Electrical Ground Bonding

[Randy Conkling]

I am concerned with lightning protection on my recently purchased 1995 H26 (water ballast). There does not appear to be any electrical bonding system on the boat. I purchased a Lightning Master dissipation system to install on the boat. For the dissipator to work, it must be bonded to the boats grounding system. What is the easiest way to connect my new dissipator to true ground. If the boat had a conductive keel, then grounding to one of the bolts would work, but with a nonconductive center board how to I insure good electrical contact with the water (ground). I have seen grounding plates advertised in sailing catalogs. How do you install these and would this be a good solution to my problem.

 

[Jim Bohart]

snake oil

ligtning dissapators are akin to the same thing. You wasted your money when you purchased this system. But the good news is that the rigging is bonded to the ss plates that hold your centerboard in place so the witch doctor who made off with your money will be happy with that. The bad news is that lightning strikes are very well understood physically and to learn better how to protect yourself you need only research the current literature regarding boats and lightning. One was published by the U of F physics dept in 1992 and is definitive. I did recap it's findings in site exhaustively last year and if you put in some effort you might find it in the archives in this site. Other wise try searching the subjects on the net. Bottom line is keep your head down and avoid thunderstorms when at all possible, and if on a freshwater lake..and they pop upget off the lake before it's too late and never..never..be caught on the boat on the trailer on land with the mast up.JB

 

[Zulu]

Lightening strike

Ther is a Hunter 26 that tooke a direct hit with four people aboard. Yes, the boat is damaged but deveryone is fine. I know because i am repairing it.