The pilot of a ferry that crashed into a dock was more than double the legal alcohol limit at the time, prosecutors allege.

Dwayne Pearman, 37, appeared at Magistrates' Court on Monday charged with piloting the Cecil B. Smith fast ferry on Friday while impaired by drink. He is also accused of having 262 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, when the legal maximum is 100 milligrams.

Pearman, of Hook and Ladder Lane, Sandys pleaded not guilty to both charges. His case was adjourned until January 7, when it is likely that a trial date will be fixed. He was granted $2,000 bail.

The Cecil B. Smith collided with the Rockaway ferry dock in Southampton around 6 p.m. on Friday.

Pearman was arrested when the vessel arrived back in Hamilton and taken to the Police station, where he allegedly failed the alco-analyser test.

There were passengers on board the vessel at the time of the crash. No injuries were reported, but both the ferry and the Rockaway dock were damaged.

The court case revealed that under Bermuda's law, the blood alcohol limit for ferry pilots is higher than for car drivers. The limit for drivers is 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood compared to 100 milligrams for pilots.

Speaking after the court hearing, Crown counsel Cindy Clarke said the maximum penalty Pearman could face if convicted is a $1,000 fine, 12 months in prison, or both.

She said of the alleged circumstances of the crash: "It is aggravated by the fact that he's a Government worker driving a public vehicle. Anyone's child could have been on board."