> This last weekend we beached overnight for the first time and were very
> surprised at some static electricity problems that ran rampant and really
> surprised us. With the boat beached and the wind blowing (sails down), a
> persistent and plentiful static charging ensued. It would click click
> click on the port side mast staylines where they meet the gunwale.
> Touching the keel or any metal lines, the pulpit etc produced a very
> unpleasant shock and quickly recharged in less than a second to do it
> again, painful. I thought it might be the battery so i disconnected it
> but no change. Finally I hooked jumper cables to the forestaycable and to
> a metal stake into the mud of the beach, that drained it and allowed it to
> drain but the whole thing was a pheonomenon to me. Has anyone else
> experienced static like this on their potters?
Not on my potter. But maybe 25 years ago, standing on top of Banner
Peak in the Sierra Nevada range, I experienced a similar thing -- my
hair was standing out, and my skin felt itchy all over, and there was
a buzzing sound, like big electric bees, all around.
I felt it was in my best interest to get away from that particular
spot...
-- Kent Crispin "Do good, and you'll be kent@songbird.com lonesome." -- Mark Twain