The Kaitaki ferry will be back in full service on the 12th of April, providing more certainty for those hoping to cross the Cook Strait these school holidays, Interislander Executive General Manager Walter Rushbrook said.
Kaitaki has been out of service since the 4th of March due to a gearbox issue.
“Repair of the gearbox has gone well. Following sea trials, our own assurance checks and independent third-party signoff, Kaitaki is now ready to resume service,” said Walter Rushbrook.
“We are pleased to advise everyone booked to travel from tomorrow that they can cross the Strait as planned, beginning with about 500 passengers due to be welcomed aboard Kaitaki for a scheduled sailing at 08:45 am. Later this week Interislander bookings will be opened again after these were paused to protect any available space for Kaitaki passengers.”
Rushbrook said that the Kaitaki repair was complicated, requiring a particular type of metal for the gearbox that was manufactured and shipped from Germany, along with specialist technical support from the Netherlands. The gearbox failure was a surprise, given it was overhauled late last year in drydock.
The company’s focus over the past few weeks has been on restoring Kaitaki to service and offering customers booked to sail on Interislander as much certainty as possible about their travel.
“Throughout this disruption, we have managed to rebook the vast majority of passengers on alternative sailings. Everyone booked over the Easter weekend was offered a passage across the Cook Strait. Unfortunately, in some other cases, we have had to cancel bookings and provide customers with a refund. “
Rushbrook said that recent weeks have not been an easy period for these customers and that the company is sorry for any inconvenience the cancellations and changes it has caused.
“As we look to the future, we’re working on a number of fronts to make sure our ferry service is modern, safe and reliable. This includes purchasing two new, larger ferries that will be built at Hyundai-Mipo Dockyard in South Korea. These hybrid electric/diesel vessels are due to arrive in 2025 and 2026,“ said Rushbrook.
“In the meantime, we’re looking at what we can do now, over and above our already extensive process, to improve the resilience of our current, ageing fleet. This includes taking our ships out of service more regularly for maintenance checks in wet and dry dock environments and instituting a new approach to managing our assets and fleet,” Walter Rushbrook said.
