I was busy cleaning out my laptop and as usual became sidetracked reading something I wrote. I immediately noticed punctuation and other errors but more than that, I vividly remembered the situation I had written about and how shaken I was. I remember thinking that perhaps risking my family's lives was not my decision to make. I remember considering turning around and quitting boating right then and there.
I hope I have caught the attention of others like me. Below is the gist of what I wrote almost ten years ago.
Crossing Rosario Strait heading into Thatcher Pass, we were all staring out the front and not paying attention to our sideways set (side drift) when out of the corner of my eye I caught a movement that turned out to be rocks coming at us fast. (full flood must have been 3+ knots) The current was forcing us sideways straight onto the rocks of tiny Pointer Island. I swung hard over and pushed her to full throttle, our outboard barely pulled us away with one hundred feet and two or three seconds to spare. I shuddered thinking of my family on board and almost quit boating right then and there.
While we’re talking currents, I am sure you know that
your boat will be dragged sideways whilst you drive forward when crossing a
channel or fast water. It is very easy to not pay enough attention to the currents “set and
drift” and what’s on the side of your boat. Let’s put it simpler, if you’re
driving forward and looking forward you will miss what you’re heading for
sideways. It is easy when close to hazards to allow yourself to be dragged into them because your looking where you want to go, not where you are really going. Tip. Please re-read
that last sentence and get it into your default system, it may save your boat
or someone’s life.
Please leave your SCARY story in the comments below. You will never know but you may save someone. John