Yes, that is what the harbor looks like, but on the southern side of the islands, which is where the fishing villages are, it is a different story...a whole different world. Those on the southern side go out offshore to get fish to live off of and to sell in the village. It is pretty clear to me that the race committee had never been to those villages. The young modern people leave the villages for life in the big city. It is only the old people who live there and go fishing. The villages are dying off one by one due to this, but I think you can understand how the fishermen do not know anything about colregs and such.
The world is full of people who fish from small pangas that all they have on board is a small outboard, fuel, some water in jugs, and fishing gear. No lights, no radio, no radar, no AIS, not even cover from the very hot sun. My father-in-law used to travel from one island group to the next in a 17' panga fishing here in the South Pacific and that was just a few years ago. His brother still fishes off the same boat offshore. I buy fish from him all the time. I know both of them have never heard of 'colregs'. The only thing they care about is putting food on the table for the family. Things are a lot different outside of the 1st world countries.
Ex: I noticed my favorite dog was missing from the In-laws home. Just a few months ago when he was a puppy I used to bring him food scraps because he was starving (could not fight for his food against the older dogs and hogs). He and I bonded. My wife told me yesterday that they ate him. His neck got injured so they used that as an excuse to make him dinner. As my wife said 'we gotta eat'.
In my opinion, the race committee really screwed up on this one. They do not understand the people of the world outside their little group.
The world is full of people who fish from small pangas that all they have on board is a small outboard, fuel, some water in jugs, and fishing gear. No lights, no radio, no radar, no AIS, not even cover from the very hot sun. My father-in-law used to travel from one island group to the next in a 17' panga fishing here in the South Pacific and that was just a few years ago. His brother still fishes off the same boat offshore. I buy fish from him all the time. I know both of them have never heard of 'colregs'. The only thing they care about is putting food on the table for the family. Things are a lot different outside of the 1st world countries.
Ex: I noticed my favorite dog was missing from the In-laws home. Just a few months ago when he was a puppy I used to bring him food scraps because he was starving (could not fight for his food against the older dogs and hogs). He and I bonded. My wife told me yesterday that they ate him. His neck got injured so they used that as an excuse to make him dinner. As my wife said 'we gotta eat'.
In my opinion, the race committee really screwed up on this one. They do not understand the people of the world outside their little group.