Interislander ferry Aratere run aground in Picton

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SomeoneSomewhere

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#315202 22-Jun-2024 00:57

https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/06/22/interislander-ferry-aratere-runs-aground-near-picton/

Crew and all pax (only truck drivers) all safe, other vessels standing by.

Bow is visibly rather high and apparently the tide is going out, so a re-float is unlikely to be possible until the next high tide. It remains to be seen how much damage has already been done, and how much more will be done while beached with dropping water levels.

Reddit says it might be totalled and I think they might be right.

This is our only rail ferry so there's going to be some very strained supply chains depending on what happens here.

It's thought to be a steering or steering/propulsion fault. Apparently work was being done on the steering system earlier.

One of the major changes that was supposed to be in the new ships was a significant improvement in reliability and survivability in the event of failures.

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#3251796 22-Jun-2024 01:09

It was crazy that the new government canceled those new ferries, as they were a good deal. Any new ferrys in the future will likely cost a lot more now. It is embarrassing for our tourism industry to have these old ferries. Yet they wanted a new plane to fly the PM on junkets, which is not needed when he can fly commercial.

SomeoneSomewhere

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#3251797 22-Jun-2024 02:03

mattwnz:

It was crazy that the new government canceled those new ferries, as they were a good deal. Any new ferrys in the future will likely cost a lot more now. It is embarrassing for our tourism industry to have these old ferries. Yet they wanted a new plane to fly the PM on junkets, which is not needed when he can fly commercial.

Oh, no, remember he made campaign promises never to take the air force jets, then promptly broke them the moment they realised there are reasons - sold out, last minute tickets, large retinue etc. The 757s are EOL too and don't really have any great replacements.

K8Toledo

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#3251798 22-Jun-2024 02:15

SomeoneSomewhere:

https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/06/22/interislander-ferry-aratere-runs-aground-near-picton/

This is our only rail ferry so there's going to be some very strained supply chains depending on what happens here.

Unlikely.

There is one rail ferry but most inter island freight is carried by line haul trucks that cross the straight on different ferries. The Arahuru, the Straitsman, the Araetere.

I know as I drove trucks for 13 years.... Most freight goes by truck. :)

Interested to know how that happened though.........I guess the pilot would be responsible.

Handle9

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#3251799 22-Jun-2024 02:29

mattwnz:
It was crazy that the new government canceled those new ferries, as they were a good deal. Any new ferrys in the future will likely cost a lot more now. It is embarrassing for our tourism industry to have these old ferries. Yet they wanted a new plane to fly the PM on junkets, which is not needed when he can fly commercial.

If the iRex project was such a good deal why was it 3.5 billion dollars over budget?

There’s some seriously revisionist thinking about this project by people who just don’t like the new government. It was a cock up from the start and never run properly. It’s worth reading Grant Robertsons letters to the Kiwirail board on the project. They are the government equivalent of saying “you idiots don’t know what you are doing.”

mudguard

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#3251800 22-Jun-2024 05:39

Handle9:

If the iRex project was such a good deal why was it 3.5 billion dollars over budget?

I do feel like it was always going to be one of those things, and that to do it in ten years will cost x amount more. To be honest, one of my frustrations of the previous government was that they didn't railroad projects through while they had such a majority and while money was cheap. That said, obviously rates are rising, but government's tend to get even cheaper rates anyway.

That said, it's quite a spectacular photo!

Handle9

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#3251802 22-Jun-2024 06:06

mudguard:
Handle9:

If the iRex project was such a good deal why was it 3.5 billion dollars over budget?

I do feel like it was always going to be one of those things, and that to do it in ten years will cost x amount more. To be honest, one of my frustrations of the previous government was that they didn't railroad projects through while they had such a majority and while money was cheap. That said, obviously rates are rising, but government's tend to get even cheaper rates anyway.

That said, it's quite a spectacular photo!

Replacing the ferries needs to happen and isn’t in anyway controversial. The issue with iRex was it was built on lies by idiots. Kiwirail claimed the mega ferries were the best possible solution without ever scoping the land side works properly which were incredibly expensive. If they had gone with a more realistic and professionally scoped project it would have carried on and just happened.

It went like this as best as I can tell.

November 2018 $775 million
November 2019 $1.318 billion
May 2020 $1.718 billion - this was to be the “final” project cost
March 2021 $1.76 billlion
June 2021 $1.46 billion
February 2023 $2.6 billion
November 2023 $3 billion
December 2023 $4.4 billion

I fail to see how anyone could have any confidence that the project would be delivered for $4.4 billion given the mess to this point.

I’d expect a more like for like ferry replacement to be announced in the next 18 months which will likely be more deliverable and less costly.

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paulgr

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#3251804 22-Jun-2024 06:26

Aratere operating on a revised schedule already.

https://www.interislander.co.nz/plan/service-alerts

As part of scheduled, enhanced maintenance checks on Aratere, a gearbox part was found to be in need of replacement. A spare part has been fitted but we are seeking a new replacement to ensure long-term reliability of the vessel. This is expected to take up to 8 weeks.

Aratere will operate on a revised schedule while we source the new part, which will add approximately 60 minutes to its journey.

