Crippled Aratere to set sail again

Crippled Aratere to set sail again

Agreement has been reached for crippled Interislander ferry Aratere to make a daily freight-only return sailing from Wellington to Picton on one engine. 

KiwiRail chief executive Jim Quinn said arrangements had been put in place to ensure the safety of the ship and crew on board. 

These included arrangements to have tugs on standby in Queen Charlotte Sound and in Wellington Harbour. 

Mr Quinn said Aratere was scheduled to sail from Wellington to Picton at 1am tomorrow morning. 

All going well it would make a return sailing at 9:30am tomorrow morning.

Aratere lost its starboard propeller on the evening of Tuesday November 5 when its shaft snapped soon after exiting Tory Channel.

The permission for Aratere to sail came following discussions involving Interislander, Maritime NZ and the harbourmasters of Wellington and Picton over the past week.

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Crippled Aratere to set sail again