Thoughts on buying a boat that was struck by lightning

[Clint]

I would like to hear any and all thoughts concerning the purchase and rebuild of a sailboat that has been struck by lightning.

[bcooke]

What's the chances of being struck twice?

[Tim]

Specifically, what sort of damage occurred from the lightning strike?

[Clint]

The boat sustained a hit to the mast head and exited out the starboard side onto a boat stand and then hit Rachel's shore power cord. So, there is a hole in the side of the boat that needs repaired. ( The hole was enlarged to inspect the coring, which is burnt) The battery's were fried upon strike. I think the lightning also exited the shaft log, although there is no evidence of it now. This past month I have taken a battery on board and started testing of systems. The motor will start and run, but no charging from alternator. Most of the lights work inside. VHF will transmit and receive. No melted wires that can be seen. Rigging has been inspected and no notable damage observed. All other rigging and sails in good condition.
By no means do I expect the electrical items on the boat to be trouble free for the next few years. total electrical system replacement would be planned.
Additional thoughts?

[margitchris]

It looks to me like you have the basses covered. Certainly a new alternator is in order. Odd, though, that the starter works. Have you determined whether there were any additional pinholes in the hull caused be sideflashes? Some of the scaredest I've ever been on aboat is during lightning storms. I've never suffered any damage, however.
Good luck!

Chris
Seafarer 31

[Tim]

I'd say the biggest question mark is to determine the extent of the damage--and repairs required--to the hull where the lightning exited. If the area is relatively small and isolated, repair shouldn't be much of an issue--but you need to be sure there isn't hidden damage or another exit point somewhere that might also require repair. Specifically, check for signs of laminate damage in a wide area around the known exit point; this will require destructive testing, most likely. Heat can work in strange and not always immediately visible ways with fiberglass laminates.

How did the current pass from the mast to the point of exit in the hull? Check the entire path of the strike for additional signs of damage, hidden or otherwise. Check around all metal fittings as well--through hulls, chainplates, etc, especially if there's a bonding system on board.

As to the electrical, I'd plan on re-doing it all, as you say, though it sounds like the main path of the strike didn't affect the electrical system. But there's certainly a good chance that you may find delayed or long-lasting effects in this area.

[Clint]

I have not gotten really serious yet on the purchase so I have not done a detailed inspection of the boat but trying to get other peoples opinions. I think it is a good chance to get a 40' Morris at a very good price. It does have a salvage title which will make selling the boat down the road a slight chore.
I guess my biggest worry is the rigging, and what the high voltage could have done. Although it does look like the main path of the lighting was down the mast then out the aft stand. Where it went in between there I have not figured that out yet. Probably through the bonding system then to the batteries. The aft stand was right below the batteries.

[Rachel]

Hi Clint,

Is it the boat I'm thinking of? A Morgan 382? If so I think it has a balsa cored hull (which you alluded to in your post). Also, I have several photographs of the damage when it was fresh (practically still smoking) if you would like me to post them (or, if not, I could send them to you privately).

Strangely, I was just wracking my brain yesterday trying to remember the name of that boat. I can see the font on the transom in my mind... Then a thread pops up about it not 24 hours later :)

Rachel

[Clint]

Yes Rachel, its the boat you are thinking of. sorceress i think is the name. Although I had in my mind it was a Morris.
What are your thoughts?

[Rachel]

Ahhhh, that's the name (Whew, I can stop thinking about that now).

All the boats that I've been acquainted with that were hit by lightning were not cored hulls. On the solid hulls, some had a lot of pinholes in the hull (as in... thousands) and some didn't. Most had all of their electronics replaced (these were covered by insurance, but also the old ones were fried). I would wonder how far the core damage extended, especially if any of it were damp; but that's more based on idle wondering than on scientific knowledge. If it were me I could see drilling some test holes in various places, but there may well be a more sophisticated way to check for the extent of the problem.

