My scariest moment in the BVI occurred on our last cruise before Irma. My wife and I were moored at Saba Rock and it was a period of very light winds and calm seas and I was taking advantage by taking my paddleboard for a leisurely paddle around Eustacia sound circling just inside the reef.

There were no waves breaking over the reef, the highest bits of coral were just poking out of the surface on my left as I made my clockwise tour in about 2 feet of water.

At some point I noticed that the reef was no longer visible. I realized that I was crossing the reef cut between the two BEYC buoys.
I immediately turned my head to the right and the blood froze in my veins to see the motorized barge that serviced ONB construction headed almost directly at me, on a course to cross just in front of me.

With no time to ponder the unbelievably bad timing, I had to make a split second decision whether to make a panic 180 turn or speed up and cross ahead of the barge. I quickly chose the latter option ( quite possibly the wrong decision in hindsight ) and as I started paddling furiously the realization sank in that I was now paddling for my life and if I should fall I would be run over, dragged across the flat barnacle-encrusted bottom of the barge and towards the propellers.

Not daring to turn my head to look for fear of upsetting my balance, I kept paddling hard as the roar of the engines grew louder behind me. I was filled with a mixture of horror and relief when the shadow of the vessel passed over me from the low afternoon sun. The engines never slowed and no horn sounded - I don't think anyone on board ever knew I was there.