Pearson Boats - Common Systems > Standing & Running Rigging and Fitting/Tuning

Another new owner and a question - Lightning ground?

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Alma:
Good for you your bolts hit lead so soon. I needed to borrow a longer "gun tap" to reach the lead. A standard 1/4-20 wasn't long enough to reach through the bilge fiberglass to lead. I sure don't mind having the extra fiberglass over 4000 lbs of lead.

Dolce_Vita:

--- Quote from: Dulcinea on August 19, 2013, 05:28:12 PM ---I had the same experience as Ed.  Hit the lead pretty quickly. Knew I hit it cuz the drill bit broke right off.

--- End quote ---

I had been warned about that possibility by the folks at our marina.  Went very slow, used copious amounts of cutting oil, and backed out the bit every few turns to clear out the lead shavings.

Dulcinea:
After breaking a drill bit, I knew it was one of those times when you need to let professionals do what they do, so the yard fixed the mast step and stepped the mast, even though our yacht club has a crane and guys do their own.  I wanted the yard to have ownership in the end product so there would be no debate if something wasn't right.  Worth the money....this time.

Carolina Dog:
Alma,

Thanks for that excellent  post. I Am pulling the boat in a couple of weeks and will be finding out how deep my glass runs before I hit lead. I am going to decide at that time which route I go for lightening protection. Nigel Caulder has a pretty good chapter on this topic but at the end of the day I find the idea of putting a copper plate to the hull problematic. I will pick a system and go withit when I pull her out. Seems the real big issue is the side flash which, should it jump through a person to get to ground, is the fatal part. That and not sinking. Ugh.

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