I don't know whether strikes can really be more or less intense, but from a layperson's perspective, that was a whomping strike. I too would be interested to know if it is possible for the aluminum structure of the mast to have been affected. I suppose it could just have traveled down the wiring inside the mast and not done any damage to the aluminum?

Here is what I observed:
It was a really intense lightning storm, and there were several strikes in the immediate vicinity. I heard that Sorceress had been hit and of course ran out with my heart in my throat as it was right next to my boat (both on the hard; Sorceresses mast was stepped). It was still pouring rain and as I ran up to Sorceress I could see a largish black charred area and there was someone already up in the cockpit and smoke was coming out the companionway. Apparently the batteries (?) were smoking or nearly on fire (or maybe actually on fire) and I believe they were disconnected and perhaps something was doused with the contents of a fire extinguisher.

Lots of stuff from Sorceresses masthead was on my decks. Bits of antennas and such (not metal rigging parts). There were three areas where it looked as though lightning had exited the hull. The biggest one was at the starboard/aft boatstand, which was right next to the battery bank. This was a "tear" that left a flap-type gap. I think it was about a foot long, and was crescent shaped. Lots of black charring but that seemed to be from black smoke that came out from inside (?).

There was a smaller, black circular hole (about 1.5" diameter) right next to the starboard/amidships boat stand, and also some fairing chunks were blown out from around the cutlass bearing (why it was thought that some lightning may have exited there).

Unfortunately for me, that afternoon was the one time I had not completely coiled up my extension cord (I'd pulled a muscle in my back, and also the owners of Sorc. were busy working and I didn't want to disturb them). So while the cord was not plugged into anything on my boat, it was plugged into mains power and then draped up onto my boat and hanging in the cockpit. Well, it also ran past that starboard/aft boatstand and was touching it. So current from the strike zipped up the cord and onto my boat, where the free, plug end "snapped" with the force of the electricity exiting it and smashed my engine panel (just by physical force). I had had the female end tucked in behind the toggle guard to keep it facing down during rain (and usually unplugged the "shore" end and coiled up the cord). I'll never do THAT again, pulled muscle or not.

I was never aboard Sorceress before that, but my impression was that it was not "Bristol," although I don't know specifically what it needed. Probably re-doing the electrical system would not have been a bad idea in any case. I've never sailed a Morgan 382, but it seems to be well-liked, and my impression is that it was an IOR-era boat without excessive (potentially negative) IOR characteristics. Certainly Ted Brewer is a great boat designer. I would guess that the range of prices for a "normal" Morgan 382 would be something in the $40k to $60k range, although I haven't researched it.

I think the cored hull is what would have me doing the most checking. That could have had damp/wet areas even without a lightning strike. And I'll be interested to hear what others think about the mast and whether that is a concern or not.

It would certainly be a convenient project boat, location-wise :)

Rachel

PS: Not that my photos are the world's best, by any stretch of the imagination, but let me know if you would like me to post them.

[Clint]

Here is a picture of the exit path of the lightning strike. What do you think?

[Hulukupu]

Hi Clint,
That's a mighty square bolt of lightning (just kidding). Is that an exit hole in the lower center of the exposed area?
There doesn't seem to be much consensus on whether or how to protect a boat on the water from lightning. My mast is grounded to a bronze plate on the hull. Was the mast in question also grounded in some way? Perhaps one of the holes Rachel describes was where a grounding plate was once mounted?
In any case, It'd be good to unstep the mast and inspect it inside and out, along with the stays, shrouds, chain plates, etc. before considering a purchase.
David

[Tim]

Based only on that photo, before you consider buying the boat I'd say it's paramount to determine the extent of the core damage, and any other damage related to that lightning strike. Since the damaged core extends beyond the current opening, additional destructive testing is required before you could possibly make an informed decision about the purchase of the boat.

Clearly, the boat was seriously damaged, but it's still not yet clear just how much. You, or anyone else who might be interested in repairing this boat, need to know exactly how much of the boat has been damaged. The opening shown in the photo isn't large enough to show the full extent of the damage.

