Tarisio wrote:
"In Jan 08 a ship's master was fined £500 at Southampton magistrates' court for being three times the 80mg maritime limit as the vessel was about to sail."
As an ex-maritime navigation officer myself, I'm sorry to say that these types of offences rarely get to court, and certainly don't get punished to the extent above (whether or not you feel that £500 is adequate). The problem of alcoholism is quite widespread in the maritime industry, though I do feel that counselling and "therapy", for want of a better word, is more appropriate than fines and / or jail time.
Rob