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George, when are you going to start? How many times have you been struck?
(joke). <br>
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George Dinwiddie wrote:<br>
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<pre wrap="">Coincidentally, SailNet has just published an article on the subject<br>(<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.sailnet.com/view.cfm?page=9396">http://www.sailnet.com/view.cfm?page=9396</a>). As for web sites,<br>make sure you check out the work of Ewen Thomson<br>(<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.thomson.ece.ufl.edu/lightning/">http://www.thomson.ece.ufl.edu/lightning/</a>). I looked into this<br>some years back, and my conclusions were:<br><br> There's no guarantees, no matter what. (Well, there are some<br> companies that "guarantee" their product such that if you install<br> it and get damaged by lightning, they'll pay your insurance<br> deductible. Given the cost of the product and the likelihood of<br> payout, this is a good bet, even without installing the product.)<br><br> Well thought out and well installed lightning protection seems,<br> by empirical evidence, to give slightly better results, especially<br> in
fresh water. A poor installation could make the problem worse.<br><br> A boat with an exposed metal keel and a keel-stepped mast has a<br> tremendous advantage in the feasibility of installing effective<br> lightning protection. A boat like the A30, with a deck-stepped<br> mast and an enclosed ballast in the keel is much more difficult.<br><br>Based on this analysis, I decided not to attempt any lightning<br>protection other than living an honest and upright life.<br><br> - George<br><br></pre>
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<pre wrap="">Helmes, Gail S. said:<br><br>While Encore is still out of the water and the mast is down, I am thinking<br>about adding lightning protection that would include a grounding plate on<br>the bottom of the hull. We have read up on Nigel Calder, and have found<br>some good Web sites, but would like to hear some experienced opinions. A<br>survey of the local boat yard indicates that most boats don't have lightning<br>protection, but if we are going to do it, now is the time. Any thoughts on<br>whether to add it? Any advise on how to do it? Does anyone wish they had<br>installed it?<br></pre>
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