: Also recently I was landing in St. Thomas and looking out at this
: little storm cloud all by itself thinking, "Now that's the
: type of cloud that could sneak up on you and..." and as
: soon as I thought it, ZAP!!! A big bolt of lightning struck the
: water. No boat, no buoy, no tree, or other conductor- just
: air-to-water strike on an otherwise clear day.

I was out on the water on a nice sunny day when I heard what seemed like a distant rumble behind me. I turned the boat to take a look-see, and there was this huge, incredibly dark cloud visibly building and directly upwind of me. I only had about a mile to get to the ramp and a hundred feet to the car but while I was getting ready to put my little solo canoe on the car roof there was a monstrous thunderclap behind me and a simultaneous flash that seemed to be all around me. I abandoned the boat and was inside the car in about one second; I don't know if it struck the water as I had my back to the lake at the time, but I was glad my head wasn't poking up a mile offshore more-or-less saying "hit me" at that moment . . .

I have never seen a storm appear so quickly. I waited it out in the car: I was afraid the poor canoe - which only weighs 10 kg - might vanish downwind but it stayed put. BTW, the forecast was for sunny intervals with scattered showers later in the day.

I doubt the storm had much to do with the lake I was on - much too small - but Lake Huron is only a couple or hours drive and I was directly downwind that day.