A man who ploughed his vessel into a boat with a pregnant woman on board has been fined $4000 in what is hoped will be a warning for other boaties.
Timothy Oliver Cadell was master of the pleasure craft Red Bull when he collided with the yacht Catspawnear Robertson Island, in the Bay of Islands, on January 6 this year.
The Catspaw was carrying an Auckland man and his partner who was five months pregnant.
Mr Cadell pleaded guilty to two charges under the Maritime Transport Act for causing unnecessary damage or risk to people or property.
The man pulled his partner to safety just seconds before the Red Bull struck their yacht at the cockpit where she had been steering.
The couple suffered minor bruising and the Catspaw was written off.
Judge Barbara Morris said if the man hadn't grabbed his partner and pulled her to safety the outcome could have been worse.
The accident showed the need for "mariners to ensure they are careful on the waterways", she said.
The North Shore District Court heard Mr Cadell's vision had been impaired by sun strike and a windscreen that had salt spray on it.
He had been travelling at 24 knots which resulted in the bow being high, interrupting his view.
Just before the collision he saw the microphone from his VHF hanging down and looked down to place it back in its correct position. He looked up just before the impact.
Judge Morris accepted he was remorseful and gave him credit for immediately stopping to check if the couple weren't badly hurt and to tow them back to shore.
However, she rejected his application for a discharge without conviction because she wasn't satisfied the consequences of a conviction would outweigh the offending.
