18 hours to nowhere after Cook Strait ferry hits dock in Picton, returns to Wellington

Tuesday, 16 July 2019

The Bluebridge ferry crossing from Wellington to Picton usually takes 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Dylan Huhu is still on the wrong side of Cook Strait, 18 hours after he left the capital for Picton.

Huhu, a shearer from Ohura, was on his way to Geraldine in the South Island for work, when the Bluebridge ferry he was on crashed into the wharf in Picton on Tuesday morning.

Bluebridge makes four trips across Cook Strait each day.

Huhu said the crossing was 'quite choppy and quite wet', but passengers were in their cars ready to get off when they were told to go back inside.

After an hour, 'they told us that they couldn't let us off', Huhu said.

The MV Straitsman was also delayed in Picton. (File photo)

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Bluebridge's Strait Feronia hit the dock about 1am on Tuesday trying to berth in windy conditions, damaging the floating linkspan used to get vehicles and passengers off the ferry.

Port Marlborough chief executive Rhys Welbourn said engineers were called to assess the damage immediately.

'It was determined that she wouldn't be able to discharge vehicles,' Welbourn said.

She berthed alongside Waitohi Wharf until further engineering assessment could be carried out in daylight, he said.

Huhu said passengers were offered dinner and a cabin to sleep through the night. At 7.30am, they were still in Picton, and breakfast was served.

Eventually, staff gave them the option to get off without their vehicles.

'I don't think anyone who had a vehicle got off in Picton,' he said. The ferry left Picton about noon and got in to Wellington about 3pm. It originally left Wellington just before 9pm on Monday.

'I think the staff handled it pretty well. Everyone just made the most out of it.

'It was boring more than anything,' Huhu said. 'It felt like going on cruise.'

Huhu would stay in Wellington on Tuesday night after Bluebridge put him up at the Rydges, and would 'have another bat' at the crossing on Wednesday. He was also given $40, which he was 'pretty stoked' about.

Welbourn said there would be an investigation into the cause of the incident.

StraitNZ commercial manager Ed Menzies confirmed a 'minor incident' when the Strait Feronia 'clipped the berth as it was docking'.

Some Bluebridge sailings on Tuesday were delayed or cancelled as a result and the company was contacting affected customers.

Interislander general manager Walter Rushbrook said Interislander sailings were not affected by the StraitNZ-Bluebridge incident.

'We are providing assistance by facilitating the use of our berth where possible. Additionally, we are carrying on our ferries extra freight and passengers who have been impacted by the Bluebridge disruptions.'