A ramp fault aboard Bluebridge's Connemara left passengers stranded after the ferry was forced to turn back to Wellington on its 8.30pm sailing to Picton, with those on board spending roughly 15 hours on the vessel overnight in the harbour.
The problem emerged shortly after departure, when a fault with the ramp prompted the crew to return to port. StraitNZ Bluebridge Chief Commercial Officer Will Dady said specialist crane operators were needed to lower the ramp, a process that took considerable time and meant both passengers and freight had to remain on board through the night.
"We're doing everything we can to make the 200 passengers onboard as comfortable as possible accommodating them in cabins as available and serving refreshments, but we acknowledge that it is a huge inconvenience for everyone."
By 10am the following morning, the ramp was down and vehicles were preparing to disembark. Passengers were off the vessel by late morning.
The disruption had varied consequences for those caught up in it. One passenger cancelled their South Island trip entirely. Others were more philosophical, telling reporters that the ferry company had provided sleeping arrangements and food and drink. Several had already rebooked onto another crossing at around 2am the following day.
Connemara had already attracted attention in September 2024, when the vessel lost power during a sailing after taking on contaminated fuel, drifting for more than two hours before tug boats came to its assistance.
Dady apologised "unreservedly" to everyone affected and confirmed the company would work with each passenger individually to arrange refunds and rebookings. He also announced that an additional sailing of the Livia would be added that evening to help absorb the backlog of stranded passengers.
"We are also adding an additional sailing of the Livia this evening to accommodate these passengers," he said.
Dady acknowledged the timing was particularly difficult, saying the company was extremely disappointed to have encountered a mechanical failure during a peak travel period and was working as fast as possible to restore normal operations.
"Unfortunately there is a flow on effect of having to cancel sailings at this time of year but we want our customers to know we are doing everything we can to get them across the Strait as soon as possible."
Passenger Petra Clarke described the experience as a "long and boring" night on board. She said passengers had been told at check-in that there was a problem but it could be fixed, only to learn after the ferry had left the harbour that the ramp fault meant turning back.
"We got out just into open water, and the boat kind of stopped and they sort of seemed to be turning in lots of different directions. And then eventually they said yeah, there's a problem with the ramp, or the winch that operates the ramp, we're going to have to go back into Wellington to try and fix it, which was weird because I don't know why they would be testing the ramp and the winch in open water."
With only eight cabins available, most passengers ended up sleeping in the kitchen area or on recliners. Regular announcements through the night about the lack of progress made rest difficult.
"But nobody got much sleep, because we kept getting announcements every couple of hours telling us about a lack of progress. Nobody was able to go down to their cars to get stuff, so you know, kind of slept in shorts and it was pretty cold. And people who had dogs couldn't go down and see their dogs until the morning either."
Clarke praised the crew, who put on a free breakfast for everyone on board. She also welcomed the news of the extra Livia sailing at 2am Saturday.
The ripple effects of the disruption extended well beyond those who spent the night aboard Connemara. Greg Brunton had been due to sail from Picton on the Friday afternoon, but received an email at 1am advising that his crossing had been cancelled. Travelling in his RV, Brunton found he could not secure a new booking until the following month.
He said the response from the company left him feeling entirely on his own.
"I was told that this is, basically the short of it, not their problem. Their responsibility ends at advising us that the ferry has now been cancelled, and it's now my responsibility to find my next way home, essentially stranding us."
Brunton was also travelling with a guest visiting from the United States who had flights to catch. While driving to Christchurch to fly out was one option, that still left the unresolved question of what to do with the RV.
"I am essentially in the middle of transit in an unfamiliar place, with unfamiliar accommodation, and their solution is basically to say 'not our problem' and deal with it for a month. No one would come down here willingly, not knowing their time of return."
