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Old 12-26-2006
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Ronbye,

I am assuming you have a deck stepped mast. In my "I am an electrical engineer but certainly not a lightening expert" opinion, you may be doing exactly the wrong thing. The bolt of energy is trying to find the path of least resistance to ground. You are placing your mast top at ground potential (water) which may attract lightening but if it is a direct hit, the energy from the lightening will not make the 90% turn at the bottom of the mast to head for the water. Instead it may burn the cabin top or end up arcing from mast to keel burning everything in between. It is difficult to fathom the amount of energy contained in a lightening bolt.

Just an opinion.

Dennis
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