Ground to keel wire

[Doug]

Due to stray electricity on the boat I spent the weekend replacing & relocating the charger and re-doing the wiring for the charger, Shore power, and batteries.

Everything appears to be working perfectly, but I seem to have found a left over part I need to figure out.

As part of the process I removed much of the previous owner's  work. Unconnected wires, iffy splices, etc.

One of the wires is a ground wire that runs to a keel bolt. It is connect to the keel, but not connected to anything on the other end. Looks like it was designed to terminate at the power panel or an instrument in the area.

Is there a keel ground I'm missing? Or was this for an old radio or Loran?

Already though of lighting protection, but the wire is too small. 

[Stu Jackson]

I think you're right on about the Loran ground.  That's the only thing I can think of, too.

[Ted Pounds]

Yep it's a LORAN ground.  I had one on my boat too.  Removed it when I replaced the LORAN with GPS.

[Ron Hill]

Doug : If you can call the previous owner and ask him.  Otherwise, be content that it was an old Loran ground. 
I still have my Loran and still use it.  Happy to see that the USCG has been mandated&funded to maintain that system for the foreseeable future!!   

[Stu Jackson]

I, too, still have our Loran installed.

Backup, backup, backup.

(How'd you guess we are cruisers?)