T&T: Alligator River shoals and others too

[Randy Pickelmann]

Hello to All,
I remember my flight training days.  When flying in instrument conditions
there is NO CHOICE but to believe your instruments.  Flying by the seat of
your pants will cost you your life.  Running aground is fatal.  But boating
isn't flying.  Things happen so much faster at 100+kts. than they do at 6 kts.
Running your boat on the ICW ain't the same thing as flying under IFR
conditions.  On the boat you had better use ALL the instruments, charts and
aids to navigation as well as the best computer ever made...the one between
your ears.  Keep your head on a swivel.  Look behind you from time to time.
You might be surprised at what you will learn.  Approaching vessels with
monster wakes, approaching weather fronts with monster thunderstorms, a strong
side current that can best be understood by looking back.  I remember
approaching Lake Worth Inlet at night , returning from six months in the
Bahamas.  The light configuration had been changed and what we were seeing
didn't match what the chart was showing.  It was very difficult to see the
channel markers for all the lights on shore.  I happened to look behind us at
the right moment and saw the light of the sea buoy.  It was not where we
expected and we quickly executed a 180 deg. turn so we could sort things out.
This prevented us from passing on the wrong side of the jetty, which would
have undoubtedly brought our cruise to an abrupt and unpleasant end!
Regards,
Randy Pickelmann
MORNING STAR