SMA FLYING SLIGHTLY OFFSHORE JUST BELOW CLOUD LEVEL HAS NMAC WITH 2 ACFT.

Narrative

THE CEILING ALONG THE FLORIDA INLAND WATERWAY WAS ABOUT 2000 FT BROKEN; WITH SCATTERED OFFSHORE; AND A FEW LOWER EXTENSIONS. THERE WERE DISTINCT RAIN SHOWERS INSHORE. I WAS PROCEEDING S OVER THE W BANK AT 1600 FT MSL. MY RECOLLECTION IS THAT THERE WAS A PATCH OF REDUCED VISIBILITY IN FRONT OF ME; PERHAPS ONE OF THE LOWER EXTENSIONS; WHICH WAS NOT A SOLID 'CLOUD;' BUT WHICH WOULD BRIEFLY LIMIT HORIZ VISIBILITY BUT NOT GND CONTACT. I SUDDENLY SAW A NBOUND ACFT; PROBABLY A PIPER ARROW; FLASH BY MY LOWER L WINDSHIELD IN A DSNDING R TURN. I FEEL SURE THAT HE WAS TAKING EVASIVE ACTION; HAVING SEEN ME BEFORE I SAW HIM. I HAD FORGOTTEN THE DENSITY OF LOW N-S TFC ALONG THE FLORIDA COAST; AND WAS NOT BURNING A LNDG LIGHT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; I OBSERVED A STATIONARY OBJECT IN THE WINDSHIELD WHICH I THOUGHT MIGHT BE A HELI. WINGS BECAME VISIBLE; AND I TURNED R TO AVOID THE NBOUND CESSNA. ALTHOUGH WE HAD BEEN ON A COLLISION COURSE; THE MISS DISTANCE WAS CERTAINLY GREATER THAN 500 FT HORIZ; AND I DON'T CONSIDER THAT TO BE A NEAR MISS. I DID NOT SEE ANY EVASIVE ACTION BY THE CESSNA. THIS INCIDENT EMPHASIZED AGAIN THE NEED TO STAY WELL CLR OF CLOUDS; BURN A LNDG LIGHT ON A FLYWAY; AND BE CONSTANTLY VIGILANT.