[bobkatfly]

Long time ago when we where in Melvin Village my daughter and her friend set out for a canoe ride to store island which is not too far off from our beach. My wife was at the beach and I was back working on our deck. Beautiful day when I started to notice the sky darkening. I started walking to the beach which is about 100 yards down the road. Halfway there the sky got darker so started running. As I got there the wind picked up and a grey cloud was swallowing up the bay. Got there just in time to see the red canoe disappear in the cloud. Then the hail started. We had to stand behind trees to keep from getting pelted. My wife and others were screaming. The cloud passed and no canoe. We could see the island and no canoe. Got in my friends boat and headed out. As we got near the island I saw them on the shore waving. A resident swam out and helped them to shore. Cut his leg on rocks in the process. This whole event happened in less than an hour while the actual cloud event happened in about 15 minutes. Now this was pre cell phones and we didn't have a short wave but it came up and disappeared​ so fast that even with them I don't think it would have changed anything.
So, as the other posters mentioned, s@#t happens quick. Try to have a backup plan on the water.