depends who you listen to
My 1976 30 had nothing, no Mast or Shroud Ground to the keel, No Stay Grounds, No Motor Ground or Driveshaft Ground. In talking and reading everything I could find I am still not convinced that that is not the best way to go. My personal _Totally NON - Scientific but mentally documented perspective - I have noticed that well grounded boats seem to have a more consistent problem with lightening related damage then those which, as I expect yours to be, are "transparent". If you read the forums on this site, there are some well-educated and experienced minds that have given a lot of advice on the subject. Two gentlemen specifically are involved in the risk analysis and or design of protection systems. Both have been between the lines consistent on one statement- most damage is not from a direct hit, but a result of induced stray current flows resultant from a local hit. Well I have never had the nerve to ask either of them why they are so sure of this- I have seen 8D batteries blown apart and control panels melted. Sides of new boats look like the entrance of the JC haunted house, spider webs all over the place_ so if these are induced near hit damage - then I guess a direct hit is something like a Viking Funeral. I am doing the grounding thing to the boat now, and while I proceed I wonder why I am proceeding. My boat is 24 years old and from what I can see never been hit. Most of her life she has been stored mast up, which I consider and interesting point. I have talked to marina owners and yard managers all over the great lakes and nobody, I have talked with, has ever seen a case of a mast up storage lightening strike. But I have seen well-grounded new boats setting in the water get the hell kicked out of them. The results of my study on the subject. I truly think that I am doing more damage then good with this grounding deal. I used to own a O'Day that was grounded everywhere_ it was never hit either. The O'Day used aluminum bar buss instead of wire, this makes sense in that the experts are consistent in their statements about sharp bends and corners. Aluminum bar is going in the hunter. Most importantly- I changed the name of the boat - so the gods are mad - I have only one option at South Bass this year. Raft by you so as to take advantage of your towering "cone of protection" and we need to find a Beneteau 40'-46'. These boats have about the best production boat lightening protection I have seen, and I have seen 4 of them hit in 3 years. Tells me they are the best damn lightening protection we are going to find- what we need to figure out is how close to be to them - I think at least (2) rafts down.
