Electrical grounding questions

Discussion in 'Sailboats' started by wesley Sherman, Dec 13, 2020.

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  1. fallguy
    Joined: Dec 2016
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    Location: usa

    fallguy Senior Member

    All about safety of the crew.
     
    fallguy, Dec 16, 2020
    #16
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  2. rangebowdrie
    Joined: Nov 2009
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    Location: Oregon

    rangebowdrie Senior Member

    Sometime back in the late 1980s, IIRC, Wooden Boat had an article about a sailboat that suffered a strike while on a mooring.
    The strike was witnessed by people on shore
    All of the wiring in the mast was vaporized when the strike hit. The boat had a well thought out and complete bonding system.
    The bonding system was common to the engine and the negative batt connections as well as all the electronics grounding.
    The strike destroyed all the electronics. The batteries exploded. The strike also travelled thru the engine and transmission to escape thru the prop shaft, and the bearings in the engine were fused to the crankshaft.
    I can't recall if that was the same boat in the article that had a seacock blow out of the hull from a strike.
    How about bobstay fittings down at the waterline that are connected electrically to the mast thru the rigging?
     
    rangebowdrie, Dec 16, 2020
    #17
  3. Howlandwoodworks
    Joined: Sep 2018
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    Location: USA MO

    Howlandwoodworks Member

    Don’t Mess with Mother Nature, She Has a Long Memory and a Nasty Temper.

    Marine Grounding Systems | West Marine https://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/Marine-Grounding-Systems

    Mike Holt Enterprises - the leader in electrical training. https://www.mikeholt.com/technical-grounding-versus-bonding-newsletter-menu.php

    Mike Holt Enterprises - the Leader in Electrical Training. https://www.mikeholt.com/technical-grounding-Path-of-Least-Resistance-(2-8-2K).php
    By Mike Holt, for EC&M magazine, Back-to-Basics.

    No, electricity does not "take the path of least resistance." It takes all paths available-in inverse proportion to the impedance of the paths. Current flows through all available paths. The magnitude of the current flowing in each path depends on the voltage and impedance of each path. The lower the impedance of the path (assuming voltage remains constant), the greater the current. Conversely, the higher the impedance of the path (assuming voltage remains constant), the lower the current.




    A “no responsibility disclaimer of liability”
    I will not be held responsible for any damages that could arise from using of my post and acting upon the information that it contains.
     
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2021
    Howlandwoodworks, Jun 3, 2021
    #18
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  5. berry111
    Joined: Jun 2021
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    Location: Boulder

    berry111 New Member

    Great content to know!
    I'm reading all post and here are good thought to take for future reference for me!
     
    berry111, Jun 11, 2021
    #19
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