driving of a boat yesterday claimed the island he crashed into was about 75 feet away when he first saw it.

And he denied he had been speeding at more than 25 miles an hour in the five-knot no-wake zone when he struck rock.

He had veered to the right to avoid the small, partially submerged island, but "didn't go wide enough'', Gregory Talbot, 17, sombrely told jurors on the second day of his Supreme Court trial.

"It was not a sudden swerve,'' he said.

After entering the Great Sound from North Shore, he had "slowed down'' because it was dark, choppy and he knew there were lots of islands to negotiate.

He admitted the spotlight that had guided the five-man group through St.

George's Harbour had been accidentally broken by Swan. And the only two "skilled navigators'' on board had fallen asleep by the time they reached the Sound.

Under cross examination from prosecutor, Solicitor General Mr. Barrie Meade, he admitted he was not familiar with the buoy and channel marker system in the sound.

Nevertheless, he said he decided to continue a journey to Hamilton Harbour to meet a party cruise.

Talbot said he was an experienced seaman, having gone out with his fisherman father many times.

He felt he had to pay attention and "take my time'' because there was no light, but had no other concerns.

"I saw the island to the left and went over to the right to avoid it. All of a sudden we just felt a jerk and impact -- the next thing I knew the boat was on land and the engine was still on.'' Talbot has also denied causing injury to Johnson, operating a power boat in a dangerous manner and operating it without due care and attention.

Jurors have heard Talbot first hit a submerged part of Lambda Island in the early hours of last September 1 and travelled 60 feet onto it.

Swan, 30, was thrown out of the 17-foot boat and died from "massive head injuries''.

He landed on his back and his skull was shattered by the impact, Government pathologist Dr. John Winwick testified.

Talbot's friend Anthony Johnson, 16, suffered a gash to his head in the tragic accident.

The other two people on board Ocean Arrow , Kirk Wade, 29, who owned the boat but was asleep at the time, and Shannon Tucker, 18, were unharmed.

Before the Crown closed its case, Marine and Ports director Mr. Ron Ross testified that in his opinion, Talbot had to have been driving the boat at at least 25 miles an hour when he struck the Island.

Despite arguments against Mr. Ross testifying, Puisne Judge the Hon. Mr.

Justice Ward accepted him as an expert witness.

Mr. Ross said he was a marine casualty investigator and had assisted insurance companies and advised marine police many times in relation to boating and shipping accidents.

Talbot's lawyer Mr. Archie Warner submitted Mr. Ross' experience was mainly with large vessels. However, Mr. Ross said he had dealt with several marine accidents in Bermuda involving small boats.

Mr. Ross said he came up with the 25 miles-an-hour minimum speed by taking into account the 110 horsepower of the boat and fact there were five men on board, and a using a formula accepted by the US Coast guard.

If the boat had been travelling at anything less, it would have stopped when it first hit rock and suffered only a hole, he said.

"It requires a lot of energy to get it high and dry over a rock surface,'' he said.

Earlier Government analyst Dr. Alan Young said tests had revealed Swan had been drinking heavily before the accident. He had 286 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, which is equal to 14 beers or 13 ounces of hard liquor.

Boat owner Wade admitted on the stand last week that he had fallen asleep after drinking scotch in St. George's.

He had thought Talbot was driving the group home to Devil's Hole.

The case continues today with final submissions from counsel.