Quote:
Originally Posted by soverel48
After 2 years of researching this and looking at hundreds of boats this is what I've been able to discern..and this is what I did on my boat.
Forget about where the too small, existing plate is. That plate is likely for grounding the DC system and far too small for this job. Buy a copper plate a minimum of 1/8" thick and 1 square foot in area (thicker and larger are probably better and yes more edge length is better.) You must through bolt the plate to the outside of the hull as close to the mast step as practicle. Access from inside the hull will probably limit where you can place the bolts and will therefore help determine the shape of the plate you need. Use #4AWG (or larger) copper strand wire to connect the mast to the plate. Avoid bends in the wire. Use bronze bolts 3/8" or larger in diameter to secure the plate to the hull and to the cable. You can buy the Bronze bolts, washers and nuts from Lewis marine and other places. You can get the copper plate from several places on the internet such as "onlinemetals.com" It is not that expensive.
I used .125" thick but would use .25" thick if I did it again. If you would like more details, I'd be glad to help.
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Is it tested by actually being hit by lightening?
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