RE: [Paddlewise] Anyone understand lightning?

From: PeterO <rebyl_kayak_at_iprimus.com.au>
Date: Fri, 23 Aug 2002 20:38:00 +1000
Dave wrote: -
>Coincidentally, I believe there are more injuries and
>deaths on sailboats from low hanging power lines than
>from lightning.

G'Day and you're spot on!!!!!!!! I've had two near misses in my life,

One in a chartered sailboat with a commercial skipper who was having a bad
night when his mast hit an 11kV line blacking out a whole suburb. The molten
copper droplets ruined a good shirt and people holding on to the deck rail
felt the 50Hz vibration - they were very lucky! I just hope noone was on
life support in the suburb. No good.

The other was when due to bad judgement I found myself in a kayak caught in
open water in a major storm. For about 300 meters every time I touched the
water with the right blade I got a tiny shock between my right hand and the
paddle. I'm guessing it was electricity I don't really know, but it
certainly felt like it. Got to shore in record time. If only I could paddle
that fast normally.

Both events within 3 years. So far with this sample of one the odds are
getting very close to 50:50:~) We have great storms in Sydney and they
always seem to happen on a Thursday night when we want to go paddling and
have to go to the bar instead.

All the best, PeterO


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Received on Fri Aug 23 2002 - 03:49:17 PDT

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