C26 lightning protection

[ronc98]

I sail alot in Ohio lakes and in the summer we have alot pop up lighting storms. I am curious what kind of protection people are using on their boats. The mast itself it a great lighting rod but it stops at the hull and does not have any conduction to the waterline.

I am thinking of running a good size wire from the mast to the Keel in a attempt to complete the circuit path. Perhaps I can use the winch cable as the conductor to the keel itself.

Any thoughts on this? It would be great if when they made this boat there is already a conductor inbeaded in the fiberglass to the keel however I think that might be a bit of wishful thinking.

[EmergencyExit]

Ron,
Check and see if you don't have a very large insulated cable running from the shroud chainplates to behind the banquettes, then down into the port and starboard stowage under the seats, and then back to under the stern berth, then terminating in a metal lug thru hull.

Mine is that way, as best as I can recall, and I just assumed it was stock.

Anybody elses like this?

[Bhacurly]

Morning!

I don't have anything like that on my C-22. What would you recommend in that case. Isn't there 2 schools of thought on grounding the mast, one that says not to if it isn't, and the other that thinks ya should???

Billy

PS- got the mast up and down w/o any problems! Thanks!!

[ronc98]

There is nothing on my C26. I did not think about using the stays. That would be a bit easier. I just hate the fact of having to add another hole in the hull. From what I read I need a metal plate that is around a linear foot in area for a decent ground plate.

[EmergencyExit]

[OldUgly]

A buddy and I were sailing a few summers ago when a storm popped up. He pulled out a pair of heavy duty auto jumper cables and attached them to the stays and dropped the other end into the water. Don't know if it would have helped, but it made me feel a bit safer while lightening was around.

[Woody54]

I found that taking a piece of copper and placing it underneath the mast will ground it.

[EmergencyExit]

Jim,
That is a great story, and probably would have helped. Lightning wants the straightest/easiest path to ground potential, and that might have done it better than the grounding cables that run to my stern. Might have vaporized the jumper cables, but they should have passed the charge away from the hull and/or the electronics.

Turns out Forespar does make a brush for mastheads - $119 at WM.

[hotdot]

Woody Wrote: "I found that taking a piece of copper and placing it underneath the mast will ground it."

What did you ground the copper to? Keel?
How did you obtain a metel to metal contact with the mast base? Through deck bolts?
In florida lightening is a big deal. Once while sitting in Boot key harbor in Marathon, a Watkins 27 that was moored less than 100 ft away got hit by lightning. When we woke up in the morning it was sunk!
I've used the battery cable on the shroud trick since then.