Saturday, June 25, 2016

A Polish captain was fined with 25,000 Danish crowns at the court in Hjørring for sailing the "Tonic Sea" under the influence of alcohol.

Friday, 24 June 2016 13:24
Captain fined for drunken sailing Written by AdminSailor



A Polish captain was fined with 25,000 Danish crowns at the court in Hjørring for sailing the
"Tonic Sea" under the influence of alcohol. 

The captain was at the helm of the "Tonic Sea" on Sep 29, 2015, when the bulker was leaving Hirtshals. In connection with the navigation he contacted navy staff which suspected that the captain was alcoholized. 

A patrol from the North Jutland Police boarded a boat of the Hirtshals Rescue Station which sailed out to the ship, and the suspicion of drunken navigation was well founded for the captain had such a high alcohol level that he was arrested and taken ashore. 

The ship was then stopped and banned from sailing. The shipping company NSC Holding GmbH & Cie. in Hamburg subsequently sent a new crew and captain before the ship could continue to its destination, the container terminal UST-Luga. 

The captain was not present in court, but had, according to prosecutor Ingrid Munch Hansen, consented that the trial could continue without his presence. One of the witnesses was the officer in charge of Marine Staff who had received the call from the captain.

He was convicted on the basis of the witnesses' explanation and an established blood alcohol level of 1.33 per thousand, after which the fine was determined.