A two-day visit by a ferry built in the biggest commercial boat-building contract in New Zealand sparked thoughts that Hawke Bay could become part of the wonderseas of the country's biggest ferry and launch operator.
But the Torea built for Fullers Group by Whanganui company Q-West Boat Builders was only on a delivery voyage, via Cook Strait and Wellington to Auckland where it will be pushed into the Auckland-Waiheke Island ferry service in the next few weeks.
At 34.9 metres long and up to 9.5 metres wide, the catamaran had delivery crew of six but can carry up to 400 passengers.
It is a sister vessel to the Korora which was launched late last year, the two being part of a contract worth costing $17.6 million.
The Auckland-Waiheke service operates over 20 hours a day from the first sailing out of Auckland at 5.30am to the last from the island at 12.30am