Lightning Strike

[LADYBUG TOO]

Last Friday an early morning lightning strike jumped from a pine tree to my home and pretty much blasted my electrical system, telephone, cable TV and Internet. Unfortunately for me, Ladybug, Too was on shore power for battery charging and took part of the hit. There are flash marks on both ends of the shore power cable indicating quite a voltage spike. The Yanmar display comes up but has no com to the ECM as it shows no static engine data and after the initial beep it pauses and then goes to constant alarm mode. I have checked every fuse in the ECM and every other I can find. The only blown fuses were the voltage monitoring ones on the battery bank and the bilge pumps. Replacing them restored the bilge pumps but the analog meter for the batteries seems fried. The Mase 4.0 control panel comes up with no error codes but there is no response to the start command. Checked internal fuses, overload switch and emergency switch. All are in proper position and have been cycled. The Garmin network is fine with GPS, Radar and fathometer working fine. The VHF appears to be fried and the Main A/C unit tried to start then I heard a sound like a fuse blowing but haven't resolved that. All other AC and DC panel functions appear to be ok. I am not sure about the ProMariner charger or the charging relays. The starter battery is dead and likely will not revive. Given that the Generator and Engine start from the same battery I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to what may have fried related to that battery. I think it is time for me to surrender and call the Yanmar man but I will try anything anyone can suggest. Help! Pat, Ladybug, Too

 

[Irish Mist]

I'm sure you have but I would call insurance as sounds like could get nasty
Best of luck with everything

 

[knotflying]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Sounds to me like you need a professional survey and a good insurance adjuster. Don't accept any money until you are satisfied with the assesment of damage and somehow keep the door open for subsequent findings.

 

[Levitation]

Take it from someone with experience with lightning damaged electronics - do not let them sweet talk you into 'repairing' fried electronics... The electronics will never be reliable after a voltage and current surge from a strike...
Oh yeah, the repair shop can coax stuff back to life, but it will fail, and fail, and fail - of course after the claim is settled...
Stand your ground that you want a new ECM on that engine...

Do not play repair man...
FIle the damage claim with your insurance company and let THEM order the repairs from Yanmar...
Play dumb... Hide your tools and your volt meter...
And your stock answer to his 'suggestions' that surely you can fix this or that little thing is " Huh? " accompanied with a confused expression...
The adjusters role in life is to minimize the companies cash outlay...
Your role is to ensure that you get everything covered by them - else why are you paying premiums?
Be aware that your homeowners policy is in play here because the bat was plugged into the house and expect a possible cat fight between the two insurance companies over who pays for the boat - with you in the middle///

 

[LADYBUG TOO]

Just an up-date. Thanks for the advice about not playing repairman! I am awaiting the Yanmar dealer and the insurance adjuster to get to the boat at the same time. In the process, I have been learning alot about the electrical system and I believe that Ranger has a good sound approach to the overall installation. The charging relays proved to be quite valuable in the aftermath of the strike. The starting battery was totaled with half of the cells totally grounded. The charging relays did their job and isolated the starting battery as they were designed to do. The charger functioned normally and brought the house and thruster batteries up to full charge before I realized what had happened. My dockside check list has a few new precautions, one of which is to disconnect the shore power when not really needed. I have compared notes with my local boating friends and all of us have had a similar experience with varying degrees of catastrophic failure. I am sure the ECM is fried but I'll let the Yanmar man tell me that. There are also some issues with the thrusters that will need more expertise than I possess so the cashflow is definately on the negative side at the moment. Deductible is $2,500 so I know what the end game will look like.

Pat, Ladybug, Too

 

[Levitation]

When my daughter's brand new SunDancer 36 had a strike on July 3 it was out of commission the entire summer while she fought the insurance company to get the electronics replaced and burned wiring replaced instead of just patched up...

Hang in there... They are never in a big yank to spend their money - you just have to wear them down...
Make a punch list and give them copies to work from...
The charger is not in the clear until you get a good starting battery on it and see if it functions on that curcuit...
Here are a few non obvious items that come to mind (though probably you have thought of them)
Check the LED lights are on:
1. outside around the house when the cockpit lighting is on
2. and the trailering lights on the stern - insist they have a mechanic hook the boat's trailer harness up to a truck and check the functions - also Left and RIght turn signals might be reversed (mine were)
Refrigerator cooling
Shower pump
Macerator pump
Second bilge pump by putting water in the bilge until it comes on by itself to check the float switch and the alarm horn...
CO detector
etc. etc.
Good luck
Search light
Horn

 

[LADYBUG TOO]

Update as of 8/10:

The Yanmar Dealer arived Thursday and as expected the ECM is fried but the harness is untouched. The Mase 4.0 with the one lunger Yanmar has a fried control board and a toasted starter. The smell of burned electrical was strong and the vinyl terminal covers were slightly melted. New terminal lugs will need to be crimped onto the positive and ground wires. The A/C Tech is trying to find new boards with over current protection. Would you believe that the authorized Marvair distributor in our area did not know he was the "authorized" distributor for Marvair. As soon as boards and displays arrive, that problem will be corrected. So far it is not as bad as it could have been because the boat did not take a direct hit. The house and trees absorbed quite a bit of the hit. Had it not been a hard rain, the house would have burned down. The trees are gone. Pine trees are just lightning rods with needles .

Pat, Ladybug, Too

 

[Crewdog]

We had a lightning strike very near the house about 2 am Saturday.

I think it blew a tire in the old boat trailer, blew some circuits and electronics in my wife's car in the driveway (sorry Honey...), took out the cable line into the house ( no tv, phone or net), and took out the safety sensor in the garage door.

Fortunately we have a whole house surge protector in the elec panel that tripped and saved our tv, electronics and appliances from any damage.

I think it justified the $250 install cost.