Flat Rainbows

Adams Creek Canal
N 34 49.984 W 76 41.401

Last Friday we were sailing up the Neuse River towards New Bern. We were dodging thunderstorms the whole afternoon. These storms were very localized and very fast moving. A couple of times I scrambled to take down the sails thinking that we would be hit, but by the time the sails were down I looked again and the storm missed us. Finally we got hit by one. We doused the sails, dropped the anchor and went below to wait it out. It rained intensely, but only for about 10 minutes. Too bad for
the local people; they need rain badly.

Anyhow, after the storm passed the sun came out and we reemerged on deck. I looked to the west and there was a brilliant rainbow, but it seemed oddly flattened. I should have expected a rainbow with the sun shining just after rain had passed. For a while though I couldn't understand it's shape. The crest appeared to be very low in the sky and the two ends were plainly visible 2-3 miles apart. Finally, I understood. Never before had I seen a rainbow with the sun so high in the sky. Usually,
one sees rainbows only just before sunset. Then, the crest soars high in the sky and the ends of the rainbow are so far away that they can't be seen. You could never see a rainbow with the sun directly overhead, but if you could, it would appear to be a small circle of color surrounding your feet.

We were heading for Moorhead City today, resuming the southward trek. However, we're going to change our minds and go offshore for an overnight sail to Wrightsville Beach. The weather sounds favorable, and going on the outside will allow us to skip one of the most tedious stretches of the ICW.

We are not going on a straight passage to Florida yet. We have friends we would like to visit when we reach the Cape Fear River. Wednesday night, according the to forecast, sounds like a favorable time to leave Cape Fear, bound for Florida.