KAIARAHI

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Ferry suffered pump failure

The 'Kaiarahi' broke down had to be towed back to Wellington after departing for Picton on Dec 23, 2024, at around 1 p.m. NZ time with passengers on board, after the crew had detected a technical issue, a temperature fault related to a lubrication pump. The fault was quickly resolved and the vessel resumed the voyage to Picton, around an hour behind schedule.

Passenger sailings cancelled due to technical fault

On March 13, 2024, all passenger sailings betweeen Picton and Wellington on the 'Kaiarahi' have been cancelled until the afternoon of March 17 at the earliest. The Cook Strait ferry continued sailing with freight, but would not take passengers until a mechanical fault is fixed. The operator Interislander initially cancelled the three sailings on March 13, but has now extended the cancellations, after, dring a scheduled asset maintenance survey, a fault was found with the lifeboat reengagement system, used to reattach the lifeboats onto the ship after use. While the safety of the ship was unaffected, further testing revealed a faulty part requiring replacement. Until that part is sourced, the ferry would not take passengers. Customers were contacted and transferred to the next available sailing, or offered a refund.

Ferry turned around for medevac

The 'Kaiarahi' was forced to return to Wellington following a medical emergency onboard in the afternoon of Feb 20, 2023. It had just left Wellington Harbour en route to Cook Strait. A Wellington Free Ambulance crew met the ferry when it docked and transported one patient to Wellington Hospital in a moderate condition. This meant delays to Kaiarahi sailings through the rest of the day.