Lightning Protection

Lightning and Boats

As Stan's article is the last word on grounding, these publications by Ewen Thomson, Ph.D. are the definitive word on the available methods for minimizing damage to vessel and electronics, and for maximizing crew safety. Dr. Thomson is Associate Professor in Electrical Engineering, University of Florida, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Ewen's IEEE paper, A Critical Assessment of the U.S. Code for Lightning Protection of Boats, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility, Volume 33, Number 2, pp. 132-138,1991, is available on the site as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. This article was the basis for the revisions to the ABYC code related to lightning grounds.

You may be able to order the Florida Sea Grant pamphlet Lightning and Boats from the site, though I haven't found the correct link. You can order the booklet from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering office. Steve highly recommends this booklet, which is offered with an associated video.

Dr. Thomson is one of the rare souls brave enough to discuss the issue of so-called "lightning dissipators". On the site, under the link Air Terminals, you'll find a summary of the latest research on these devices, including links to research by Dr. Abdul Mousa, also an IEEE Fellow, on this topic. On the site you'll also find the latest information on optimal design of air terminals, which since Benjamin Franklin have been sharp. Wrong, blunt is more effective.

Ewen is a fellow Kiwi, a fine sailor, and so far as I know is the only researcher who has made a serious investigation of lightning safety in the context of boats floating in sea water and fresh water. As there is a wave big enough to capsize any vessel, there is the possibility of a lightning event so powerful that it may damage your electronics, possibly your vessel and endanger the crew. If you implement the results of the best research in this field you will have done everything you can to improve your chances.