A charter fishing boat skipper has been fined for falling asleep on watch, resulting in the vessel being wrecked.
The 12-metre Miss Fleur struck rocks in Mount Maunganui in January 2020.
Skipper Esmond Kelly O’Reilly and three passengers had to be rescued from the vessel, which could not be salvaged.
O’Reilly was ordered to pay $7000 in Tauranga District Court this week for operating a ship in a manner which caused unnecessary danger or risk to a person or property.
Maritime NZ’s Central compliance manager Blair Simmons said the sentencing was reminder to all skippers to ensure they keep their passengers safe.
"Every vessel must at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing... to mitigate the risk of collision or grounding," he said.
A similar case last Friday saw a fishing boat skipper fined after he turned on the vessel's autopilot function and fell asleep, resulting in a wreck.
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