Bluebridge ferry Connemara hit by engine issue, drops anchor in Wellington Harbour - deputy harbourmaster

Bluebridge Cook Strait ferry Connemara, operated by StraitNZ, has been struck by engine issues in Wellington Harbour.

• Bluebridge ferry Connemara forced to drop anchor in Wellington Harbour after engine issue
• More than 450 people on board, deputy harbourmaster says
• Incident comes after series of mishaps for Kiwi ships

An engine issue forced a Bluebridge inter-island ferry with 455 people on board to drop its anchor and call for help in Wellington Harbour late this afternoon.

The ferry Connemara had an issue with one of its engines as it neared the end of its journey from Picton, and called Wellington Harbourmaster for help just before 5pm, deputy harbourmaster Patrick Atwood said.

They asked for a tug boat to be sent to help the ferry berth but had since resolved the problem with the engine and would soon arrive in port, Atwood said.

“A tug is [still] standing by to help.”

The ferry had anchored near Miramar Peninsula after losing power, RNZ reported.

There were 455 people on board the ship and about 400 or so would be passengers.

It was fortunate the problem occurred when Connemara was in harbour, he said.

“Once again, it’s lucky where it happened. I can think of worse places.”

A spokesperson for the ferry company said “a minor operational issue delayed berthing briefly”.

There have been a series of mishaps with New Zealand ships in the last few months, most dramatically on Saturday when Royal New Zealand Navy vessel HMNZS Manawanui struck a reef just off Upolu in Samoa, forcing 75 people on board to escape on lifeboats.

The ship later sank.

And on the busy ferry route between the North and South Islands, the Connemara as well as Interislander’s Kaitaki ferry and cargo ship MV Shiling have all recently experienced power losses.

In June, Interislander ferry Aratere dramatically ran aground just out of Picton.

On Tuesday, Connemara hit a wharf in Picton, although Marlborough harbourmaster Jake Oliver told the Herald the incident appeared to be caused by strong winds as opposed to a problem with the ferry.

The safety and resilience of Cook Strait ferry services has been described as a key priority for the Government by Transport Minister Simeon Brown.

Cherie Howie is an Auckland-based reporter who joined the Herald in 2011. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in general news and features.

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