Wow Bart, it can always be an adventure when your on the water eh?. Reminds me of a day long ago fishing just off the beach here in NC.
Memorial Day weekend I believe, and out with (ex) wife and brother in law, trolling in our small center console. We were hearing on weather radio that an inland storm front was approaching at quite a distance away, therefore we weren't too concerned. Nor were all the other boaters. Being close to the inlet I for sure thought we had plenty of time to make it back to shore safely but also not realizing this thing was approaching that fast. Once the clouds started building in the distance, we headed in but obviously not soon enough. The sky turned that ominous green, boiling and swirling in all directions we throttled up.
The chaos then began. Rain was falling in buckets, no visibility, and filling up the boat faster then the bilge could pump. Again it was a holiday weekend, so crowded with boaters. All you could hear were engines roaring past you but could not see them. I pulled the plug to drain the water, bow up and slow cruise. The brother in law was freaking out praying Hail Marys
and I had to slap him out of it to man up....
A few minutes past, rain subsided enough so to regain visibility, I headed straight to the nearest dock. It was a marina with open slips. Right as we pulled up, CRACK of a lightening bolt, as though it wasn't the first of them through the ordeal. We ran safely inside with other startled boaters. "MAN are you guys ok" nervously said one of the gentlemen inside. I said "yeah just wet and glad to be out of that mess." He remarked with eyes so wide opened because that "CRACK" of the lightening bolt we heard had hit the pylon just next to us while tying up. Yep, the craziest 30 minutes of a storm I wan't to be part of ever again.
Turned out to be the most reported rescues by coast guard in one day.
🤦♂️