My daughter rescheduled her booking last week because of this.
Running aground won't make her confident for her next trip.

wellygary

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#3251805 22-Jun-2024 07:25

K8Toledo:

SomeoneSomewhere:

https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/06/22/interislander-ferry-aratere-runs-aground-near-picton/

This is our only rail ferry so there's going to be some very strained supply chains depending on what happens here.

Unlikely.

There is one rail ferry but most inter island freight is carried by line haul trucks that cross the straight on different ferries. The Arahuru, the Straitsman, the Araetere.

I know as I drove trucks for 13 years.... Most freight goes by truck. :)

Interested to know how that happened though.........I guess the pilot would be responsible.

Kiwirail have plenty of experience of "road bridging" rail freight onto trailers to put onto the non rail ferries,

From 2018:

"For the six-week period that Aratere is away we will provide a road bridging operation, using road trailers and intermodal equipment to ensure uninterrupted transport of rail freight between islands.”

https://www.kiwirail.co.nz/media/interislander-ferries-to-nelson-for-annual-maintenance/

floydbloke

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#3251812 22-Jun-2024 08:13

mattwnz:

It was crazy that the new government canceled those new ferries, as they were a good deal. Any new ferrys in the future will likely cost a lot more now. It is embarrassing for our tourism industry to have these old ferries. Yet they wanted a new plane to fly the PM on junkets, which is not needed when he can fly commercial.

I know there has been a tendency to politicise a lot of discussions of late, but the first reply in this new thread turns it into a political rant. That must be a record.

Sometimes I use big words I don't always fully understand in an effort to make myself sound more photosynthesis.

Eva888

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#3251818 22-Jun-2024 08:58

Surely it is insured and deemed an accident.

Eva888

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#3251821 22-Jun-2024 09:06

Seems it’s being refloated at 9am high tide.

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Qazzy03

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#3251829 22-Jun-2024 09:58

floydbloke:

I know there has been a tendency to politicise a lot of discussions of late, but the first reply in this new thread turns it into a political rant. That must be a record.

I don't think this comment is very fair or rational.

Everyday life in New Zealand relates to politics in one way or another.
We shouldn't shy away from topics because a discussion will bring up politics/political decisions.
Otherwise, we end up like Russians unwilling to voice anything related to politics aka the war in Ukraine.

Examples of what I mean:
The internet I am using right now is fibre, fibre was a political and investment decision by a previous government.
The Ultra-Fast Broadband initiative was a New Zealand Government programme of building fibre-to-the-home networks covering 87% of the population by the end of 2022.
I am happy that the government made this investment and I think most people would think it was a good investment into our country's infrastructure.

The cost of running a motor vehicle is tied to political decisions. The Auckland Regional Fuel Tax scheme ends on 30 June 2024. This means fueling up should be cheaper by 10 cents per litre (plus GST), on petrol, diesel and their bio-variants. Similarly, if you have an EV or Hybrid, RUC is now an ongoing cost that will need to be purchased and may change Kiwi's future decisions around buying what type of vehicle.

I could go on and on, about how everyday life things are directly or indirectly related to politics.

There shouldn't be anything wrong with discussion around this, it is life.

Similarly, the decision to cancel the planned Interislander ferries is political.
Heck, say if Labour was still in government and cancelled them, it's still politics around the rationale would have been budget/investment.

The future and hindsight will tell us if cancelling the ferries was a good move or not.
I do think we desperately need infrastructure to connect the North Island and South Island for the movement of people and freight.
What is the best solution to do that, I have no clue.

I know that the South Koreans are some of the best and cost effective shipbuilders in the world.
The decision and investment to get any new infrastructure will be political when the New Zealand government is involved.

/rant

One News just updated article,

"The grounded Interislander ferry Aratere will no longer be refloated this morning, according to Marlborough mayor Nadine Taylor."

floydbloke

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#3251834 22-Jun-2024 10:26

Qazzy03:

floydbloke:

I know there has been a tendency to politicise a lot of discussions of late, but the first reply in this new thread turns it into a political rant. That must be a record.

I don't think this comment is very fair or rational.

Everyday life in New Zealand relates to politics in one way or another.
...

There's a whole topic on GZ for political discussions ( I sometimes read posts in there when I'm in the mood, rarely contribute). Subject drifting off-topic is normal and healthy but I'm finding it tiresome when someone raises a subject and then someone else decides to have a political dig at it straightaway, when they already have a space for it elsewhere.

Sometimes I use big words I don't always fully understand in an effort to make myself sound more photosynthesis.

GV27

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#3251837 22-Jun-2024 10:43

Handle9: I fail to see how anyone could have any confidence that the project would be delivered for $4.4 billion given the mess to this point.

I’d expect a more like for like ferry replacement to be announced in the next 18 months which will likely be more deliverable and less costly.

Agreed, even if it was the right project there was little confidence in KR to actually design, measure and deliver it at that point.

Qazzy03

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#3251842 22-Jun-2024 11:07

floydbloke: There's a whole topic on GZ for political discussions ( I sometimes read posts in there when I'm in the mood, rarely contribute). Subject drifting off-topic is normal and healthy but I'm finding it tiresome when someone raises a subject and then someone else decides to have a political dig at it straightaway, when they already have a space for it elsewhere.

I respect and appreciate your reply.

I agree, fatigue can be real.

Back to topic and the ferry.

The article says there was no injures but I hope there is mental health support available for any of the crew or freight workers. Accidents can be scary as.

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