Boat needs to be grounded to reduce damage. The article http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d000001-d000100/d000007/d000007.html is informative. Research suggests that grounding an object does not increase the possibility of a lightning strike but I am skeptical. However, providing an easy method for the strike to reach the ground is better than having your fiberglass cat destroyed like the one for sale on ebay.

Kris
Nacra 6.0NA