New Waiheke ferry calls at Napier

Last month's Whanganui launch of new Fullers ferry Torea, which was in Napier for two days on a delivery voyage to Auckland. Photo / Wanganui Chronicle

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

Servicing 16 destinations in the Hauraki Gulf and Waitemata Harbour region, Fullers clocks-up over 4.5 million commuter and sightseeing passenger trips every year, including the service to Waiheke which has a population of about 9000.

Launched in Whanganui on July 25, Tōrea berthed in Napier about 5.30pm on Thursday and departed for Auckland just over 48 hours later, with the crew comprising four from Fullers and two contractors.

The company, which has 16 vessels in the Fullers and 360 Discovery Cruises ferry operations, as well as a 21-bus fleet on Waiheke Island and the Mana Bus and Naked Bus group, says Torea crew made the decision to sail the east route based on the best weather and sea conditions. As the weather was predominantly from the West, the route chosen was South and then up the East coast.