Bluebridge ferry leaking oil across Cook Strait with no immediate solution

Tuesday, 23 April 2019

A Bluebridge ferry has been leaking oil into Cook Strait - maybe for months - with no clear solution in sight.

Wellington deputy harbour master Patrick Atwood stressed the leak was minor - five litres in a 24-hour period at most - but a fix for the problem would require a trip overseas to a dry dock.

The leak was noticed in one of the Strait Feronia's  two stem tube seals - essentially where one of the two propeller shafts goes from inside the hull to the sea - since it was last dry-docked in 2018.

That meant there was an intermittent leak of oil that sometimes was nothing and some days was up to five litres.

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Bluebridge had been using expensive bio-degradable lubricant until the problem was fixed, he said.

The only way to fix the issue was to dry-dock the ferry.

The closest dry dock of sufficient size was in Sydney but it was a naval dock that was hard to get a slot in.

'At the moment, what they are doing is managing it the best they can,' Atwood said.

In a statement Bluebridge confirmed the ship was expelling a 'tiny' amount of biodegradable oil, but said the situation was being managed.

'Due to the location of the fault we're unable to fix it until the ship is out of the water.

'However, as agreed with authorities when the issue was discovered, we're using a biodegradable oil to minimise any potential environmental impact.'

It did not say how long ago the leak was discovered nor when it would be fixed.

Maritime NZ said it was notified about a 'small amount of lubrication oil that was discharged just over one week ago' by the ferry.

'This level of response is managed by the regional councils. The Harbour Master and Maritime NZ would be happy to hear from anyone with details about this.'