If you look at the aft portion of the sloping starboard deck on the NC you can see the shadow of the mast and crosstrees. This gives a near-perfect sun angle.
True, but to my eye it looks like the time of day is different from the Bevington photo. The sun is in the north and the starboard side of NC and the stern of Nimanaoa are in shadow.
Yes, we have no way of knowing if the BO picture and this one were taken on the same day. I'm guessing Mr. Bevington didn't put a date on the back of the photos.
Although . . . the sea state in the two pictures seem to be similar. Would it be normal for the kind of calm conditions seen in the pictures to last multiple days?