wrote in message
ups.com...
Additional photos of the rebuild and refit project are now at:

http://www.pbase.com/gould/extreme_makeover


2) The old wooden mast wasn't much of a lightning hazard, but the new
mast would serve as an excellent conductor in the event of a lightning
strike. Ideas for grounding? Is it important to ground it?


This is a good question and I've heard a couple of theories. The first is
that a metal mast should be bonded to the boat's bonding plate to discharge
a lightning hit. The problem, according to some people, is that a direct
hit could carry so much current that it literally can blow the bonding plate
apart, resulting in a pretty big hole in the hull.

The alternative is to not bond the mast. In these cases, mucho electronics
that may be mounted on it may be blow, and I've witnessed this on a couple
of sailboats that were hit.

My guess .... and it's only a guess ... is that the metal mast should not be
bonded so well that it can carry large amounts of current. A small diameter
wire that keeps the mast at ground, but would melt quickly in a direct
lightning hit would be my choice.
Again ... just my guess and opinion.

BTW - we are down at the marina right now and I just eyeballed the work they
did on the GB aluminum mast. It was corroded and chauky white last time I
saw it last year. They refinished and painted it with some new type of
marine paint and I swear it looks like highly waxed fiberglass. I have to
find out what the paint is, but it looks fantastic.



RCE