Interislander ferry passengers ‘agitated’ after more delays in Wellington

The Interislander Cook Strait ferry Kaiarahi has been out of action since August last year due to a major gearbox failure. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Interislander ferries have suffered more delays, after a fault on the Kaitaki stopped a second ferry from docking.

Passengers on the Kaiarahi waited for about three hours in Wellington harbour last night, after a fault with the Kaitaki meant it was kept at the berth that it normally shares with the Kaiarahi.

“I’m waiting for my cousins to come off but her battery’s gone flat on their phones but there’s a lot of agitated people on board,” a family member of one passenger told Newstalk ZB overnight.

An Interislander spokesman said “an issue with the navigation system” on the Kaitaki was identified during pre-departure checks before its 8.30pm departure yesterday.

The Kaiarahi’s arrival was delayed for about three hours while the issue on the Kaitaki was assessed, the spokesman said.

“We appreciate the inconvenience this delay caused passengers on Kaiarahi and thank them for their patience,” an Interislander spokesman said.

“We also apologise for the disruption to our freight customers.”

The spokesman said the issue with Kaitaki’s navigation system is being resolved and the company expects it will resume sailing as soon as possible today.

Both Interislander and rival operator Bluebridge have been hit with breakdowns and engine problems in recent weeks, disrupting the travel plans of thousands of passengers.

Consumer NZ has filed a complaint with the Commerce Commission as it believes the operators are failing to meet their obligations under the Consumer Guarantees Act.

Interislander says the delays are due to a compounding set of factors and its focus was on meeting its obligations under NZ legislation and its own terms and conditions.

Bluebridge has been approached for comment.