Not so ship-shape: A catalogue of complications for the Cook Strait ferries

Wednesday, 13 December 2023

This article was first published in November 2023, and was written when two Cook Strait ferries struck wharves.

Two Cook Strait ferries were left holed and needing repairs after striking wharves.

But the events were just the latest in a stack of disasters for the ferries, which provide a vital link between the North and South Islands.

The ferries are run by two organisations; Interislander, a subsidiary of government-owned KiwiRail, and Bluebridge, run by company StraitNZ.

But the duopoly was operating so poorly in summer 2023, with months of cancelled and delayed sailings, the Commerce Commission opened investigations into both companies.

Here are some of the problems affecting the vital connection in 2023:

Interislander’s Kaitaki loses power, declares emergency

Interislander ferry Kaitaki lost power in all four engines on January 28, near the end of its crossing from Picton to Wellington.

With 3m swells and high winds, the ship was driven more than one nautical mile towards the rocky coast before anchors managed to hold the vessel.

An emergency was declared, a mayday was called and passengers were handed life jackets.

The danger of the incident became clear when it was revealed Wellington Hospital was on stand-by for mass casualties and an order to abandon ship was even considered.

Engineers eventually managed to regain some power and Kaitaki limped into Wellington later that night.

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission is investigating the failure, but a preliminary report issued in May found the fault was caused by a rubber expansion joint which ruptured in the cooling system.

The part was two months overdue for replacement and was so deteriorated it was falling apart.

Wellington’s Harbourmaster later issued a new safety order, urging Cook Strait ferries to keep away from Wellington’s south coast when strong southerlies are blowing.

Kaitaki spent a week berthed in Wellington, before returning to the strait as a cargo-only ship on February 3.

It resumed carrying passengers on March 4 but just one day later was out of service again after an engineering fault was discovered in one of the ship’s gearboxes.

A Dutch engineer had to be flown to New Zealand to inspect the gearbox, which had been overhauled in September 2022.

Kaitaki finally resumed sailings on April 12.

February frantic for ferries

While the Kaitaki losing power on January 28 was the most serious incident in the Cook Strait crossings, a cluster of complications in February saw the passenger ferry fleet fall from six ships to just one.

On February 13, Interislander ferry Aratere broke down on its way to Picton, causing it to divert its course and delay its arrival. Later in the month, this ferry would be the only one operating on the Cook Straight.

On February 17, Bluebridge’s new passenger ferry Connemara experienced an issue with its engine, leaving it out of service.

On February 20, Interislander ferry Kaiarahi cancelled sailings for several days due to an engineering issue.

On February 21, Bluebridge’s Straitsman was forced to stop due to 'urgent operational requirements'.

The company’s third ferry, the Strait Feronia, was in Sydney for dry dock servicing.

With Interislander’s Kaitaki still operating in limited capacity after losing power, this left Aratere as the sole Cook Strait ferry.

Hundreds of passengers were stranded on the wrong island, with new bookings not available for months. One man even ended up declaring himself a Wellington resident.

Cyclones, spills and more delays

While maintenance and continued breakdowns caused complications for the Cook Strait ferries in February, not all the issues at that time were the fault of the ships.

With the Cook Strait being one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world, cancelled sailings due to weather are inevitable.

Cyclone Gabrielle caused ferry cancellations from February 13 to 15, with KiwiRail staff moving sleeping gear into Picton’s Interislander ferry terminal for stranded passengers.

On February 20, a medical emergency forced the Interislander ferry Kaiarahi to turn around in Wellington Harbour, causing a slight delay to the crossing to Picton.

On February 24, a Bluebridge staff member was hospitalised with a broken wrist after they were hit by a reversing truck on the deck of the Straitsman. An investigation was launched but the ship was allowed to continue its sailing.

More bad weather, including swells up to 6m, also forced ferry cancellations on March 22.

The next day, a chemical spill at Picton ferry terminal caused a delay of about five hours. The spill was later found to be water.

Bluebridge new ferry Connemara has pile of problems

Arriving in Aotearoa’s waters in January with a splash, the MV Connemara was touted as Bluebridge’s “largest, fastest and newest” ship.

But less than three weeks later, on February 17, the 2007-built vessel experienced an engine issue and needed repairs.

It returned to the Cook Strait on February 22 but broke down again a day later, due to further issues related to the same fault.

Engineering issues continue to plague the ship.

On March 25, the Connemara broke down again, with an engineering issue requiring repairs in Wellington before it was able to resume sailing later the next day.

On August 24, another engineering issue meant at mechanical fault had to be repaired in Wellington, with the ferry returning to the Cook Strait service later on August 27.

Meanwhile, Bluebridge also had problems with its ferry the Strait Feronia, which was sent to Sydney for routine dry dock servicing in February.

When it returned on March 29, a technical glitch forced it to anchor in the Marlborough Sounds while the issue was fixed.

More technical problems on the Strait Feronia identified on April 2 forced a number of sailings to be cancelled before the ferry returned to full service on April 6.

Kaitaki beset with ongoing issues

Meanwhile, the troubled Interislander ferry Kaitaki continued to strike problems.

On August 9, the Kaitaki had to abort a crossing from Wellington to Picton after the ship developed steering problems.

Passengers had to spend the night on board the ship, with truckers complaining the ship was too old for service.

Just weeks later, on August 21, stormy weather caused minor damage to Kaitaki’s bow door, forcing the ship off the Cook Strait for several days.

Wharf strikes latest issue

While striking wharf workers have been a problem in New Zealand’s nautical history, a new kind of wharf strike has been a problem for Cook Island ferries this month.

On November 8, Bluebridge’s Connemara hit a wharf as it left Wellington for Picton.

About 30 minutes later, the ferry was turned back to port after a large hole was found in its side.

Not to be outdone, Interislander ferry Kaiarahi struck a wharf in Wellington on November 12 as it was arriving to dock.

This article was originally published on November 14, 2023