Perfectly Dangerous - A Waterspout At Sea

As an Ensign USNR Merchant Marine Naval Reserve my first USS was the Allagash AO97 in the Atlantic. Tthe skipper was a medalled WW11 officer of exceptional experience. In 1940 in command of a 4 piper destroyer in Panama he was tasked to penetrate a water spout and report the results. The destoyer was buttoned-up for battle except a single port in the 6 by 6 foot chartroom. The old destoyer barely survived having lost a motor whaleboat and all topside canvas , but more surprising, every chart in the four drawer chart desk with over a thousnad charts were sucked out through the 8 inch port. JGD