On 11 Jun 2006 10:13:19 -0700, "
wrote:

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?

The mast should definitely be grounded, preferably in several
different ways. By doing that, the mast behaves much like the
lightning rods on a building, bleeding off accumulated charge before
it builds into a full strike. That said, sailboat masts still get hit
very frequently, and damage to electronic equipment is not uncommon.

At dock or anchored, very large sailboats frequently hang zinc "fish"
from the rigging wires into the water to provide additional
protection. I do that with our GB49 here in south Florida where
thunderstorms are an almost daily event during the summer months. Not
sure if it really helps, but it feels like I'm doing something
proactive.