Electrical Ground

[My Mistress]

I've been rewiring my Mac26C. All wiring goes to a common grounding point beneath the galley, but there is also a ground wire that runs from there to the STBD chainplate. I don't know what to think if this. Is it a good idea? Should I leave it in place? Is this even something to be concerned about?
My thought is that a lightning strike to the mast would travel throughout the boat and fry everything.

 

[agprice22]

Read about marine bonding.
To quote Nigel Calder in Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual:
"Bonding is the practice of electrically tying together major metal objects on a boat (e.g., rigging and chainplates, engine and propeller shaft, stove, metal fuel and water tanks, fuel deck-fill fittings, metal cases on electrical equipment, etc.) and connecting them to the boat’s ground.
The purpose of a bonding system is to provide a low-resistance electrical path between otherwise isolated metal objects, preventing the buildup of voltage differences between these objects"

Grounding will actually provide added protection from corrosion and minimize lightning damage.
You may find that other points are connected to the common ground as well.

 

[rgranger]

Is your chainplate somehow connected to the water?

I always carry two short pieces of chain with a snap hook and if I get caught out in a lighting storm, I clip them to the shrouds and dangle them in the water. It might be totally worthless but it lets me fall asleep at night. I've gotten caught out in a few bad lighting storms along the coast. So far, I've not been....... (don't want to jix it).....

Anyway, if your chainplate is not connected to the water, you might want to run some sort of ground from the chainplate to the water. On the 26S is the "S" steel? If so, I'd run the grounds to a pin on the board instead of the chainplate.

 

[Stu Jackson]

http://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/Marine-Grounding-Systems

Get to know all of the Advisors, lotsa good stuff there.

 

[My Mistress]

Thanx for the good input, guys!

Stu, I read that article. I guess there are a whole lot of Mac owners who are going to have to re-wire their masts.....

- James