We think the sunny shot is too busy. We see too much that distracts from the boats. Not so in the misty image. In this case the mist and semi-darkness obscure the distracting details of the background. Only the white boats stand out.
Placement is also be crucial.
As we've said in other articles on this Website, when you photograph a moving object always allow space in front of it into which it can move - that is, provide leadroom . The boat is moving from right to left. As you can see, the first picture gives it plenty of leadroom, but the second picture doesn't. Here's the anchor on the aircraft carrier Intrepid, which is a museum in New York harbor. It's an interesting detail.