Sergeant Craig Burrows, who was in charge of the rescue for the Northland police search and rescue squad, said the man had misjudged the weather and was soon blown offshore. The man raised the alarm by calling police demanding he be rescued.
By the time the Tutukaka Coastguard found the man he was 5km east of Sandy Bay and "headed towards the Poor Knight Islands".
"He was very belligerent and angry and wanted to be rescued immediately," Burrows said.
"This is a very clear illustration of why drinking and water activities do not mix. He put himself in unnecessary risk and took up valuable emergency service time that could have been better spent."
The dinghy was also not in good repair.