Wayne.B wrote:

How about a heavy wire connecting keel bolts to mast bolts, less than a
foot apart in my bilge?


That's about as good as it gets, better to use heavy copper braid
however. That also makes an excellent ground for your SSB radio.

You do not want your boat ground or RF ground
connected to your lightning ground unless you wish
to replace all of your electronics in the event of
a strike. The reason is that when the strike
hits, the ground will temporarily pulse to a much
higher voltage than the battery output, reversing
the power inputs and blowing your electronic
equipment.

That is not to say that your electronic equipment
will survive if the grounds are not connected, but
you'll certainly stand a better chance.

Don W.