A DRUNKEN sailor was let off with a #200 fine yesterday after a

sheriff heard him promise to pay #1000 towards the cost of his rescue.

In an unprecedented move, Sheriff William Fulton had deferred sentence

for a year until yesterday to allow 65-year-old Fred King to pay part of

the #4300 cost the RNLI and the coastguards who rescued him near Skye.

A condition of the deferred sentence was that King, who runs the

Badachro Inn near Gairloch, Wester Ross, with wife Sheila, 64, be of

good behaviour until yesterday's appearance.

But fiscal Colin McClory told Portree Sheriff Court that at New Year

the former Edinburgh senior civil servant was fined #1000 at Dingwall

Sheriff Court and banned for three years for a drink-driving offence. He

was almost three times over the limit.

As he left court yesterday, King said: ''I'm just glad it's all

over.''

At the original court appearance, Mr McClory told how ex-teacher Mrs

King persuaded her husband to take her friend, former No. 10 Downing

Street secretary Antoinette Passmore 47, on a 100-mile cruise to St

Kilda in his 30ft yacht.

The pair set out, but turned back after two days because of impending

bad weather. Miss Passmore of Tollie Farm, Poolewe, then radioed the

coastguards while King was asleep and said that she wanted rescued from

the yacht Traigh Mhor as King could not handle it.

Miss Passmore was winched on to the Stornoway rescue helicopter, but

coastguards became worried because King's speech on the radio was

slurred.

He said he was unsure of his position in the Minch between Skye and

the Outer Hebrides.

Portree lifeboat was launched and the crew found the yacht, boarded it

and helped sail it into the safety of Uig on Skye where the police were

waiting.

Mr McClory said: ''They found him under the influence of drink. He

could not walk without the help of police, and did not seem to

understand what was being said.''

The father of two grown-up sons -- one a lawyer, the other an

accountant -- was then put in jail for the night. He later admitted

sailing ''culpably and recklessly'' while under the influence of

alcohol.

Defence lawyer Donald Ferguson claimed that King had been ''feeling

unwell'' and had taken ''a few hot toddies''.

There had been a personality clash and Miss Passmore had over-reacted.

King was a yachtsman of more than 30 years' experience.

Mr Ferguson said Miss Passmore was more suited to luxury liners than a

small yacht.

Afterwards King said: ''This is all very embarrassing. I'm actually a

member of the RNLI.''

Asked yesterday if the couple had patched up their friendship with the

former Wilson Government secretary, Mrs King said: ''You must be

joking.''

Miss Passmore said at her home: ''I've nothing to say.''

King was given two weeks to pay #770 to the coastguards and #230 to

the RNLI.