RE: catalina27-talk: Lightning

[Mark Tamblyn]

Like you I have been a part of this debate in past years. If you dig around on the internet you will find info on the best way to do the job. A special grounding plate is required (not the plate for a HF radio) this has angles and edges that can pass the current into the water. As Phil pointed out flat ribbon is often used for bonding and flattened copper pipe is sometimes used to connect the mast.   After going to the extensive efforts involved in doing all this you will gain a new periodic maintenance job too. Clean and check all the bonding attachment points.   IMHO This is something I would do if I was a live aboard in Florida or the tropics. For the occasional use my boat gets (lets face the facts) I would be much better served to put that time effort and money into something that would either give me more pleasure (a paint job) or added safety like lifelines, running rigging, new main sail … the list is endless.   Mark Tamblyn. 1976 C27 Josephine Gloucester Point VA  (on the sunny Chesapeake bay)     From: catalina27-talk@memberclicks.com [mailto:catalina27-talk@memberclicks.com] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, July 15, 2006 10:15 AM To: catalina27-talk@memberclicks.com Subject: Re: catalina27-talk: Lightning   The topic of lightning has been one of great interest to me since buying a sailboat a few years ago.  Open water, big metal pole, metal wires all over the place...seems inviting for a lighting bolt.  I believe Boat US last year said that over the last ten years they only had 3 cases of lightning strikes that resulted in death.  That was a little comforting.  They also said that a survey showed (and I am going on memory so figures may not be exact) that in FLA your boat has a 8% chance of getting hit by ligtning and in the Chesapeake Bay it is 4%.  Those are the two highest places of incidents.  I sail the Chesapeake and 4% sounds like a big number to me.  One article a few years ago in Sail or Cruising World a person recommended no grounding of the mast because that will draw the bolt to your boat.  Of course, getting hit without grounding doesn't sound wise.  My course of action probably will be just to carry a set of jumper cables on the boat and connect to the shrouds and drop other end into the Bay during a storm.  That probably will work ok at anchor but not thinking that will work underway.  So far I have only dealt with one electrical storm while underway (and that did not contain much lightning) and none while at anchor.  I know the topci always "sparks" some debate...which seems to be appropriate with temps rising to almost 100º this week on the Cheasapeake! Dave Tierney Celtic Pride, 5282 1983 C-27, Traditional Middle River, Maryland