Wow Barnakiel. I guess you don’t want to talk about it otherwise you would have elaborated. I’ll just say well done for coming through those situations (and bringing others through them) alive.
There was an incident in
Bermuda a couple of years ago that we can all learn from. Basically:
Boat A is a 20-something foot motorboat, planing.
Boat B is a 20-something foot motorboat.
It’s dark. Both boats are showing lights, though there is debate about whether boat B was showing the correct ones.
Boat A wants to turn to port, but boat B is on the port bow, so boat A maintains course. They pass port to port and boat A then turns to port to pass astern of boat B. But boat B is towing an
inflatable dinghy with no lights and three people on board. There are several injuries and one person is killed. The court case went on for some time, with several charges being brought against the
skipper of boat B, and none against the
skipper of boat A. It was a horrendous experience for all involved.
I have been in the same situation as boat B countless times, and I am certain that there are times when I have done exactly as the skipper of that boat did in turning to port to pass astern of another vessel. Often that turn to port has been quite a sharp one depending on where my
destination has been, and I have thought nothing of it.
I know of several similar incidents where people in dinghies have been killed in the
lagoon in St. Martin because they were not showing lights and could not be seen.
Lessons learned:
1) See and be seen. Don’t skimp on lights.
2) Don’t pass too close astern of someone at night, especially if you’re moving fast.
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