Lightning Strikes

[a64pilot]

Static wicks won't do anything on a boat but make people ask you what they are.
Purpose on an airplane is for radio reception, without them the static dissipates off of the antennas which doesn't help on how well the radio works, they are not for lightning.
Biggest reason an airplane isn't hurt is because it's flying and not grounded, secondly as has been said most are of metal, and all composites I am familiar with on aircraft have a copper mesh embedded in it making it the same as a metal skin lightning wise, bad things happen without the mesh, just like it does on boats.

[a64pilot]

It's like a weight loss pill to lose weight while you sleep. Boy if there really was such a thing, don't you think it would be the most talked about thing since Viagra?
If anything helped lightning wise on boats, it would be like that weight loss pill for sailors, we would talk more about it than new gen anchors or guns

[jeremiason]

Lots of references out there... This is a list of article on Lightening by BoatUS over the last 6 years

BoatUS article on modern Lightening Protect on Recreational Boats (2016):
BoatUS: Lightning Facts : BoatUS Press Room

BoatUS Analysis of decade of Lightning Strike Insurance Claims (2015): BoatUS: Lightning Facts : BoatUS Press Room

BoatUS article on Lightening (2015)
Striking Lightning Facts - Seaworthy Magazine - BoatUS

BoatUS Article "We been hit, Surviving a lightening stike (2012).
BoatUS: Lightning Facts : BoatUS Press Room

BoatUS article on what to do after you have been stuck by lightening (2010):
Your Boat's Been Hit By Lightning - Now What? - Seaworthy - BoatUS

[Dirk Williams]

Your 64 created all kinds of static. And your likely right, I had just read the articles Tom has provided, well a couple of them. An old friend and fellow navy vet. He was an AT, aviation electronics guy. A sharp fella.

He forwarded the articles. I'm just going to use adhesive to attach the static wicks, I don't want to drill into my mast.

Thanks.

Dirk