Lightning protection by metal net?

[Franziska]

Hi,

I am very aware that lightning protection on boats is a very controversial subject and that most solutions do not work.

I like to throw this into the ring to hear what people more knowledgeable have to say about this idea.
I have no knowledge on lighting protection personally.

Still, I saw a lightweight camouflage net used as sunshade today. It had a lot of holes to reduce windage.

Now I'm wondering if a very light netting tent with metalized pennants raised on a metal halyard could work at anchor, provided it has thin wires hanging in the water around its perimeter. Essentially a kind of metalized suntent forming a kind of Faraday cage over the deck.

Alternatively say 40 or more thin wires raised up the mast and spread evenly around the deck perimeter with the ends going into the sea.

The wires could alternatively be Dyneema with some wire material woven into it.

Not practical when under way, but possibly at anchor?





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[pjShap]

I haven't looked at lightning protection in a long time, so hopefully someone more knowledgeable will reply. I think you need a large surface area in the water with heavy wiring to conduct and dissipate the lightning strike energy. Light wires would probably evaporate before helping, and the energy would follow the same course as it would without "protection".