[Anonymous]

Hi, have any members experienced lightning damage to their yachts? a few weeks ago whilst leaving our yacht on her swinging mooring early morning, there was an almighty bang! we had been watching the thunder/lightning as we hurried to leave our yacht, via an inflatable dingy.

Julian my crew who was now in the tender said BLOODY HELL I FELT THAT , what a bang! i was still on the yacht handing bags over to him and jumped a couple feet in the air. Having not actually been electricuted we left the yacht and went to the marina on the tender.

The following Saturday i returned to the yacht to go sailing, turned the engine/service switches on and realised i had a problem, the panel just kept flashing and all the panel lights stayed on. Engine would not start, Garim chartplotter failed, no LCD engine info.

I got an electrical engineer to inspect the yacht wiring/instruments. His report says the yacht didnt take a direct hit, but the system has had some sort of power surge and blown the Volvo engine control units,Bavaria panel, Garmin chartplotter ,pioneer CD/radio. We have a 12v TV which was fine/DSC radio fine.

The insurance company have been very good so far and instructed the electrical engineers to carry out replacement of the damaged instruments, and we have now managed to get the engine running. We now have to wait for a new 301 control panel from Bavaria (4 weeks).

Any advice would be welcome

rgds Ray

[Anonymous]

In 2005 we had a similar indirect lightening strike on our shared Bav 36 – we were aboard at the time and i slept through it although Maggie saw sparks coming from the top of the mast.
Our VHF and instruments were blown, but everything else was ok. Our insurer’s, Pantaneus were excellent.
Once the instruments were replaced we had no further problems.

Good luck,

John

[Anonymous]

Hi John, we are now half way through the instrument replacement, and now waiting for bits from Bavaria

Ray

Nornie lees

[Author]

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