his mind at the time as he enjoyed his breakfast on the way back up. Poor bugger...he he. :)
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I did then the best that I knew how. When I knew better, I did better.
quindieselbrad
Posts: 329
Date Joined: 01/09/10
that would have been very
that would have been very unsettling lol, glad u made it home in 1 pce :)
Catchn dhuies off the smell of an oily rag :)
Jeffree
Posts: 489
Date Joined: 23/02/11
yes
we had the same thing happen to us today.
1st it was the boats antenna.
then it was the carbon rods, and only the carbon rods.
was a bit worried. especialy when there was thunder and lightning.
not all asians keep undersize fish.
Reefmonkey
Posts: 711
Date Joined: 22/09/08
F that!
pretty sure your lucky you didn't get a lightning strike, would've been right on top of you.
Dave J.
Feral
Posts: 1508
Date Joined: 01/11/06
Haha you know they have a
Haha you know they have a lightning warning on carbon rods for a reason don't ya ... they are just a lovely lightning conductor .. which is why they shouldn't be in the rocket launcher in storms .. funny shit :-)
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Dunno, rather a rod in the
Dunno, rather a rod in the rocket launcher cops it as the highest conducting point ... than me.
shammy
Posts: 231
Date Joined: 03/07/09
lucky I'd say
I'd say you were very close to getting hit.
A smart thing during conditions where there is lightening is to lower your aerials and get the rods into the bottom of the boat.
If your rods or aerials took a hit in your boat you would very likely cop a fair whack of the discharge yourself.......
I'd make as small a footprint as I could and wait for the worst of it to pass.
"Life wasn't meant to be a spectator sport"
PattyT
Posts: 1025
Date Joined: 15/08/10
Jeez, sounds like a pretty
Jeez, sounds like a pretty close call. I have heard some stories about carbon rods and lightningcstorms.. not the best things to have in your hands thats for sure.
jigsaw
Posts: 154
Date Joined: 30/07/11
fried
not too good out on the ocean when your electronics fry either.
bradz
Posts: 693
Date Joined: 29/10/07
Alrighty then
Alrighty then. I should count myself lucky. I thought it was be funny but by the sounds of it it was that dangerous.
I did then the best that I knew how. When I knew better, I did better.
scottywiper
Posts: 247
Date Joined: 09/03/08
I know someone who was
I know someone who was fishing for barra in Qld when the same thing happened.
Skipper told him to wind in, he hit the motor and they took off straight away.
They'd only gone 20 metres or so a bolt of lightning came down right where they had been.
Very near miss...when that starts happening best to move! Quickly!
Fathom
Posts: 619
Date Joined: 18/04/08
Ionized air
also called plasma, what was happening was the air was breaking down splitting into positive ions and electrons making it easier for a strike to penetrate the air and be grounded, like "burning a path" for the lightning to follow. Several "stepped leaders" leave the clouds following all the paths of ionized air and seek out a good grounding. The arials and fishing rods are sending a "positive streamer" out towards the cloud to meet a stepped leader. If they meet then there is a conductive path for the lightning to follow....this all happens in a fraction of a second and you cannot outrun lightning also lightning doesnt always hit the highest target.
Best thing to do I reckon is drop arials and dissconect from radio, lay rods on deck, crouch down on the balls of feet under the canopy/bimini if you have one (could act as a faraday cage) lift your heels off the deck and dont touch anything metal or anything wet...
Fathom likes to photograph lightning:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT5GHfyFzqw
sunshine
Posts: 2627
Date Joined: 03/03/09
Basic physics - For every action
There is an equal and opposite reaction ..................................lightning doesn't just come from the clouds - it generates equal and opposite leader strikes emanating from the ground - the potential can and is massive - your boat was a potential leader strike path - I for one will never fish in that sort of weather at the risks are too great that you or your bioat and electronics may indeed become a "crispy ctitter"