At 08:38 p.m. 23/08/02 +1000, you wrote: >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. Hi Peter, I work in high voltage lines and substations covering the porcelain with insulating silicone coating while energized. I think, I can try to explain what was going on with the tiny shock you felt. The air was charged electrically,so there was some voltage difference between your body due to induction in the air, and the water. The insulation maintaining that difference was the kayak material. Every time you touched the water with the paddle, current did flow through the shaft to bring your body to the water potential, therefore you felt the discharge. After the paddle left the water you charged yourself again due to voltage induced in the air, and so on. We feel that same thing everytime we let go of the metallic surface of the tower, and since our booths are insulated, we float (electrically speaking) and attain the induced voltage in air. When we hold the tower again we feel the small shock and we can even see the little spark light, from our fingers or through the clothes, if we lean against the tower steel elements. The bad thing about it (if I am right), is that the presence of clouds with high voltage kept the air where you were paddling electrically stressed, and if any section of air would brake and ionize the discharge might have followed. How much more stress was needed is hard to know, but certainly conditions were not safe, and it was good to get out as soon as possible, or before. Why did it happen only with the right side? I would like to make a guess that the positive high voltage source was high on your left side, so your left side was negatively charged and your right side positively charged. When you touched the water on the right side, electrons would flow to neutralize the positive charge. maybe somebody can complement this or suggest another explanation. Best Regards, Rafael el cayuco chief Mexico *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Aug 23 2002 - 12:01:11 PDT
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