Lady Sarah trawler skipper Chris Jarman fined $2000 for Lake Ellesmere grounding

Christopher Lee Jarman, 35, pleaded guilty to a charge brought by Maritime New Zealand at Christchurch District Court. Photo / Facebook

A fishing boat skipper whose newly-purchased trawler was destroyed after he ran aground at a Canterbury lake has today been fined $2000.

Christopher Lee Jarman, 35, who went to sea as a 16-year-old, bought the 129-tonne fishing vessel Lady Sarah in March 2016 for his own commercial fishing operation.

On December 15, 2016 he had been towing in the Birdlings Flat area in Canterbury for flat fish and elephant fish with two other crew members.

After four or five tows into the early morning, they were drifting under idle and cleaning the fish, while Jarman operated the winch.

While Jarman occasionally popped into the wheelhouse, there was nobody keeping a proper lookout, Christchurch District Court heard.

In the darkness, a crew member suddenly spotted they were right beside the beach and shouted out.

But the 20m vessel ran aground almost immediately at Kaitorete Spit, near the mouth to Lake Ellesmere, Canterbury's largest lake.

Jarman tried to reverse off the beach but was marooned. Waves pushed the boat on to its side.

Another vessel showed up about two hours later and tried unsuccessfully to drag it off.

With waves pounding the vessel, and the pumps in the engine room no longer working, the crew had to abandon ship.

It took more than a fortnight to remove the remains of the shattered vessel.

Jarman admitted a charge brought by Maritime New Zealand that as a holder of an inshore launchmaster certificate and as master of the Lady Sarah, he failed to ensure that a proper lookout was kept at all times as required under maritime law.

The charge stated that such an omission "caused unnecessary danger or risk to other persons or property including the crew".

A health and safety charge was withdrawn.

Today, he was sentenced at Christchurch District Court.

Defence counsel Peter Dawson said Jarman was an experienced and well-respected fisherman with 23 years' experience.

He had learned a lot from the event that unfolded on that "fateful night", Dawson said.

Jarman had lost his trawler and now, Dawson said, was also at risk of losing his inshore launchmaster's certificate.

Maritime NZ prosecutor Rosie Kos said that given the grounding, with crew having to evacuate into the water in the dark and in a swell, there was a potential for injury and loss of life.

Judge Raoul Neave described Jarman's offending as being at the lowest end of the scale and fined him $2000.