Interislander ferry Aratere run aground in Picton

Forums › Travel (planes, train, cruise) › Interislander ferry Aratere run aground in Picton

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#3251870 22-Jun-2024 12:36

Aratere has had endless problems since it entered service in 1999 to replace the Aratika (which had also had a number of incidents). I don't think anyone would be sorry to see it written off.

I think there is a big question mark over whether Kiwirail is the right entity to be operating Cook Strait ferries. Not only are they having regular serious incidents, but their booking system and customer service processes are seriously broken.

I've switched over to using StraitNZ instead, but we can't let them become a monopoly so the government needs to get a credible long term plan together ASAP.

Starlith

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#3251876 22-Jun-2024 12:52

I notice comments about the ballooning costs of the new ferry's. From my understanding the new Ferries were a fixed cost but the Terminals were the ballooning component - we still may yet get the new Ferry's but there's another big question.. Basically the current wharf infrastructure is incompatible with the new ferry's but for some odd reason they were not allowed to upgrade and operate out of the current terminals. Then they were forced to scout for new land and the goal posts shifted again as they were required to provide siesmic strengthening on top of what they already needed in a terminal. So then the costs became uncertain because of the land + terminal infrastructure + earthquake proofing build.

kotuku4

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#3251878 22-Jun-2024 13:03

Good news that the steering failed where it did. Instead of outer sounds, tory channel, or Wellington heads or harbour. Hopefully the ordered steering upgrade parts arrive soon and the ship can get back into service in the next few months.

LostOhSoLost

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#3251884 22-Jun-2024 13:57

alasta:

Aratere has had endless problems since it entered service in 1999 to replace the Aratika (which had also had a number of incidents). I don't think anyone would be sorry to see it written off.

I think there is a big question mark over whether Kiwirail is the right entity to be operating Cook Strait ferries. Not only are they having regular serious incidents, but their booking system and customer service processes are seriously broken.

I don't think the issue is with Kiwirail, but the relationship with the government. When your capital funding is a political foot ball, getting things like working trains, well maintained tracks and working ships is wishful.

ezbee

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#3251888 22-Jun-2024 14:08

Yep 'you get what you pay for' :-)
When someone else sets your budget unilaterally.

Somewhat fortunate it was a 'Freight Run' so not dealing with how to get 100's of passengers off.
Doubly fortunate, that location was not more dangerous with 100's passengers.
Nicer weather too.

Lermontov evacuation was not easy.
https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/destination-disaster-2008

Then there is wrong place wrong time that Wahine experienced.

Cook Straight wave heights, much higher than the English Channel, the stresses over lifetime.
Our Ferries have been through a lot.

In 2006, 14-metre waves resulted in the Interislander ferry DEV Aratere slewing violently and heeling to 50 degrees. Three passengers and a crew member were injured, five rail wagons were toppled and many trucks and cars were heavily damaged.

Handle9

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#3251945 22-Jun-2024 15:17

Starlith:

I notice comments about the ballooning costs of the new ferry's. From my understanding the new Ferries were a fixed cost but the Terminals were the ballooning component - we still may yet get the new Ferry's but there's another big question.. Basically the current wharf infrastructure is incompatible with the new ferry's but for some odd reason they were not allowed to upgrade and operate out of the current terminals. Then they were forced to scout for new land and the goal posts shifted again as they were required to provide siesmic strengthening on top of what they already needed in a terminal. So then the costs became uncertain because of the land + terminal infrastructure + earthquake proofing build.

They couldn't upgrade the existing infrastructure as the new ferries were around 40m longer and 5m wider than the existing ferries. This wasn't an unknown which was discovered during the project, it was always going to be a necessary part of the project but was never effectively costed.

This is what Robertson wrote to Kiwirail in 2023.

We note that KiwiRail under-scoped the landside infrastructure in 2021 meaning the decision to procure two large rail-enabled ships at that time was premature. To date, we are yet to see a satisfactory explanation for why this was the case,” Robertson said.

“It took some time to receive adequate information to enable a full review to be undertaken. While we appreciate you working with officials on this, we are disappointed at how challenging this process has been.

“We were surprised that the terms of delivery in the vessel purchase contract were renegotiated at a time when the future funding of this project was under active consideration by the Government.”

