Source: Radio New Zealand
A broken ramp on the Bluebridge Connemara left hundreds of passengers stuck on the ferry overnight. Supplied
Ferry operator Bluebridge says Monday evening’s sailing of the beleaguered Connemara ferry from Wellington to Picton is scheduled to go ahead.
The Connemara’s sailing’s have been cancelled since Thursday as teams worked to repair a winch on the ship’s stern door, which saw 200 passengers https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/583726/bluebridge-cancels-all-connemara-sailings-through-to-tuesday stuck for nearly 15 hours when it seized].
A Bluebridge spokesperson said at this stage, repairs to the door were going as planned and the ship was expected to sail as scheduled at 8.30pm.
One passenger on Friday told RNZ they had to cancel their trip to the South Island as a result of the disruption.
Others were reasonably relaxed, and told RNZ the ferry company had given them places to sleep and food and drink.
Its other ship the Livia operated additional sailings on Saturday to make up some of the shortfall.
The Connemara also lost power during a sailing in September 2024 due to contaminated fuel, leaving it drifting for more than two hours and needing a rescue from tug boats.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
