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Cook Strait ferry operator Bluebridge says its troubled ship Connemara will recommence sailing tonight after days of disruption to its service threw travellers’ plans into disarray.
Bluebridge confirmed repairs to a faulty winch that had created issues with the stern door were well underway, and the ship was expected tobe able to depart from Wellington on Monday evening at its scheduled time of 8.30pm.
Issues with the Connemara began on Thursday, when it set off as usual on an 8.30pm sailing from Wellington to Picton.
The ship returned to Wellington soon after departing upon the crew’s discovery of a mechanical fault in the winch that controlled the stern door, which is also used as the ship’s loading ramp.
Around 200 passengers remained trapped on the boat for 15 hours overnight, with crane operators called in to lower the ramp and allow passengers and freight to disembark.
A total of six ferry sailings were cancelled over the weekend, leaving holidaymakers stranded on both sides of the Cook Strait with the next available bookings nearly two weeks out.
Cranes were called in to fix the Bluebridge Connemara's stuck ramp, which left passengers stuck on board for nearly 14 hours overnight on Thursday. Photo / Tobias Macintosh
StraitNZ spokesmann Will Dady said at the time the company was “extremely disappointed to have experienced a mechanical issue during peak travel period”, and assured work was ongoing to return to full schedule again “as quickly as possible”.
The Connemara is due to depart Wellington at 8.30pm tonight after repairs are completed. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The Connemara previously lost power in September 2024 after its fuel was contaminated, causing the ship to drift and requiring tug boats to come to its rescue.
