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Old 12-22-2006
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SailorMitch SailorMitch is offline
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They probably already know.

Ron -- Chances are, folks with carbon fiber masts are well aware of the lightening risk. For a couple of years I lurked on the Freedom Yachts email list here on Sailnet and saw a couple of stories about people losing masts due to lightening. Unfortunately, one guy bought a boat with what he was told were cosmetic cracks in his mast -- only to lose the rig later on in fairly benign conditions. Turned out the mast had been struck by lightening at some point but it was very hard to detect.

Next, what about aluminum masts and lightening....? Any better than carbon fiber? When I'm out in a storm I always feel like a target with that 47 foot tall hunk of metal sticking into the air. Oh well.
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