Installing the Ultimate Lightning Protection System! - Part 1 - (Episode 377)
August 16, 2026 · 21 min · 65K views · Phuket
What this video covers
The crew of the catamaran Parlay Revival installs a Surtek CMCE lightning protection system to prevent future strikes after suffering two previous hits in Panama and Costa Rica.0:24 Both prior incidents resulted in the total loss of the vessel's Raymarine electronics suite.1:03 The installation process involves mounting two bronze dyna plates to the hull and running a 2-gauge cable from the masthead down through the compression post to the grounding plates.2:30 An electrical engineer explains that traditional lightning rods act as attraction devices by encouraging the formation of upward streamers, which increases the likelihood of a strike.7:12 He notes that throwing battery cables into the water from the shrouds may inadvertently increase the boat's attraction to lightning by facilitating ion flow.12:48 The system aims to dissipate the electrical charge to prevent the formation of a strike rather than providing a path for a direct hit.8:16 The project requires routing the heavy-gauge cable through the mast and interior structure.16:46
Boats in this video
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