Owners manual isn't definitive on whether we have a ground plate and if our mast is connected to the ground plate. I don't remember seeing anything that I thought might resemble a ground plate on the bottom. Does any 310 owner know if our mast (boat) is designed to take a lightning strike?
Catalina 310 Lightning Protection
- Thread starter Fleet
- Start date
I don’t know the 310 specifically but it’s pretty likely the lightning protection system goes to the keel. I think most bolt on keel boats are set up that way.
Dynaplates aren’t standard equipment on Catalinas. If one exists on your hull, it would be obvious.
Assuming you have a deck stepped mast, you should look at its base to see if there is a #6 or larger wire extending to a keel bolt (Or dynaplate). Or conversely look at the keel bolts to see if there is a wire extending up from one.
Couple of sidebars on lightning systems :
LIGHTNING Hits Boats. Here's How to Deal With It [Capable Cruising Guides] - YouTube
Sailboat Lightning Protection System Installation - YouTube
LIGHTNING Hits Boats. Here's How to Deal With It [Capable Cruising Guides] - YouTube
Sailboat Lightning Protection System Installation - YouTube
Additional to the above comments in a lightning system, is possibly, a dissipator.
Lightning Master (Static Dissipater)
Forspar Marine Products That Perform. Lightning Master Static Dissipators lower the exposure to a direct lightning strike by controlling the conditions which trigger direct strike (i.e. they reduce the build-up of static ground charge and retard the formation of the ion streamers which complete...
www.forespar.com
Hello. The Factory manual for my boat, hull 260 provides a great deal of information about lighting protection. That said, factory installation of lightening protection was not a standard or factory listed option when my boat was built.