Lightning Ground CD25 - help needed

[Ian Klingbail]

In my owner's manual I noticed there is lightning ground protection for the CD 27 and CD 28. Does anyone know of a proper method of protection for a CD 25?


Ian Klingbail
CD 25 #187
Fairwind



iajoemel@borg.com

[John R.]

In my owner's manual I noticed there is lightning ground protection for the CD 27 and CD 28. Does anyone know of a proper method of protection for a CD 25?


Ian Klingbail
CD 25 #187
Fairwind

The basic procedure for any sailboat is to connect a 6 gauge conductor wire (the bigger AWG the better) from all major metal fittings on deck to a Dyna-Plate or Guest ground plate. These are ground plates made of very small sintered bronze ball's (read directions carefully to maximize the ground). Make sure you crimp and solder all connections. Be sure major deck hardware such as chainplates (usually the chainplates connected to the upper stays), headstay and backstay, bow pulpit, stern rail, steering pedestal and other major components are all connected. Some people advocate doing the stanchions but that is a lot of work and I personaly don't think that is necessary being that the pulpits would be grounded. Some advocate the use of a static dissipator at the masthead that is supposed to create a cone of protection below it, but some claim that it does nothing more than make the vessel more attractive to a strike.

Being that I'm in Florida and we were hit last summer by a side flash of a main strike that hit a shortwave radio antenna on the house next door and then hit our backstay (no damage, lots of noise!)I've had my share of concerns. I've seen more than my share of boats that have been hit, the aftermath is not a pretty sight. We've had quite a few near misses in addition to the strike. I know one guy who's anchor chain was hit between the hawse pipe and the anchor shank while they were down in the cabin waiting out a storm. Basically it welded a couple of the links into a mess and scorched the deck. The noise scared the hell out of him.

If you install a ground system be sure when you run the wire that you do not create any tight turns or bends so the strike will follow the wire rather than side flash to another piece of metal as a shorter trip to ground. The wire needs to be as straight as possible to the ground plate.

I recommend a small 60 page black book called "Lightning and Boats" written by Micheal V. Huck Jr., published by Seaworthy Publications, 17125C West Bluemound Rd., Suite 200, Brookfield, WI. 53008.

Also read Nigel Calders comments on lightning protection for boats.