Without taking sides, or having been there, it's pretty obvious that there is no shortage of varying opinions on what transpired at this event, and what should have happened next.
I am trying to keep an open mind about this; for all I know, the sailors may have requested no protest committee (it does happen).
All I would say is that this is a perfect example of why disallowing protests is highly frowned upon. Disallowing appeals (within the specific guidelines of RRS) is one thing; I fail to see how disallowing protests serves the sailors one iota.
There is always more to the story, and the proper place for that to be heard is the protest room. Everything else is speculation.
And, don't kid yourself. This is an online forum. You never know who is watching...
