Near-misses with ferries cost $24,000

The Mack Attack's owner and the company, Seafort Holdings, have been fined over incidents involving the high-speed catamaran and ferries in the Bay of Islands. Photo / Christine Allen

An adventure-boat company and its owner have been fined a total of $24,000 after two near-misses with Bay of Islands ferries.

Both incidents involved Mack Attack, a high-speed, Paihia-based catamaran offering adrenaline-charged trips to the Hole in the Rock. The boat is operated by Seafort Holdings, which is owned by Paihia man Richard John Prentice.

The company and Prentice were charged by Maritime New Zealand in relation to a near-miss between Mack Attack and the Fullers-owned passenger ferry Bay Belle at Paihia on January 5, 2011.

Maritime NZ said Mack Attack was required to give way but failed to do so, cutting across the ferry's bow.

After a three-day defended hearing in the Kaikohe District Court in September, Prentice and Seafort Holdings were found guilty of operating a ship in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk to another person or property. Prentice was also found guilty of failing to report the incident to Maritime NZ.

In a sentencing on Monday in the same court, Seafort Holdings was fined $18,000 and Prentice $2000 on each of his two charges.

Prentice also pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary danger or risk to another person or property in relation to a "close-quarters incident" involving the Russell-Opua car ferry Okiato on August 31, last year. He was fined $2000 on that charge, bringing the total to $24,000.

It was not Seafort Holdings' first time before the courts. Last year the company was ordered to pay $90,000 in reparation to an Auckland woman who suffered serious spinal injuries during a boat trip in December 2011. The company was also ordered to pay fines of $30,000 after pleading guilty to failing to take all practicable steps to ensure no action or inaction of any employee harmed any other person, as well as failing to notify the Secretary of Transport of serious harm.

Its rival, Fullers GreatSights, was made to pay $120,000 in fines and $150,000 in compensation to three victims of similar accidents on the high-speed jetboat Excitor III.

Fullers subsequently stopped operating it.