Chesapeake Squall - Bob Grimson

Oil on canvas, signed.

28 x 20 inches.

Anyone familiar with Chesapeake Bay on the United States East Coast will know that the frequent afternoon thunderstorms can turn a fine day into a scene like this in a matter of minutes. These storms can and often do contain vicious squalls with gusts of 50 knots or more.

Here the crew of a Maryland Skipjack smothers the mainsail, but even with just the reefed jib, the skipjack is still tearing through the water whilst ahead of them a schooner is scandalizing the mainsail to ease the pressure on the helm.

A combination of strong tidal currents and shallow depths makes these Chesapeake Bay conditions wet and uncomfortable with short steep seas and winds constantly changing.

Bob Grimson has sailed the length and breadth of the Chesapeake Bay as well as its neighbour, Delaware Bay. He learned to respect their weather at an early stage by having his mainsail ripped completely in half from luff to leech.