in our neck of the woods we have a fair amount of large
commercial vessels, mainly freighters,

but your neck of the woods isn't western LIS. "large commercial vessels" and
freighters are uncommon, moving slowing when they are there, are well lit, are
not the least bit shy in sounding their horns, travel in highly predictable
paths, freighter NEVER go into the area where the two barge buoys are, etc.
etc. etc.

gf was fictionalizing.