My personal experience in my Pearson Triton on Lake Pontchartrain during a horrendous thunderstorm back in the '60s is that neither boat is at great risk. My excellent grounding system seemed to continually discharge the clouds as they passed over us, thereby never allowing the potential between the clouds and my mast to reach the necessary difference to cause a lightning strike. The continual "sizzling" from the mast head, and the extremely loud static on the radios (and perhaps the hair on my arms standing up straight?) made me believe that a continual discharge is much safer than a sudden discharge. Another sailboat near to me did not experience the phenomenon of continual discharge, but he didn't get hit, either. I probably kept him safe, too! Oh yes, the sailing was terrific, too! .--.-. | ( ( )__ \ _ / (_, \ ) ,_) | -== (_) ==- -'--`--' /|\ / \ / | \ | ^^ / | \ / | \ ^^ /361| \ / | \ / | \ ^^ / | \ ___/____| \ ______|_ \ ___ _______/ ==== \___\___/ | “MONTGOMERY 15” / ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~^~~^=~^~~-=~^~^~=~^~=~~^~= ~^~=~~^=~^~~^~^=~^~-~^~~^~= ^~=~^~=~~^~~=~~=~^~=~~^~~^~^^ John Butler - Sailing again. Praise the Lord!