another question. which lights do you need to have on a sailboat? I've seen boats with only one or two white lights.

if ur on a sailboat when lightening happens, all you really can do is get sumwhere on the boat that is safest. although lightening does not usually strike on water, or motor vehicles (forgot why), because there is no electric stimulation happening. electrons and protons are on land and that is why lightening happens. It is just safest to not be on the water incase it does happen to your boat.

mitch

Lightning strikes where ever & when ever it wants. It likes sharp pointy things made out of a good conductor. If ur sailboat is struck & ur leaning against the mast--your toast. People r apparently real good conductors. Large boats have a strap of metal that ground the mast step to the keel. Your best position would be as far away from the mast & rigging as u can get. The reference to being in automobiles is that they r not grounded.(4 rubber tires). So- anything that is grounded looks better to lightening than something that is not.
white lites r for moring

no its not

When in an electrical storm on a sail boat, u can sustain injury, however, having lived aboard for 3+ years in all weather, & having taught boating safety courses, one has to use reason.

First, on top of the mast, u will either have a lightning rod, which will attract lightning, then the mast is grounded to the water via a copper cable to the keel, or separate grounding plate. This directs a lightning strike directly to the water.

Second option is a static device that will release the build up of ions at the masthead, making the mast a less likely target.

It is advisable to stay clear of the mast & any connected rigging, as well as any massive metal objects, like ur engine during lightning storms.

The kind of lights required on a sail boat depends on the size. For general usage:
bow lights, 1 red, 1 green. 1 stern light, white. If operating a sailboat under power, u must also display a white light forward, often referred to as a ''steaming'' light. If u r at anchor, u r to display an all around anchor light.

Some smaller craft can get by with just 1 white light, but these would be in the category of row boats & canoes, & very small sail boats.

Everything Tom B said.

Boats on the water r prone to lightning strikes generally, by virtue of being the tallest & pointiest thing for however many miles around. In addition to being a physical shock hazard, the electromagnetic pulse going through ur grounding-tree will very likely fry all of ur electronics & ur engine. If u r a sailboat, assuming u still have sails which were not destroyed by the lightning (like that 120 genoa that is always taking up space in ur v-berth), u still have propulsion. This is where a sailboat beats a powerboat hands-down. Your GPS, chart plotter & radar will all probably be gone, but a magnetic compass probably wo not be severely affected by the EM pulse, & ur paper charts will presumably be fine. Your sextant will also be fine, & ur mechanical wristwatch will also be fine; ur quartz wristwatch may or may not be. So u have propulsion, & u have navigation. So no matter where u r in the world when you're struck by lightning, u can still get safely back to the nearest port. A powerboat is just dead in the water, with no radio or satellite to call for help.

Proper running lights for a sailing vessel r port & starboard running lights & a white stern light, with no white masthead light. You may also run an all-around red light over a green light at the masthead. If u r motoring or motorsailing, u must display the lights of a power-driven vessel.

I've lived on a sailboat for several years & wonder the same thing. I've read everything l can find, & still do not understand it, but it seems that the mast & rigging offer some protection. You need to turn off electrical devices like TV & computers, & stay away from the mast or chain-plates. My mast & chain-plates have a heavy copper wire attached to the through hull fittings, but I've no proof that helps. The sailboat next to me was struck a few months ago, & it blew up his VHF but that is all. A sports fishing boat a few docks away also got struck. More damage to electronics, but no one hurt. Good Luck!!! On the light question u need the normal red & green on the front, white on the stern & a white masthead anchor light. You also need a white on the front of the mast for use if under power (a steaming light). Strobes r optional.

There is some good stuff here & bad stuff here.

Firstly.look the boat over. Not all boats have a mast & fitting Bonding System(ground path interconnection).not all boats have mast head attraction or dissipation devices. No two experts agree an these gimics.
Secondly.many boats have water in their bilges & wet laminate. Even if they r properly bonded(the ground cable previously mentioned) lightning will seek a path out the hull directly if it is wet.out the prop shaft & out the through-hull fittings.

In the case of the hull..a baked & brittle laminate results which is still sailable untill the wave that has it is number on it!.or at the very worst a hole is popped in the hull.

With the shaft.the packing gland is blown out & u will have to dive with underwatewr epoxy putty to stuff the leak from outside. Then haul the boat to redo the gland or stuffing box.

With through hulls.(bronze) the burst will make jagged paths in the internal barrel that will allow water to trickle in even when closed. Plastic ones can explode, crack or partially melt.

Okay.there is the truth & worst. Like it is been said, saty away from the mast & rigging. We hang bared jumper cables or chain from the rig into the water to prevent it from entering the cabin.

The points about electronics r good too.you need a Faraday Cage to protect them. Most people just shove all the good stuff into the oven or microwave. They're decent Faraday devices.

The short answer to ur question is PROBABLY. It is said that one can even swim around a sailboat in lightning within a radius less than the height of the mast.a cone of protection. Who wants to test that theory?

Lights?.what is legal & what is enforced is different. You r nuts to not have proper bow & stern lights as mentioned. The Coast Guard is less anal about steaming lights & anchor lights.

Good luck.