Larry wrote:
wrote in news:jYkpf.3745$mj1.1632
@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net:


Is this preventable by installing a lightning prevention system ?
Tayana offers this as an option for $1000 but I don't know how
well it works.





Get that offer in writing so you can sue their asses in court when
lightning holes the hull.....(c;

NO lightning prevention system can prevent lightning from destroying the
boat....and still have a boat the waterline is below the toerail.
Lightning is hundreds of thousands of amps at billions of volts rising
from 0 in microseconds, creating an amazing electro-magnetic pulse,
which is what destroys all your electronic stuff. It only has to be
"close" to just blast it all to hell....

Most boats aren't really hit. A direct hit of this magnitude will melt a
metal mast, vaporizing a lot or all of it instantly. A direct hit
doesn't follow any grounding straps that are also vaporized instantly.
It came 10 MILES to that unfortunate mast and goes straight out the
bottom of what's left of it, straight through the hull, no matter what
material it's made of, and will create a hole around 4' across in wood,
fiberglass, plastic, shingled roof, etc. Your little boat is
insignificant to it all. We're talking Megajoules of energy in
microseconds.

What the grounding system will bypass is the static buildup or "St Elmo's
Fire" to the overhead cloud that may spark off the mast creating
electronic havoc aboard. It's pretty good doing that as long as there's
no SHARP, NEAT CORNERS the beautiful people love to put in everything so
it looks wonderful.

Here's some great pictures and movies for you to ponder from the
broadcast and power industry....
http://wvlightning.com/tower.shtml
http://sky-fire.tv/index.cgi/lightning.html
http://www.jampro.com/tech/NARTE.pdf

Not quite right. The 4' hole is possible but not a sure thing. My Dad
was in a 505 dinghy when it got hit by lightening. Nasty but they
survived and the boat was repairable.

Gaz