Michael Kinnaid, 59, missed a navigation beacon before ramming his boat, the Algrie, into the rocks.

A court heard that Kinnaid, a skipper for 28 years, had been drinking on an empty stomach after suffering food poisoning.

Shocked onlookers witnessed the accident at Mount Batten Pier in Plymouth, Devon.

A lifeboat was scrambled but no-one was injured. Kinnaid pleaded guilty to failing to prevent his ship from causing serious damage and was given a four-month suspended prison sentence.

He was also ordered to pay £5,000. Plymouth Crown Court heard that Kinnaid had drank three pints of beer on an empty stomach before the crash on October 7.

He was breathalysed almost two hours after the incident and gave a reading of 19 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath. Sentencing him, Recorder Jason Taylor, said: “I’m in no doubt that his actions were affected by the alcohol in his system.

"That breakwater is often busy with people. Fortunately there was no injury to anyone.

“In my view in sailing a trawler up on a breakwater there is a risk of death, both to members of the public and crew and possibly other vessels. This was undoubtedly human error.”

Tristan Harwood, representing Kinnaird, said: “He drank very little.

"He knew he was setting sail a considerable time later.

“He feels utterly stupid and he is more than deeply apologetic. This is a man whose livelihood weighs in the balance.

"This could not only be career wrecking but it could be life wrecking as well. He has made a grave mistake.”