One thunderstorm encounter "at sea": While I was paddling about a mile and a half off shore on the German North Sea coast with the normal on-shore breeze, a thunderstrom developed moving OFF-shore (it happens sometimes very unusually and is usually NOT pleasant). I was in a fiber glass kayak at the time, too unstable and cramped to lay down within the hull, so I just kept paddling towards shore. Within minutes I was enveloped in such thick rain, that the waves became noticeably smoother (lacking any other reference marks at this stage, I could barely keep a course towards shore by them). A point in my favor was that there was no visual evidence of lightning due to the heavy rain ... just enourmous claps of thunder all around. I have no recollection how long the whole thing lasted and just kept paddling for shore even when the rain had more or less stopped. Looking out to sea over my shoulder I was treated to a fine fire works display and am glad to this day that I could not see it while in its midst. Ralph Hoehn Ralph_at_PouchBoats.com www.PouchBoats.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Mon Mar 26 2001 - 10:50:36 PST
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