George, Sorry to hear about your lightning strike. We went through that about 4 or 5 years ago and it ain't fun! One thing I did was to hire a qualified marine electrician to go through the boat as thoroughly as possible and write up a comprehensive list of the damages and an estimate to do the work. My insurance company insisted on sending a surveyor, at their expense, to investigate. I paid my electrician to be at that meeting and it went smoothly. In fact, when the surveyor saw the electrician, he said "I know you. You taught the ABYC class I took" and I knew I would be alright! Make sure that you leave the door open for supplemental claims should you discover some hidden or latent problems after you start cruising again. Best of luck. Regards, Randy Pickelmann hard aground in Clearwater MORNING STAR lying in Rondout Creek, Hudson River www.morningstar.talkspot.com