Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
I was looking out across the horizon later in the afternoon and noticed a few isolated, black
cloud formations scattered about in every direction. Upon closer inspection with the bin-
oculars, I noticed that they had their own lightning storms flickering a pinkish yellow with-
in these black clouds. They reminded me of huge jellyfish suspended above the sea, their
long entrails of rain slanting down into the sea. The entrails I saw were streams of falling
rain, ice cold and pure. Half our water supply on-board had been used, and while we wer-
en't in any danger of running out, I liked to keep them topped up when I could.
I pointed out the local storms to the other two later in the evening. We could make out the
flashes of lightning flickering in several locations around the still boat. Paula meanwhile
had cooked us a lovely, hot meal of boiled potatoes and canned meat which we now de-
voured in the cockpit. The lad asked what would happen if the boat went through one of
those electrical storms. I didn't answer him at first but thought for a while and said, “There
will probably be brisk winds and cold rain, but I am a little worried about the lightning. I
think it will probably be OK as the boat will conduct the lightning to the water.”
“Yes, but we could be struck by the lightning if we get wet and touch the rigging, couldn't
we?” he asked.
I shook my head. “I really don't know; I don't think so, but one never really knows for sure
with lightning.” As an afterthought, I ended, “But I think we should try to avoid them if
we can, better to be safe than sorry.”
As with the water spout, we on-board Déjà vu had little choice regarding the local elec-
trical storms. It turned out that Paula was on watch around midnight, sitting on a cushion in
the cockpit, reading her book by the light of the little hurricane lamp. The boat was sitting
motionless, quiet now that the engine had been shut off. There was an eerie calm and com-
plete silence; the ocean was dark and still. The horizon showed flickering lightning storms
about it, and she was absorbed in her book. After a while she felt the cold creep up on her,
and she looked around and noticed suddenly there was a faint breeze that had sprung up.
The last time there had been any sort of wind was with the waterspout. She peered out into
the dark and was shocked to see flickering lightening close at hand. She jumped up, and
I heard her call out to me. I looked about and saw the lightning and felt the temperature
dropping and felt the moist, cold wind. I felt the hairs rise on my neck and a nervous ball
in the pit of my stomach. I kept quiet, not wanting to alarm my crew. The lad was also up
now and looking at the approaching storm.
“What are we going to do?” he asked.
“There is little we can do, just sit tight, and keep away from any metal on the boat. Get
ready to collect fresh rainwater if it rains enough to wash the salt off the decks.”
