Electric shocks

[Sunstreaker]

I have held off posting this because it sounds a little weird. Last year on safety boat, cold wet, rain and lots of spray. Lots of water in the boat probably about 6inches plus at times. One of those days I look at the dinghies and pray its the last lap. I was lifting the marks, as I lifted near to the chain and anchors I got small electric shocks in lower arms. I'm 99.99percent sure I wasn't having some sort of physiological or neurological event. It was shocks not pins and needles . I had dinghy boots feet in water in boat and leaning over the side, my guess was all the water in the boat, some electrical leakage from battery or cables to engine through into salt water, me soaked, through me to metal of anchor. Never experienced this before or after and no mention I can find anywhere. Just curious.

[biffer]

You became a better earth than one which is not too good on your boat

[jyasaki]

Doubt you'd feel 12V.

I'd suspect bad spark plug cables or a cracked coil; something to do with high voltage.

jky

[portlandphil]

well you had metals and an electrolyte (salt water) so maybe you turned yourself into a battery :-)

[wiLlfish]

Originally Posted by portlandphil

maybe you turned yourself into a battery

heez nott verry brite sow probubly a 6v

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by wiLlfish

heez nott verry brite sow probubly a 6v

More double A.

[portlandphil]

maybe the boat was caught in a strong current

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by jyasaki

Doubt you'd feel 12V.

You can feel 12V (trust me!) Especially with wet hands, and even more so if its relatively unrestricted in terms of the current it can throw at you.

[mister p]

Yes, you can feel 12V, it's the number of amps that see to that.However, you don't say whether your engine was running. If they were pulses that you felt then it should be HT but I'm thinking that if it's got to that level of shorting then the plugs or coils would have earthed and the engine would have stalled.
Your anchor chain or buoy chain may have touched a lake or river bed cable?

[Sunstreaker]

The engine was running, and it was at sea. No underwater cables evident, I know the area at low tide. The safety boat is two seasons old , Valiant 450 with mercury 4 stroke 30 hp. I did not notice any engine running problems. When I dropped the chain and anchors on the floor the shocks stopped. I lifted four marks and it happened on all of them.

[mister p]

Has to be HT short earthing through you and over the surface of your submerged arms through to the chain.

[Chris]

Having the same issue. Traced to the bilge pump which is being replaced under wty...