MacGregorSailors.com

So the original question was, "Who thinks I'm brilliant? Who thinks I'm paranoid and overthinking? Who thinks I'm an idiot?"

It seems like the consensus is paranoid, but possibly idiot.

It looks like I'll do what nearly every other trailer sailor owner does for lightning protection: nothing. I guess a Mac26 similar to a car, metal above you and no metal contact to the ground / water. People don't get killed by lighting in their cars, it just doesn't happen, so I should feel pretty safe inside the cabin of the Macgregor. The cockpit should also be fairly safe as well, so long as I'm not touching the rigging. If I can't make it in before a storm rolls me over, I can throw over a hook, go don below and ride it out.

Related, I saw this interesting info graph on how to avoid / survive lighting when n foot outside.
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/04/2 ... ted-guide/

Don't know if it's good advice, but seems logical.

I took out the boat for the first time last Saturday and it went well. The wind was light but the family had a lot of fun. I hope to take it out this weekend.

I'm sorry we have no answer - it's something we all wonder about.

The number one cause of shock or electrocution to sailors comes from power lines. Power lines constitute the majority of fatality's that have occurred on trailer boats caused by skippers towing their boats mast up at the launch ramp and hitting a power line.

I think MacGregor once claimed it was the number one cause of injury to trailer sailors far exceeding injuries caused by drowning or weather.

The first boat my wife & I bought was a little 15'-7" trailer sailor with a big, heavy steel centerboard, and believe it or not, a cabin with V birth and even a little head. We were in college and I bought it for $300 including trailer. Shortly after I bought it, we were slow to get in, and I rushing because I was going to be late for class. I yanked it out of the water onto the trailer, drove quickly toward home and completely forgot to lower the mast. I towed it under a bridge and immediately realized my mistake when I heard the big bang. There was another car following a safe distance behind me. I can imagine him saying, "Wait for it... Wait for it...OOOHHHHH!! That was awesome!" I destroyed the mast, broke the forestay, damaged the transom where the mast came crashing down, and I took a decent size chunk of concrete out of the bridge. I hope not to repeat that mistake.

Today, you would have ended up on you tube....