Coming back from the Vineyard at dusk, flat calm, engine full out, seas clear of traffic I scared myself silly. I shake as I think about it.
I'm a careful boater, I observe the traffic, the conditions, and act accordingly. I watch where I am going and scan the sea for surprises. At 44 w/ 2 kids I want to return from each trip :-).
Running full out; sun over my shoulder setting behind me I looked around, no traffic within miles, sea calm, instruments good, compass heading correct, a full circuit with my eyes so to speak.
Ahhhh...Whats that!
A dark brown piling passing by the forward quarter of the boat, gone before I could react. By pure blind luck it was pushed aside by the wake of the boat bu I could have gaffed it as it went by. It was that close. It would have cracked the hull and most likel put me over the console and in the water. It was at least 8'long and 18" wide.
Never saw it and I had glanced in that direction within the previous 5 seconds. At 40 MPH/ ~60 feet per second I covered 300 feet in the time my eyes made the circuit of left, center, right, instrument 1, instrument 2, compass.
I'll be doing a lot less looking at instruments at top speed in the future.
I'm a lucky guy...