HOOOOOOONNNNNNKKK!" blared the warning from the horn of a massive ship bearing down on me. Terrified, I started to row like hell in my fragile, inflatable rubber raft to get out of its way. Sweat rolled down my face despite the frigid temperatures. On instinct, I squeezed my eyes tighter and braced my ears for another irritating blast that would further piss me off.

Sensing a lull in the deafening noise, I cautiously eased one eyelid open to assess this horrific situation. To my surprise, there wa...