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Originally Posted by Winnipesaukee Divers
Maybe this will help: My boat is sloop rigged, with an aluminum spar (61'), 6000lbs of lead keel, S/S shrouds and stays and is bonded.
I love a good storm, it doesn't make any difference whether I'm tied to the dock, on the mooring or off cruising the lake my chances for getting stuck are still the same... Actually I'm far better off than anyone else on or near the lake. Why? This is a really good question; the answer is basic elementary science.
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Because the mast and shrouds (if bonded) will generally divert a strike and provide a cone of protection extending out and down from the highest point at a 60 degree angle to the mast and shrouds. Electricity generally takes the easiest path so it'll typically flow on the skin of the mast and shrouds between the lake and the sky when present in the protective cone. That said, really high voltage can do some unpredictable things and fresh water is a lousy conductor so there's always a chance one could get struck by a direct bolt or a branch bolt even when under the protectection of the mast, especially is one happens to be part of an easier path...
If you find yourself in a storm, it would be wise to get within a sailboat mast's protective cone.