Interislander Kaitaki ferry’s stabiliser fin missing for more than 18 months

• Interislander’s Kaitaki ferry has been missing a stabiliser fin since September 2022, affecting sailings.
• A new stabiliser will be fitted in August in Singapore.
• The Kaitaki is the only ferry currently operating in the Interislander fleet, with the Aratere being detained after it ran aground in Picton and the Kaiarahi away for maintenance.

Interislander’s Kaitaki ferry has been missing one of two stabiliser fins for more than 18 months, meaning sailings were cancelled this week due to large swells, while rival operator Bluebridge could continue with a freight-only service.

KiwiRail’s fleet of three ferries has stabilisers and “will happily sail choppy conditions”, Interislander’s website said.

However, Interislander executive general manager Duncan Roy confirmed KiwiRail discovered one of the Kaitaki’s stabilisers was “missing” during the ferry’s last dry dock in Sydney in September 2022.

“Manufacture and fitting of a new stabiliser could not be achieved during that dry dock and the work was programmed into the vessel’s long-term maintenance plan.”

Roy stressed stabilisers did not relate to vessel safety. They were about comfort and helped reduce the vessel’s movement for passengers and livestock, he said.

The issue had not materially affected the ship’s performance, he said.

Stabilisers have to be fitted when a vessel is out of the water at dry dock, Roy said.

A new stabiliser will be fitted during the Kaitaki’s next dry dock in Singapore, which is scheduled in August this year.

This will allow the Kaitaki to return to normal swell limits. In the interim, KiwiRail does not sail the Kaitaki in swells of more than four metres, Roy said.

The Kaitaki is the only ferry currently operating in the Interislander fleet, with the Aratere being detained after it ran aground in Picton and the Kaiarahi away for maintenance.

Kaitaki sailings were cancelled this week due to large swells and strong southerlies on Cook Strait.

A couple watching large swells rolling in from Cook Strait onto Wellington’s South Coast. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Bluebridge cancelled its passenger sailings but was able to continue with a freight-only service.

Last night, Bluebridge returned to running delayed passenger sailings as the bad weather abated.

Interislander was only able to return to freight-only sailings overnight and was expected to return to full passenger services by this morning.

The Kaiarahi is on schedule to return from its wet dock at the start of the school holidays on Saturday, subject to successful sea trials, Roy said.

“Having both Kaiarahi and Kaitaki operating from Saturday will ensure passenger and freight capacity over the school holidays.

“We are running a modified sailing schedule for Kaiarahi for a week from Saturday, to support moving more commercial vehicles and rail freight. We expect any weather-related freight backlog should be cleared in a few days.”

Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.