A monetary fine was not enough for an inebriated pilot, who crashed a fast ferry into a dock, according to one of the passengers who was onboard at the time.

Kristine Pereira, 25, boarded the 5.30 p.m. ferry from Hamilton to Somerset Bridge on December 21 and expected a normal ride home. Instead she said she experienced erratic driving and watched as the ferry crashed into Rockaway dock.

When she heard that the pilot, Dwayne Pearman, was fined $2,000 yesterday, she said: "if you choose your occupation to be one which involves others, such as a ferry or bus driver, then why would you be so stupid to jeopardise their lives?"

She said of the night: "We were on the ferry no more than five minutes, before I realised something was not right.

"In the Great Sound the "In the Great Sound the boat seemed to be being directed all over the place... We made several sharp turns before heading to the Rockaway dock at an unusual, faster pace than normal.

"We all joked at the time that the guy must have been drinking or something ... I don't think anyone really paid much attention until he hit the pier to the side of the loading ramp. At this point, the two deckhands ran upstairs, came back down and asked us all to remain seated. The male deckhand asked if we were all OK ... thankfully no one was injured.

"As the driver tried to dock the boat he bumped into the loading area several times before we could see it was safe to get up and walk off."

She said the passengers hurried off the ferry and then discussed contacting Marine Police, but a fellow ferry rider told them he had already placed the call.

At the time of the crash, 60 passengers were on board, including a handful of pregnant women.

Ms Pereira expressed dismay that Pearman had not received more of a punishment: "How do we know he won't do it again? And what lesson does that set for others?"