Date: 9/2/2007
Name: David Eastbury
email: deastbur@cablerocket.com
subject:Lightning protection
An SJ is at a disadvantage during electrical storms. No part of the metal structure touches the water to provide grounding. Larger sailboats often have the mast stepped on the keel and this is your lightning rod. Some of them also trail a wire during an intense storm.If your looking for some protection your easiest method and one that seems to work is to attach a heavy length of cable to the backstay and trail it over the stern. I'd think something about the gauge of a battery booster cable or larger could work. It has the advantage of a large clip on the end to attach it to the stay. If struck I'd expect to get some burn damage where the cable passes over the stern and perhaps some minor hull blister damage underwater near the waterline.
You would then have a small protection zone under the entire rigging. It's far from perfect but sure beats getting the bottom of the boat perforated in a hundred places or the crew injured or both.
However the best protection is to keep a weather eye and seek shelter immediately if thunderstorm activity threatens. Luckily, strikes on sailboats are not a common occurance and you would be simply unlucky if you got hit.
I have raced (not SJ's) through several intense electrical storms and it's not fun when the strikes are coming down in the water all around you and your waiting to get hit. Each flash made the wheel tingle in your hands.
David
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