Source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/kiwirail-mega-ferries-what-labour-finance-minister-grant-robertson-knew-about-financial-troubles

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K8Toledo

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#3251951 22-Jun-2024 15:37

Anyone else booked on the Aratere in 2016 when sailings were cancelled due to a propeller shaft sunk to the bottom of the strait?

old3eyes

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#3251952 22-Jun-2024 15:37

Starlith:

I notice comments about the ballooning costs of the new ferry's. From my understanding the new Ferries were a fixed cost but the Terminals were the ballooning component - we still may yet get the new Ferry's but there's another big question.. Basically the current wharf infrastructure is incompatible with the new ferry's but for some odd reason they were not allowed to upgrade and operate out of the current terminals. Then they were forced to scout for new land and the goal posts shifted again as they were required to provide siesmic strengthening on top of what they already needed in a terminal. So then the costs became uncertain because of the land + terminal infrastructure + earthquake proofing build.

No doubt that Health and Safety has reared it's ugly head here as the reason the new Ferries couldn't operate from the old terminals.

Regards,

Old3eyes

SomeoneSomewhere

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#3251968 22-Jun-2024 16:53

They physically won't fit in the existing terminals.

The reason for going wider is H&S; you need to have trucks do a U-turn aboard and they keep getting longer.

Bigger ferries also improves seakeeping (operate in worse weather), efficiency, and you can get away with two ferries and two berths instead of three. More length also allows higher speed with less wake.

Once you start altering the terminals, you start getting into the questions of H&S, seismic, building codes, traffic management plans (and not the temporary type) etc.

ezbee

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#3251970 22-Jun-2024 16:59

Given the effects of distant sideswipes to Wellington.
It might give thought to what resilience you need for next 50-100 years.

2013 Damage to inner port infrastructure from Seddon earthquake.
https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/42237/wellington-earthquake-damage

2016 Damage to port infrastructure from Kaikora earthquake
https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/86666617/extensive-damage-to-the-wellingtons-port-worse-than-after-2013-quake

2017 All this, and it wasn't even Wellington's earthquake.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/nearly-3-months-on-wellington-still-feeling-effects-of-kaikoura-earthquake/XTTGCTTKS2DAJNQ3CPYUGQMVNA/

2017
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/327848/wellington's-port-would-fail-in-big-quake-officials

Its quite possible for Wellington to be completely cut off with faults near all major routes in if earthquake northward as well.

Not sure how stable the reclaimed Airport runway is in a bigger one either.

In budgeting negotiation you shoot a bit high knowing you get knocked down to C-level facilities. :-)
Considering resilience is not health and safety gone mad.
Christchurch CTV building etc.

SomeoneSomewhere

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#3251973 22-Jun-2024 17:23

Yes, one of the design decisions is to use 11kV 50Hz onboard power so they can be hooked up to the grid (many ships are 60Hz, even if from a European shipyard). That allows them to be about a 20MW backup power plant.

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LostOhSoLost

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#3251983 22-Jun-2024 17:54

SomeoneSomewhere: Yes, one of the design decisions is to use 11kV 50Hz onboard power so they can be hooked up to the grid (many ships are 60Hz, even if from a European shipyard). That allows them to be about a 20MW backup power plant.

Its almost as if a bunch of people put a lot of thought on how to get best value for NZ from project as a whole. The whole cancelling exercise has the strong whiff of one of those government projects that gets cancelled due to politics but ends up with exactly the same thing as was originally intended but with an order of magnitude cost growth and another 10 years lost.

The poor state of our ferry's isn't anything new, I remember happily entertaining my self with a game of guess where the superstructure cracking is, in the mid 2000's. It was interesting to see all the attempted crack repair styles, all of which seem to be in the stages of cracking again (it was around large window cut outs in the super structure just before it cut down to the truck deck).

eracode

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#3251996 22-Jun-2024 19:57

K8Toledo:

Anyone else booked on the Aratere in 2016 when sailings were cancelled due to a propeller shaft sunk to the bottom of the strait?

That was a propeller - bit hard for a shaft to sink because it’s almost wholly inside the hull - unless the whole ship goes down - which is currently not beyond the realms of possibility.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

eracode

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#3251997 22-Jun-2024 20:05

LostOhSoLost:

The whole cancelling exercise has the strong whiff of one of those government projects that gets cancelled due to politics …

No it was not “cancelled due to politics” … it was cancelled due to economics and poor business acumen and incompetence on the part of KiwiRail. Read earlier posts in this thread - like this one.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

k1w1k1d

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#3252000 22-Jun-2024 20:11

With the big ferries being cancelled, are they now looking at similar sized vessels to the current ones?

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