No Aratere ferry passenger sailings till Tuesday

The Aratere ferry has been grounded until it is repaired. Photo / Simon Baker

The Cook Strait ferry Aratere will resume freight-only services tonight after testing today, but passengers will have to wait until Tuesday.

Interislander general manager Thomas Davis said a rail freight-only sailing would leave Wellington about 11.30pm, and freight-only sailings would operate tomorrow.

But the Interislander has cancelled Aratere's scheduled passenger sailings for today and tomorrow and passengers had been offered alternative arrangements, he said in a statement.

There were also no passenger sailings scheduled for Sunday or Monday, because of a layby scheduled before last Monday's breakdown in the Marlborough Sounds.

Interislander's other ferries, Arahura and Kaitaki, are operating as normal.

Mr Davis apologised to customers but said that safety was paramount.

"Interislander ships are crewed with experienced professional masters and chief engineers who will not take their ships to sea unless they were confident in the ship and its ability to complete the sailing safely. Interislander takes a precautionary approach, and our customers can have confidence that they are in good hands.".

Maritime NZ and Det Norske Veritas officials were on board Aratere during the final tests this morning. MNZ this evening approved Interislander's plan to resume freight-only sailings.

Sailings were cancelled on Tuesday after the ferry suffered reduced power in the Marlborough Sounds and a fuel control system failure during a Wellington-bound crossing on Monday.

Maritime New Zealand on Wednesday ordered the ferry to stop operating until the failures were resolved and it was safe for passengers and crew.