[nwr]

I installed the Forespar lightning dissipater brush on the mast of my Islander 37 Motor Sailor prior to a transit from New Orleans to Charleston SC via Florida in June 2003. We got caught in Sarasota Bay in the middle of a thunderstorm super cell that had lightning in all quadrants. we anchored and since i hadn't yet put in a grounding system put 2 automobile jumper cables 2AWG wire size with large copper clamps, into the water from the port and stbd main cap shrouds. lightning struck the water less than 100 yards from the boat several times in the next 1/2 hour or so and i could see a bluish ball of ionization glowing from the top of the mast in the gloom. i know we were the tallest thing within 5 miles but even with the grounded shrouds we didn't get hit. after the storm passed we continued on in the ICW and across lake Okeechobee. every night when we anchored i put the jumper clamps on for security and while there were several more storms none were as close aboard as in the Sarasota Bay. On several strikes i could see the steam come up from the water from the strike. it made me a believer. i'll be putting the suppressor/dissipater's on my recently acquired 45 ft ketch at the next haul out. Neal Richardson s/y Black Swan II (Islander 37 Motor Sailor) and S/Y White Magic (ALOA 45)