Interislander ferry sailings cancelled early as weather deteriorates

Interislander ferry sailings have been cancelled after weather in Cook Strait deteriorated earlier than predicted.

Sailings were to stop this evening ahead of the arrival of a large swell.

But KiwiRail's Interislander general manager of operations Mark Thompson said 7m waves had arrived earlier than expected.

As a result, the 2.45pm and 5pm sailings from Wellington and the 6.45pm sailing from Picton have been cancelled.

Freight sailings were expected to resume on Friday, from Wellington at 6.30am, and from Picton at 9.05am, weather depending.

The first passenger sailing from Wellington would leave at 9am and from Picton at 10.55am.

Affected passengers and freight customers would be contacted and rescheduled where possible, he said.

"We regret the inconvenience to our customers. We are always striving to deliver the best possible service, but safety is paramount."

A Bluebridge spokeswoman could not immediately be contacted to confirm if their sailings were affected.