Ferry companies batten down the hatches as delays continue

PAULA HULBURT

A Cook Strait ferry turned back for Wellington Harbour after a medical emergency on board.

The Interislander’s Kaiarahi had just left Wellington Harbour yesterday (Monday) for Picton when someone on board fell ill. Ferry staff acted quickly, returning to port so the patient could be treated as soon as possible. Both Interislander and Bluebridge ferries have been hit by troubles at sea recently, with delays causing frustration for passengers.

ly due to the nursing team, but now I am confident to say we have enough staff to cover our usual operating hours.”

Five nurses were hired during December and January. The shortage was further alleviated when some of the Centre’s part-time and casual nurses decided to increase their hours, Lawrence says.

“An extra three hours might not seem like much,” Lawrence says, “but being open three hours later is really helpful not only for the patients but also for GP practices and for the Emergency Department.

“We’ll be able to take a big load off the ED.

The Kaitaki was left stranded at sea with 800 passengers on board at the end of January, sparking an inquiry by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission.

The ferry was switched to freight only, a move that was supposed to be for just a couple of weeks.

But yesterday, Interislander staff revealed the vessel would have to remain as a freight only service until at least Friday.

“We are moving a lot of freight bookings from the Aratere and Kaiarahi to Kaitaki and the Valentine to free up more space for passengers and their vehicles.

“We have bookings for around 5000 people and 1500 cars this week that are affected by the Kaitaki cancellations that we are trying to reschedule so please be patient with our teams while they work through these.”

In a social media post, a spokesperson revealed that there would be some bookings that would have to be refunded. Affected passengers should expect a text or email in the next few days. But new bookings look unlikely, they warned.

“Unfortunately, there will be some bookings that we aren’t able to find space for and you will be offered a refund.

“Our focus is getting customers with existing bookings across Cook Strait. Our Customer Service team is handling a large number of calls and there are significant wait times.”

Both Interislander and Bluebridge have also been hit by crew shortages due to illness and Cyclone Gabrielle, which has seen a reduction in the number of sailings.

Bluebridge’s Strait Ferona left for Sydney on Friday for drydock and is not expected back in Wellington until the end of March. The company’s newly acquired Connemare struck troubles at sea on Sunday as she headed towards Picton.

Staff say all their sailings from Wellington to Picton in the coming weeks are at full capacity.

“There is very limited availability from Picton to Wellington. If any additional capacity does become available, it will be made available to book online but please note we are not anticipating being able to open more space on our ships.”