Mast hits electrical wires when splashing Mac

[Québec 1]

This guy with Maine license plates was splashing his Mac at a local marina in Quebec City:
http://www.ycq.ca/accueil.html
when his mast connected with an overhead electrical wire. The boat is a write off and thats all I know!



Q1

[Matt19020]

Ouch!!!

[Hamin' X]

Ouch!

~Rich

[Divecoz]

Q1: Without Pictures I would have ( no insult intended) Never believed it.. What The Heck?? How could this "conductivity wise " have happened?
Mast to shrouds shrouds to chain plates Done.....It appears to be obvious.. ( there I go assuming) This went through his battery to the engine?
None of the shrouds or mast or life lines are system acquainted. Dang! 110 shouldn't do this and even 277 or 480 shouldn't because the two phases for 480 on contact should have blown a pole fuse..... Copper Clad 4160 ? Dang?
Sad to see .. Heart breaking .. scary... Bet they will be installing things differently and very soon....if it wasnt to code .. Most of Canada abides by the NEC and theres a public overhead section.. If it was one of us? I would now be posting a quote from the NEC chapter and verse.. No Doubt his lawyer will know it by heart ..

IMHO this needs to be posted in the General discussion area!!!! How About it MODS!!??

[Retcoastie]

Hey, that could have been me. When we first got the boat and were getting ready to put it in the water, a marina worker directed us under a 6KVA wire. It took out the transformer on the pole but we only got a little burn hole in the Genny cover, and a bent mast.

I was really upset then. After seeing those pictures, I am really relieved it wasn't worse.

Ken

[Divecoz]

Dang Ret .. Your one lucky guy..
6K knows few boundaries.. takes few "living " prisoners..I have done / did , this for a living for close to 37 years and I am very careful with what I do, what and how I touch and NO ONE Ever Touches Me, when I am working anything hot.. etc etc..
I've seen what happens when guys make mistakes handling these high Voltages.. Even 480/277 phase to phase or phase to ground can be really bad... 208/277 is nasty as well..

Hey, that could have been me. When we first got the boat and were getting ready to put it in the water, a marina worker directed us under a 6KVA wire. It took out the transformer on the pole but we only got a little burn hole in the Genny cover, and a bent mast.

I was really upset then. After seeing those pictures, I am really relieved it wasn't worse.

Ken

[FLembo18]

I noticed in the pic's that the spreaders & swim ladder look unscathed, hmmm. Also the trailer looks like it's in great condition for it's age and only, from what I can see, the port guide post (PVC) is melted.


Frank L.

[seacatcapt]

How could this "conductivity wise " have happened?

Does seem odd, but how about: mast to spreader, spreader to shroud, shroud to chain plate, now for the leap ... chain plate fitting to cabling in the interior chaseway between the two mold pieces, then on to the battery, motor, and home to water. It looks like there was a considerable fire in the cabin, which would be likely if there was high current running along the wire run from amidship to the battery compartment.

[K9Kampers]

How could this "conductivity wise " have happened?

When I was rewiring my boat and pulling thru the factory "lampcord" wires, they were snagged in one spot, until I realized that the wire route was sandwiched between the chainplate and the hull.
...............
RE: photo 1...notice the new port-side galley bay window!

[mastreb]

Retcoastie--the difference between your experience and his was the presence of a path to ground on his boat and not on yours.

[Catigale]

Was the boat in the water? I've never seen wires on a launch ramp

[Trouts Dream]

It looks like most of the damage was caused by a resulting fire. Looks like holes cut in the sides to douse the fire.

[Capt Sully]

you have to look up once in a while

[ualpow]

K9Kampers, I found the same thing while troubleshooting an intermittent short in my nav lights. The short only happened when the mast was up and tension was on the rigging. I couldn't find a short so I decided to just run a new circuit. I found the nav light wires between the chain plate and the hull that would only short out when the shrouds were tight. I thought I would be the only one with this kind of idiotic mistake.

[K9Kampers]

If only one boat... idiotic mistake.

If two boats or more... idiotic manufacturing practice!