T&T: Aids to Navigation NOT

[TK Allen]

This discussion of submerged navigation markers reminded me of a close call
I had with one years ago.  I was working for the US Geological Survey doing
sampling on the Apalachicola River in North Florida.  The Apalchicola
carries a very large volume of water and is navigable by barge traffic from
the Gulf of Mexico up as far as Columbus, GA.  The navigation channel is (or
was at the time of this incident) marked in some places with buoys.  One day
we were sampling on the river when the river was in full flood - huge water
volume and very strong current.  We were in a 25' Robalo center console with
a 225hp Johnson outboard.

The day was getting late and we were hustling down river at full throttle to
get back to the ramp before dusk.  All of sudden a navigation buoy popped up
directly in front of us.  I swerved very sharply and just barely missed it.
Once I got my heart back in my chest, I turned around and slowly motored
back near the spot where the buoy popped up.  It had disappeared but a few
seconds later it popped up again.  The force of the current was so strong
that it was holding this buoy underwater most of the time but every 30
seconds or so, it would break the surface only to be immediately pushed down
again.  I can only imagine what would have happened had we hit that bouy at
40mph.  Yikes!

TK Allen