Does lightning protection work in fresh water, too?
Thomson: Any system is likely to work less effectively in fresh water. Since fresh water is much worse as a conductor than salt water the voltages developed on the boat are much higher and the risk of sideflashes hence much larger. So in fresh water it is even more important that there are multiple grounding points that are distributed around the hull. In particular, in my peer reviewed IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) paper published in 1991, I pointed out that the then-accepted method of grounding using a single, centrally located one-square-foot ground plate was “hopelessly inadequate in fresh water.” With our new system using Siedarc electrodes, we worked out where electrodes would be most effective by examining the patterns of hole damage in boats struck in fresh water. So the basic design assumes the worst-case scenariothat the boat is in fresh water.
