Today in the NZ Herald:

Another fault with a Cook Strait Interislander ferry is being investigated after the vessel experienced an engine issue at sea today.

The engine issue is the latest in a string of faults experienced by the increasingly unreliable and ageing Interislander fleet.

In November last year, sailings for Kaiarahi were cancelled after a large hole was ripped in the hull of the boat.

Wellington harbourmaster Grant Nalder said at the time the hole above the waterline in the Interislander ferry looked “quite dramatic”.

“You can actually see through to the other side of the ship.”

In a separate incident, another ferry of the Interislander fleet, the Kaitaki, narrowly avoided disaster after it issued a mayday call with 864 people on board in March last year.

Last month the Government declined KiwiRail’s request for an extra $1.47 billion for portside infrastructure needed for Cook Strait’s new mega-ferries.

KiwiRail said it couldn’t proceed without further Government funding and its board would oversee the wind-down of the project and review plans for the vital transport connection.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/cook-strait-ferry-kaiarahi-engine-delays-travel-after-problem-with-sensor-interislander-working-to-identify-issue/W7K4HLWHVBH7LCLWDGGJJBORAM/

Sheesh!

Does that Mull councillor still think CalMac is ‘the worst in the world’ and will he go on a fact-finding trip to NZ to learn how make things better?