Aratere damaged while docking in Wellington Harbour

The troubled Interislander ferry Aratere sustained damage to its hull while docking in Wellington Harbour around 3:30 pm on Thursday, according to Wellington’s harbourmaster.

Strong winds caused the ferry to make contact with the link span, resulting in a hole high on the ship’s hull and some damage to the dock ramp. No injuries were reported among the 106 passengers and 40 crew on board. Following the incident, passengers were provided with refreshments and allowed to disembark, while the 4:30 pm sailing from Wellington was canceled.

This incident follows previous troubles for the Aratere, which had recently returned to passenger service after running aground in June. The ferry’s mishap adds to the mechanical problems faced by Interislander’s aging fleet, all built in the 1990s.

Although ship assessors deemed the ferries fit to sail for another five years, similar accidents, such as the damage to the Kaiarahi last November, have raised concerns. The government’s decision to pull funding from the iReX project, intended for replacing the ferries, has also faced criticism, with the maritime union warning of potential cancellation costs reaching half a billion dollars.