The Interislander ferry Aratere ran aground near Picton due to a steering failure shortly after departing at 9:45 PM last night.
Forty-seven people, including eight commercial truck drivers and 39 crew members, spent the night onboard. Emergency services responded promptly, ensuring that all passengers were safe and instructed to wear lifejackets. Attempts to refloat the ferry will begin around 9 AM today during high tide, with the Picton harbour master onboard to oversee the operation.
Interislander General Manager Duncan Roy and KiwiRail Chief Executive Peter Reidy are en route to Picton to assist with the recovery.
Despite the grounding, there have been no injuries or threats to life, and the vessel remains watertight. Harbour tugs are expected to aid in the refloating process, with the focus on the safety and comfort of passengers and crew.
This incident follows a previous electrical fault in February 2023 that caused a brief breakdown of the ferry. The future maintenance and operational standards of the Interislander ferries remain under scrutiny, with significant investment needed to ensure their reliability.
Looks like the Interisland ferry Aratere has runaround shortly after leaving Picton this evening! Hope everyone on board is ok! Life jackets have been given out to passengers. pic.twitter.com/hb7yJ82i0F
— Brady Dyer (@BR4DY) June 21, 2024
Seems very odd to me. We’ve heard a lot of implausible stories over the years and we’re expected I mean bullied into taking everyone’s word for it. Just a bit more sensational BS to get a bit of publicity going.
What this means is: no Crewmember was manning the auxiliary / emergency steering in the engineering department when in crowded channel passage conditions, standing by to take over the steering manually or with secondary hydraulics…
WTF…!!!
It’s only a matter of time before a serious problem arises that results in injuries or deaths.