| Author | Message | ||
     Deborah Davenport New member Username: Ddavenport Post Number: 19 Registered: 04-2001 Rating: N/A |
As always, Scott has provided us an excellent view of the bigger picture. I'll add a few other observations. The grounding configuration that Brayden described -- running to the prop strut -- was the configuration the S2 factory installed if you purchased that option. They did use heavy copper wire, with appropriately heavy connectors. However, our experience with lightning strikes when we were in Cleveland raises another issue. Our club had an average of one boat every other year hit by lightning. One was a Pearson 30 two slips down from Glory Days -- we had the taller spar, but they got hit. The damage that the lightning caused the Pearson, leading it to sink, was to the non-metallic through-hulls (speedo and depth transducer). The wires that led to those devices carried the charge, and the non-metallic materials were shattered. Our take-away from that experience was that you may not be able to prevent the damage, but you should be prepared to stop the water. We have soft pine tapered wooden plugs (with a skinny line attached by drilling a hole through the top of the plug) near every through-hull. Works for in-rushing water from any cause, whether lightning, hose clamp failure, or through-hull fitting failure. One other piece of folklore that has proven remarkably accurate, at least during our Lake Erie days: If the lightning is blu'ish, it's going away from you; if it's yellowish, it's moving parallel with you; and if it has a distinctly red hue, start sweating because it's heading towards you. I've got a long boring story that I'll spare all of you that bears this out... |
