We arrived back home yesterday after 5 months cruising the Caribbean
and lots of places in between. The return trip up through the
Bahamas from the Turks and Caicos was fairly uneventful but we did
have a little excitement last week about 50 miles northwest of Nassau.

http://oi40.tinypic.com/2eb5153.jpg

We were keeping a close eye on a strong thunderstorm about 3 miles off
our port side when suddenly the tornado/water spout came into view. In
a lifetime of boating and well over 40,000 miles of ocean voyaging, I
had never seen anything like it. My wife claims that I was more
interested in getting the picture than I was in evading the storm but
that isn't quite true. It had already become clear that the
thunderstorm was moving away from us to the north towards Bimini and
it seemed reasonable to think the tornado would move with the storm.
That's what happened and the tornado eventually dissipated only to
have another one form a few minutes later. Fortunately that one also
moved away and dissipated.

On Saturday, June 15, 2013 10:02:05 PM UTC-4, wrote:
We arrived back home yesterday after 5 months cruising the Caribbean

and lots of places in between. The return trip up through the

Bahamas from the Turks and Caicos was fairly uneventful but we did

have a little excitement last week about 50 miles northwest of Nassau.



http://oi40.tinypic.com/2eb5153.jpg



We were keeping a close eye on a strong thunderstorm about 3 miles off

our port side when suddenly the tornado/water spout came into view. In

a lifetime of boating and well over 40,000 miles of ocean voyaging, I

had never seen anything like it. My wife claims that I was more

interested in getting the picture than I was in evading the storm but

that isn't quite true. It had already become clear that the

thunderstorm was moving away from us to the north towards Bimini and

it seemed reasonable to think the tornado would move with the storm.

That's what happened and the tornado eventually dissipated only to

have another one form a few minutes later. Fortunately that one also

moved away and dissipated.

Good picture. I've seen one on the water one time myself but not from a boat. A little scarier while on the boat I imagine. Happy Cruising!

wrote:
On Saturday, June 15, 2013 10:02:05 PM UTC-4, wrote:
We arrived back home yesterday after 5 months cruising the Caribbean

and lots of places in between. The return trip up through the

Bahamas from the Turks and Caicos was fairly uneventful but we did

have a little excitement last week about 50 miles northwest of Nassau.



http://oi40.tinypic.com/2eb5153.jpg



We were keeping a close eye on a strong thunderstorm about 3 miles off

our port side when suddenly the tornado/water spout came into view. In

a lifetime of boating and well over 40,000 miles of ocean voyaging, I

had never seen anything like it. My wife claims that I was more

interested in getting the picture than I was in evading the storm but

that isn't quite true. It had already become clear that the

thunderstorm was moving away from us to the north towards Bimini and

it seemed reasonable to think the tornado would move with the storm.

That's what happened and the tornado eventually dissipated only to

have another one form a few minutes later. Fortunately that one also

moved away and dissipated.
Good picture. I've seen one on the water one time myself but not from a boat. A little scarier while on the boat I imagine. Happy Cruising!
They are fairly common and rarely eventful. After a while you get used
to seeing them in the distance. It's interesting watching them form and
dissipate which often takes place in less than 20 minutes.