A yachtsman who chartered out his boat although it did not comply with commercial regulations, discovered his insurers would not pay out after she was involved in a collision.

Alan Taylor, 56, from Bournemouth was also fined 600 pounds sterling and ordered to pay 1,200 pounds sterling in costs after pleading guilty to breaching the Merchant Shipping Act at Southampton Magistrates’ Court.

His boat, Octette, had been chartered out to a family for 600 pounds sterling for a seven day cruise. But after she collided with another yacht in the Solent, Taylor found his insurance was invalid.

Then the Maritime & Coastguard Agency brought charges against him for not having a valid Code of Practice Certificate or any certification to show that his yacht complied with life saving or load line regs.