Sailing alone at night involves anxious scans of the horizon, checks of position, course, wind and weather interspersed by catnaps. GPS chart plotters have made the skipper’s job far less stressful. Add to that radar, giving you an ability to see over the horizon, and piloting is a pretty pleasant affair.
For several hours last night (August 11), amongst meteor showers and that carpet of stars, the Milky Way, I observed jet fighters flying recurrent patterns over mid-Lake Huron, mid-lake up a watery Canada – US border. There were a couple of bright red/white light bursts mid-sky in their track. No doubt some homeland security exercise. Gotta protect us from them damned Canadians after all.
With some alarm at 0200 on Wednesday morning I noticed a large object on the radar screen. It was steaming straight towards me. He showed no lights, an unseeable object hurtling towards my happy little ship.
The radar bearing remained constant......A COLLISION COURSE. And the range was closing fast!!! I readied flares and my 6 million candle-power spotlight to alert said boat to my position. If I couldn't see him, he was damned well going to see me!
For several hours last night (August 11), amongst meteor showers and that carpet of stars, the Milky Way, I observed jet fighters flying recurrent patterns over mid-Lake Huron, mid-lake up a watery Canada – US border. There were a couple of bright red/white light bursts mid-sky in their track. No doubt some homeland security exercise. Gotta protect us from them damned Canadians after all.
With some alarm at 0200 on Wednesday morning I noticed a large object on the radar screen. It was steaming straight towards me. He showed no lights, an unseeable object hurtling towards my happy little ship.
The radar bearing remained constant......A COLLISION COURSE. And the range was closing fast!!! I readied flares and my 6 million candle-power spotlight to alert said boat to my position. If I couldn't see him, he was damned well going to see me!
Suddenly he stopped.........and stayed. Changing course, he ran parallel to my course matching my speed (slow). No lights. Still unseen. Spooked the hell out of me!
I was somewhat comforted that these weren’t Somali pirates, and piracy on Lake Huron died out with the French and Indian Wars. Could they be Homeland Security come to make sure I wasn’t some Canadian trying to sneak in for some of that really good American healthcare? (Pardon my cynicism......I have recently migrated from the healthcare ‘haves’ to the healthcare ‘can’t gets’. It changes your outlook just a wee bit.)
Then, as mysteriously as he came, my interceptor turned and steamed away.....off to catch some other pirate of the American healthcare system no doubt!!
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