It's quite tempting in the summer time, when we are all wind starved, to be tempted out in the winds before an approaching or nearby storm.
Exercise caution, however. If you are not convinced, take a look at what a bit of lightning can do to a sailboat. And, remember, lightning can strike at a distance from the storm - in some cases up to miles away.
https://www.facebook.com/WeatherNation/videos/615825892237990/
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Now is our chance to try thunder surfing at Galts. According to NOAA at McCollum:
"A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Heat index values as high as 99. North wind around 5 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph."
What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.
But oh that magic feeling...
I don't recall a lot of individual sessions, but there was one in particular that I may never forget. Like a few other escapades of "my youth" this one is a bit cringeworthy in retrospect.
I don't remember the year, but I was on my beloved Fanatic UltraBee with a 6.4 Pryde RAF Speed, so you do the math.
On a day like today, in maybe 3-4 mph wind I schlogged way out from LLSC on the unlikely chance I could catch a gust front to ride back downwind. I could see the top of a towering nymphocumulous miles to the west but no lightning or thunder so I didn't feel too scared. Sure enough, like somebody flipped a switch, a line of dark water with whitecaps came on with a vengeance. Bearing waay off, seriously overpowered but totally in control in the butter smooth water, felt SO cool and exhilarating. "Fred Haywood's got nothing on me" I thought as I linked crazy fast runs with a few pretty good jibes (for me anyway). After almost hour of working slowly upwind, I was back to the beach in 3-4 minutes!
With Ed's Big Adventure from the other day freshly in mind, I have to say this was a really bad idea.
The there was the time your sail ended up in a tree.
What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.