With our increasing reliance on electronics for navigation, communication and general operation of our boats, lightning is a subject of rather deep concern. In addition to the potential immediate dangers—fire, holes blown through the hull, crew injury—we are now, in the aftermath of a lightning strike, left with a boat that may have no power, no navigation equipment and no means of propulsion.

Today, then, we'll give some thought to how lightning interacts with a boat and its equipment, and what we can do to mitigate the damage if it does hit.