CentrePort doing underwater inspections after Interislander Aratere ferry hits linkspan in Wellington

Interislander's Aratere ferry hit a linkspan while it was docking in high winds. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Interislander’s Aratere ferry needs new plating inserted after it hit a linkspan coming into a berth in Wellington, damaging its hull.

The incident happened on Thursday afternoon while the ferry was docking in high winds. The hull was damaged but well above the water line.

“No one was injured and there is no danger to the ship, passengers or the environment as a result of this incident,” KiwiRail said in a statement.

CentrePort confirmed part of the connection point where the linkspan (a type of drawbridge used to embark and disembark ferries) and the rear of the ferry met was damaged.

Repairs to the visible damage were carried out overnight.

“CentrePort is today proactively inspecting the linkspan and associated structures from a boat, and underwater, to identify any possible non-visible damage,” the port said in a statement.

It’s the latest in a string of incidents involving the Interislander fleet, including Aratere suffering a reported steering failure on June 21 and running aground in Picton shortly after. It only returned to full service late last month.

Interislander executive general manager Duncan Roy said the cause of yesterday’s incident remained under investigation.

Repairs on Aratere’s stern were progressing well, he said.

“We need to insert new plating, then have the repair approved. We will put on additional sailings to manage capacity if required and are contacting customers directly.”

Roy expected Aratere to return to service over the weekend.

Maritime NZ said it was working to gather further information about what happened.

“This information will guide potential further action we may take as a result of this incident,” the maritime watchdog said in a statement.

As recently as Tuesday, sailings on board Aratere were cancelled due to a fault discovered during pre-departure checks.

Roy told the Herald the fault was due to a technical problem involving a pump.

It was fixed in time for sailings to resume by 4.30pm that day.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown has said KiwiRail needs to lift its game, which is why shareholding ministers were refreshing the state-owned enterprise’s board.

Asked whether he was pulling his hair out over KiwiRail, Brown said: “Well, yes.”

KiwiRail has been under intense scrutiny in recent months after its plan to replace its ageing ferry fleet with two mega ferries was left dead in the water. The Government refused to fund a cost blowout of $1.47 billion for the portside infrastructure needed to support the larger ships.

The Government has yet to announce a new plan to replace the fleet.

Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.