In July 2024, The Post (New Zealand), reported:
One mistakenly pressed button sent the 17,816-tonne Aratere ferry off-course – but crew on the bridge couldn’t wrestle back control from autopilot before running aground was inevitable, a leaked internal safety bulletin shows. It is understood that a key part of the investigation into the Interislander ferry’s grounding in the Marlborough Sounds on June 21 will be whether the bridge crew knew how to disengage the autopilot when using a recently-installed steering system.
Sources have confirmed the investigation into the grounding will, in part, look into claims nobody in the bridge crew knew that to override the new autopilot a button had to be held down for five seconds. Marlborough harbourmaster Jake Oliver confirmed the Aratere was allowed to have autopilot activated at the point it lost steering and grounded.
We’ll come back to Jake Oliver.
First, however, for a real ferry fiasco, come to New Zealand
Fourth New Zealand ferry drifts out of control or runs aground in less than two years!
In New Zealand’s Cook Straits, two ferry operators have large elderly vessels with recurring safety problems.
In September 2024, the Bluebridge ferry Connemara has arrived back in Wellington, about five and a-half hours after it lost power and started drifting in Cook Strait.
In January 2023, stricken Cook Strait ferry the Kaitaki drifted more than a nautical mile towards the rugged Wellington south coast in winds gusting over 100kph, it’s been revealed. The harbour ships that raced to her aid also likely lacked the grunt to pull her and 800 passengers to safety.
In November that same year, Interislander expects its Cook Strait ferry Kaiarahi will be out of action for a week after having a large hole ripped in its hull. The ferry was damaged as it came into the berth in Wellington
In June 2024, Cook Strait travel is under pressure, with just one of three Interislander ferries operating following the grounding of the Aratere.
There’s more.
October 1st 2024:
After collaborative discussions with Maritime New Zealand the Marlborough Harbourmaster has decided to lift the Harbourmaster’s Direction for Tory Channel/Kura Te Au regarding the size of vessels and requirements for the introduction of new ships into Tory Channel/Kura Te Au. Earlier this year, the Marlborough Harbourmaster introduced a Direction setting a maximum length of 187m for any new vessels looking to use the Tory Channel/Kura Te Au to access Port Marlborough, at Picton.
Marlborough Harbourmaster, Jake Oliver says national regulatory powers and the statutory powers he holds will manage risks the Direction was designed to address.
“I want to assure the Marlborough community that safe passage for vessels in the Tory Channel/Kura Te Au is a top priority for me as Harbourmaster. For large vessels, (such as those over 187m in length) the onus is on the operator to demonstrate that this can be done without impacting maritime safety standards. I will continue to advocate for the high standards of safety that the public expects, and a risk and evidence based approach to decision making.”
Why has Jake backed off? The NZ Government wants to have new ferries 40m longer and 5m wider go through the narrow (just over half a mile wide) Tory Channel, unhampered by the additional costs of pilotage. Was he bullied?
Imagine this was in Scotland?
Sources:
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 