I’m riding the right hand side of the narrow channel when an ocean tug and potash barge suddenly appear from a blind bend.  I’m comfortably on the right side, in my lane so to speak, so I ready my videocam to try for a cool time-lapse passage. The tug is lashed to the barge stern and pushing. I get s still shot with the camera. We close at rate faster than you’d know and suddenly he’s upon me.  I should have anticipated (but now know) that he’d swing wide in his turn. This caught me off guard and quickly the filming idea was abandoned.

There was experience on the tugboats part. The skipper radically reduced speed, but there was momentum. I dead stopped. All this took a few clock is ticking seconds of analysis/interpretation but it became crystal to me that I was to get out of the way! I made a 90 degree turn to port and crossing his prow scurried on over to the other side of the channel. Safe.

Just barge on through! I reckon he anticipated my moves as he was quite patient; not even laying on his horn — which would have surely caused me to jump-out-of my sea boots. Wish I had the video though 😉

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