International experts assessing Interislander Aratere ferry after grounding, Kaitaki sailings cancelled

Maritime experts from Norway, Singapore and Australia have travelled to New Zealand to assess Interislander’s Aratere ferry after it ran aground.

The Aratere is berthed at Waimahara Wharf in Picton and remains under a detention order. The ship cannot leave until Maritime New Zealand says it is safe to do so.

It departed Picton at 9.45pm on June 21 before suffering a steering failure and running aground shortly after.

Interislander executive general manager Duncan Roy said good progress had been made to return the ferry to service.

“No hull breach has been found in any part of the vessel. Over the weekend we had Norwegian and Singaporean technicians assessing the steering system, and Australian technicians looking at other bridge systems.”

Their assessments have been shared with a class surveyor who was on board the Aratere today. They must be satisfied the issue has been correctly identified and fixed to appropriate safety and marine protection standards before providing class sign-off for the ship.

This sign-off was a crucial step towards the Aratere being able to leave Picton and return to service, Roy said.

“We are providing the assessments to Maritime NZ, which needs to be satisfied the ship is safe to sail before lifting the detention order. We cannot give a timeframe for how long this will take.”

Maritime New Zealand chief executive Kirstie Hewlett said investigation and inspection staff have been on board the vessel, examining the scene, gathering information, reviewing manuals and records, and interviewing relevant people.

This investigation is expected to take several months to complete. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission is also investigating.

Cook Strait competitor Bluebridge had been carrying Interislander passengers and freight as capacity allowed, a StraitNZ spokeswoman said.

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

All passengers and freight booked on the Aratere until Friday have been moved on to Kaitaki sailings.

However, due to likely swells of more than 4 metres and strong southerlies on Cook Strait, Kaitaki sailings have been cancelled from Tuesday evening until Thursday morning.

“We are working to move passengers on to weekend Kaitaki sailings and are working with our freight customers to prioritise freight movements,” Roy said.

“We do have adequate ferry capacity on Sunday and Monday, which will help clear any potential backlog and meet school holiday demand.”

The Kaiarahi is expected to return from wet dock this Saturday, the start of the school holidays, subject to successful sea trials, Roy said.

“This will help ensure we can provide capacity over the holidays.”

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.