If the damaged area ends up being clearly delineated and generally isolated and relatively small, then repair is feasible, financially and otherwise. But if the strike has had far-reaching effects, even if more minimal than that shown, you could be getting into something that you don't want to get into. Never mind the other, possibly delayed, effects of the strike that you could be dealing with now and in the future. Tread carefully.

Do your homework first. The repairs might well be within the realm, but at this stage, with the information presented so far in this thread, I'd say there are still too many unanswered questions about the scope of the damage and required repair.

Given what you've shown, and the ongoing questions, I'd suggest that infrared testing of the entire bottom, performed by qualified personnel, along with additional physical destructive testing, are required to properly assess the condition of the boat. Infrared is expensive, but might well be worth it in this case.

I think it is a good chance to get a 40' Morris at a very good price.

Remember: there are no true boat bargains (especially since it appears this is a Morgan, not a Morris--worlds apart.) Pay now, or pay later--possibly dearly. Proceed only with full knowledge of the situation, and of what it will take to correct it. 38' is a lot of boat. Morgans are also notorious for varying levels of build quality over the years--some were good, some just dreadful--so again, pay attention to the details and know what you are getting into, both in terms of financial commitment and the time required.

[Clint]

Thanks Tim,

I had in my mind that it was a Morris from the start of my thinking of buying this boat, but Rachel set me straight. The more questions I ask the more the hull is starting to scare me. Like you said, I might not have any issues right now, but later on down the road stuff might start popping up. If these things that just start popping up are structural then I might be in a world of hurtin'. The electrical can be repaired without issue, but the hull is worrying me. I took a good look at the boat this weekend and the boat clearly shows that it was not taken care of. Lots of hack job electrical repairs, system installs and the general condition of the boat is below par in my opinion. BUT, with the price being so cheap for a 38' boat it keeps drawing me in like a tractor beam!
USE the force luke!!!!!

[Case]

Based on the picture, I'll stay away from that boat.

The burned core extends a fair distance away from the exit point of the lightning (from what I can see from the picture). The first thing I thought when I saw the picture: How much of the hull core is burned?

It might be LOTS. Or the burned area stops just beyond the cutout. Based on the blackness of the core at the edges, I think it extends a... long way.

Cheap boats are exciting. But we all have only so much time in our lives. Some cheap boats just take too much time and money. So consider the amount of time you're willing to expend fixing up a boat. It is truly a buyer's market today for sailboats, especially those built during the 1970s. You're better off looking at others that has fewer problems. I find old 1970s C&Cs to be particularly interesting for example.

- Case

[Quetzalsailor]

Two approaches: 1, is the boat model one you'd want to own? You can find M38s for $40k and up. Add the purchase cost to the pain and cost of repair and see if the struck boat is still the cheaper. 2, Is this a boat you could buy, repair and sell at a profit? Ditto the procedure above and add risk; any buyer will be looking for a lightning damage discount, too.

I'd want to see pretty pink balsa on all four sides of the damaged area. I'd want to know if the balsa was dry and whether the moisture in it had blown the layup apart. Sounding and moisture testing the hull might tell the tale. I'd want to know more about how fiberglass behaves with excessive voltage: does it delaminate with heat and steam? does it chemically change at some inconvenient distance? I know fiberglass does not appreciate battery acid; where did it all go? How'd the strike get there anyway? With respect to 'side strikes'; I'll bet that whole boat was dissipating charge from lots of places. I doubt that there's internal, invisible damage to the aluminum alloy, but I could believe that joints between the various parts could show damage when dissassembled; hounds bolts welded to tangs etc. Electrical damage could turn up anywhere, I think (dads house was closely struck; relays were blown at the other end of 60' of light gauge relay control wire). Burnt insulation could be concealed and cause excitement when the circuit was re-energised.

Good luck!