[BigHairedAristocrat]

Originally Posted by ArtMonkDrillz

Ok, well a red herring is not an actual fish, but I understand what you're saying. I agree that the props people probably used a red fish specifically for that purpose to make people think that.

But you're making assumptions that the ship shown during the day wasn't the Black Rock because Richard and the other slave would have seen the island and therefore not been so surprised at night. So if you can make that assumption then I can make the assumption that it was the Black Rock and they couldn't see the island from where they were on the ship. Perhaps Richard was on the right side of the ship and the island was only visible from the left side during the day. Or maybe the freaky island that can travel through time and jumps from place-to-place couldn't be seen at that time because so something Jacob was doing to cloak it from sight until the time was right.
As much as I love this show, and I am way too obsessed with it at times, I will admit that there have been tons of continuity errors so I really wouldn't put be surprised if the ship was supposed to be the Black Rock and the writers didn't care enough to make the two episodes completely match-up, which goes back to your lazy writing argument that I agree with.
In the end I don't think it matters because as Jacob said, he's been bringing people to the island for a long time.

Now, if they don't bring back Walt in some way and explain why he was kidnapped (basically THE major plot point of the second season) I am really going to be pissed. Unfortunately at this point I'm starting to prepare myself for some major disappointment.

this is the most likely answer. i just dont think that the writers figured out how they wanted the statue to be destroyed or how the black rock would get to the middle of the island when they shot season 5 finale scene. even lazier of the writers was setting the episode in 1867. in a previous episode, when desmond interrupted an auction for the ledger of the black rocks first mate. the ship supposedly went missing in 1845 and the ledger was discovered in 1852. the show employs a number of people whose one and only job is to ensure continuity errors on the show. it baffles me how they could screw up something so basic. you'd think theyd have some sort of timeline they were working off of.