back to the boats wrote:
where a vessel has reduced manoeuvrability i.e towing or trawling
they have right of way, other boats are duty bound to avoid them.

While such common sense is useful, one should also be aware that there
are rules that cover most situations, and that under the International
Rules no one has Right of Way. For example, tows do not appear on the
"pecking order" unless they declare themselves as RAM. Of course, its
nice to give large tows a wide berth, but if you're involved in a tow,
especially involving recreational boats, remember that you have no extra
"rights" and many boaters might not even realize what's going on. I say
this as someone who has been involved in hundreds of such tows while
working in collegiate sailing programs.