During Day time you can "usually see" the storm coming, unless you are on
the Finger lakes or similar where the surrounding hillside blocks the view
to the west.

(remembering a Sunfish surfing backwards about 30 yrs ago when we got hit by
a fast mover)


At night whether you are along shore or offshore you "usually can not see
the squall line" you should see Lightning if there is any, I spose that all
T-storms by definition do have lightning.

My point is that with Radar as a normal part of keeping watch, and keeping
log/plot you can look toward the horizon in the dark and try to see if there
is heavy precipitation which does return the beam.

Regarding Cat 4 races your cell phone would be effective, as you should be
in coverage. Say you are offshore 20 miles in middle of Ontario or perhaps
Marblehead to Halifax and you need better service.

S






On 1/30/04 1:31 AM, in article ,
"JAXAshby" wrote:

Jax is just trying to claim that a few offshore rides makes him a weather
expert.

no, I wasn't. I was just saying that -- in agreement with another poster --
that I had not seen thunderstorms at sea at night, that I had -- perhaps in
disagreement -- seen such thunderstorms at night way inland.



--
Sheldon Haynie
Texas Instruments
50 Phillipe Cote
Manchester, NH 03101
603 222 8652