Kayaking at Ketchikan

I happily agreed to borrow one of my cousin's Coast Guard kayaks. It was built like a round-bottomed cigar, but I thought, "How hard can it be?" I was out in the bay, pleasantly paddling, on water that was black, oily, and about 40 degrees. Hearing a sound, I looked behind me to see an enormous Alaskan cruise ship coming straight at me. Paddling deep and strong, like in a canoe, was a mistake. In the next moment, I flipped over and was in the water. Luckily, a Coast Guard boat pulled me out.