"Black Squall

A fine new painting by maritime artist John Morton Barber titled "Black Squall."  It brought back a few memories.

Above is a squall that hit Spartina as we sailed down Jones Bay to Pamlico Sound.  There was time to round up just off of Boar Point, drop the main and jib, and then start bailing.  A heavy downpour and high winds, the rain hitting the water hard enough to send up spray that hovered like a fog over the sound.

And one night after dinner, anchored in Cod Harbor, the sandy hook at the south end of Tangier Island, I looked west to see this approaching storm.  I turned on the weather radio to listen for the alerts but there were none.  Tent up and tucked into the bivy I listened to rain, wind and thunder until I fell asleep.

And just a little over a month ago sailing up the Pamlico River towards Bath this squall, small and intense, had us sailing at over 5 mh under just the jib.  It was quite a ride.

Squalls, sometimes not a lot of fun but at the same time I enjoy the memories of dealing with them.  John, as usual, caught the feeling just right with "Black Squall."