lightning protection

[Doug Weldon]

Does anyone have any recommendations for lightning protection on a shoal draft Cat 30 standard rig?

 

[Richard Gresham]

lighting protection

Doug,The Owners manuals says there's no proven system for lighting protection so, the boats don't come with it. If you figure something out let everyone know! Good luck!Richard

 

[Mike Hagerman]

Lightening Protection

I would suggest one of two methods: * Prayer, OR * Avoidance - watch the weather.Having not done the 2nd one, one of my early sailing adventures found me on a lake in Iowa with my 2 young (now older) children and 1 now ex-wife in a rented 14-foot cuddy cabin sailboat without an iron sail. After a few hours of light breezes and a nice picnic, the clouds came rolling in along with wonderful wind! This was the leading edge of a powerful thunderstorm with - I found out later - winds gusting to 55 mph and way too much lightening. We survived but it was a long trip beating back to the marina with my ex yelling every time we heeled and my then 4 year old daughter asking Mommy if we were going to sink!My Cat 30 looks like the Queen Mary compared to that little boat!

 

[Robert Fischer]

masthead dispersion

Most marine catalogs sell a masthead dispersion object. It looks like a chimney cleaning brush, but they are supposed to be effective at diminishing lightening strikes. I see them on top of radio towers and other tall metallic objects. I don't have any personal experience with them, but I'm interested in lightening protection myself. Good luck. See you out in the Great South Bay.