GEMarshall

I looked at all of the articles on this topic and they said that the fishing boat was returning to port after fishing. It is likely they were tired and all and mistakes happen.... The only way that the Pearl should have tried to avoid this 69' fishing boat was if the boat was fishing. The fact that the Pearl was hit on her port side, she had the responsibility to maintain her course so that the boat on her left would have been able to keep clear. The captain I knew from the Pearl when I was on her off and on between August 2018 and October 2019, got offended if he got black tire marks on his white hull from the Panama Canal so he would have been very upset with his ship being scratched or dented. He retired shortly after we completed the October 2019 transAtlantic and then the Captain who had been working on the opposite 'shift' from the Captain I knew moved to the Scarlet Lady in 2021 so I've never met the current Pearl captain, but I'm still certain that Pearl was doing the right thing but could easily understand how the fishing boat could have messed up if they were preoccupied with securing their catch or just plain tired from being out working too long.

The fishing boat did the equivalent of running a red light and hit the Pearl who was in the intersection with a green light because the Pearl was hit in the left rear. Here are the rules of the road for motor boats: 1. If another vessel is approaching you from the port — or left — side of your boat, you have the right of way and should maintain your speed and direction. 2. If a vessel is aiming to cross your path and they're on your starboard — or right — side, they have the right of way.

The fishing boat did the equivalent of running a red light and hit the Pearl who was in the intersection with a green light because the Pearl was hit in the left rear. Here are the rules of the road for motor boats: 1. If another vessel is approaching you from the port — or left — side of your boat, you have the right of way and should maintain your speed and direction. 2. If a vessel is aiming to cross your path and they're on your starboard — or right — side, they have the right of way.