Keel problem after lightning strike

[Dave22q]

Before proceeding I would want a copy of the insurance claim with written permission to discuss the claim with the company and/or the adjuster. If keel/hull damage was claimed and they do not provide documentation of the necessary repairs you have your answer. If the paid claim did not include such damage i would want to talk to the adjuster about how he ruled out such claims. If the adjuster was satisfied I might proceed but only if my surveyor is confident he can detect such damage.

[sailortype]

Ken... someone somewhere is definitely trying to tell you something!
Regarding dragging cables in the water, I have heard this before.. battery booster cables, etc. I just don't see how these cables can dissipate the massive instantaneous energy of a lightning strike. Just not enough cable and not enough contact between the cables and the shrouds etc. They may be useful in bleeding off static and reducing the likliehood of a strike.

[Elie]

Originally Posted by sailortype

Ken... someone somewhere is definitely trying to tell you something!
Regarding dragging cables in the water, I have heard this before.. battery booster cables, etc. I just don't see how these cables can dissipate the massive instantaneous energy of a lightning strike. Just not enough cable and not enough contact between the cables and the shrouds etc. They may be useful in bleeding off static and reducing the likliehood of a strike.

Lightening strikes may vary widly from insignificant to immensely powerfull. But I have seen boats equiped with large cable boosting cable where a large plate(1 sq ft) of copper(1/8 thick). The idea is to provide enough area into the water to increase the chance of surviving a moderate strike. As we discovers, the only way to escape very large strikes is to be else where. Insurers have changed their opinion in boat protection from strikes and the tendency is to become 'invisible' (no path to the ground). And I believe that no real solution for a fiberglass boat that is 100% acceptable.

[sailortype]

the heavy gauge wire and the large copper plate makes more sense.
But seems to me the contact of the cables to the standing rigging has to be solid and more extensive than a pair of pincer clamps for there to be enough conductivity to be anywhere near effective.

[Elie]

As said before, lightning strikes vary widly in power. A good clamp attached to a chainplate may help, but we have to keep in mind that there is always the rare possibility that a monster strike occurs, and then, nothing will protect totaly from its effect. But a copper plate may reduce the dammages in most cases. The other option is to avoid to be 'seen' by not prviding a path to the ground(no mast grounding. But if a strike occurs, then major dammages will be in the order of things.

[Meacenas]

I would keep looking elsewhere. But......I think there is another issue here, pretty important....I would ask the insurance company of note about the strike, and....if so....aside from the fact that they are trying to sell you the boat while knowing that there are serious undisclosed problems (the lightning strike with attendant problems ), and they have already been paid off, there is another issue. That being they will eventually sell it to some unsuspecting person, possibly with lives at stake. Personally, because ( if ) they are indeed taking this underhanded manner to try to sell, I would ask that the insurance company talk to the broker again.