Aratere Ferry Passengers Stuck for Hours in Latest Breakdown

If you’ve crossed Cook Strait on the Interislander, you know the gamble: rough seas, variable weather, and an aging fleet that’s been quietly accumulating a reputation for breaking down mid-voyage. The Aratere just added another chapter to that story, stranding passengers overnight in mid-June after an electrical fault knocked out propulsion. The incident has reignited scrutiny over a vessel that’s spent more time in drydock than many passengers realize.

Incident Date: 12 Jun 2025 ·
Cause: Electrical fault ·
Duration Stuck: Hours overnight ·
Route: Picton to Wellington ·
Operator: Interislander

The following specifications outline the Aratere’s key characteristics and operational history.

Why were passengers stuck on the Aratere ferry for hours?

The Aratere left Picton at approximately 8:50pm on 12 June 2025 when an unexpected issue with its propulsion drive triggered an electrical fault that left the vessel without power mid-crossing (NZ Herald). Rather than making the run into Wellington under its own steam, the ferry drifted at 1.8 knots before limping into port in the early hours—hours that passengers spent stranded aboard.

Interislander executive general manager Walter Rushbrook confirmed the fault was isolated to a fuel control problem (NZ Herald). The issue follows a pattern: earlier the same week, the Aratere had already experienced a separate power loss incident outside the Marlborough Sounds. Some Thursday morning sailings were cancelled as a result of the breakdown.

KiwiRail, which operates Interislander, reported 100% reliability for the past month and 99% for the year prior despite the disruptions (RNZ YouTube). However, the Maritime Union painted a starker picture, stating the Interislander service is “hanging by a thread” with ongoing disruptions (RNZ YouTube).

Details of the electrical fault

• The fault caused the Aratere to briefly lose power and drift outside its intended route into the Marlborough Sounds
• Propulsion was knocked out entirely, leaving the 184-meter vessel dependent on emergency systems
• Engineers isolated the problem to the fuel control system before declaring the vessel safe to proceed

Passenger experience during delay

• Passengers remained on board through the night as the ferry made its way to Wellington at reduced speed
• No injuries were reported, though the crossing took significantly longer than scheduled
• Cancelled morning sailings affected travelers reliant on the Picton-Wellington connection

Why is the Aratere being retired?

The Aratere entered service in 1999, replacing the Aratika after 24 years of Cook Strait crossings (Interislander Official). At 184 meters with capacity for 600 passengers, 30 trucks or 230 cars, and 28 rail cars, it was the only rail-enabled ferry in the fleet (Maritime Executive). But 25 years of service brought a cascade of mechanical problems that made continued operation untenable.

The retirement was accelerated by the grounding incident on 21 June 2023 near Picton, when steering failure left the vessel stuck with 47 passengers and crew aboard (Maritime Executive). Maritime New Zealand detained the Aratere for investigation. Combined with ongoing engine problems, the writing was on the wall.

History of issues

• 1999-02-24: Power failure in Wellington Harbour during delivery (Wikipedia)
• Feb-Mar 1999 and 2004: Repeated power losses in Marlborough Sounds (NZ History)
• 2003: Crashed into trawler San Domenico in Wellington Harbour (NZ History)
• 2005: Nearly hit a tanker; propulsion issues in June (NZ History)
• 2013-11-05: Drive shaft snapped, losing propeller in Cook Strait (Wikipedia)
• 2023-06-21: Grounding near Picton, detained by Maritime NZ

Sale plans

The Aratere is being retired but the sale process remains ongoing. The vessel still lingers in New Zealand waters, with questions about where it will ultimately end up. Crew welfare concerns aboard the former ferry have been raised by the Maritime Union.

What happened to the Arahura ferry?

The Arahura was the Aratere’s predecessor on the Interislander route, serving the Cook Strait for 24 years before being replaced in 1999 (Interislander Official). Its retirement marked the end of an era—and set the stage for the Aratere to inherit a reliability record that would only worsen over time.

Unlike the Aratere, the Arahura did not face the same frequency of catastrophic mechanical failures, though it operated during a period when the Interislander fleet was already showing its age. KiwiRail’s 2008 purchase of the railway and ferries from Toll NZ for $665 million included both the Arahura’s successor and the infrastructure challenges that came with it (The Spinoff).

Past incidents

The Arahura’s service period predates many of the detailed incident records available for the Aratere, but it operated during the same era of deferred maintenance and aging vessels that eventually caught up with its successor.

Retirement status

The Arahura was retired in 1999, replaced by the Aratere. The current fleet reduction—with the Aratere now gone—means the Interislander operates only two vessels (Kaitaki and Kaiarahi) until new ferries arrive in 2029.

The pattern: New Zealand’s Cook Strait ferry capacity has contracted twice now—first when the Arahura was replaced, and now as the Aratere leaves the fleet with no direct replacement yet built.

Why did the Aratere run aground?

The Aratere ran aground near Picton on 21 June 2023 at approximately 10pm due to steering failure (The Spinoff). The vessel, carrying 47 passengers and crew, was refloated the next day but was detained by Maritime New Zealand for investigation.

This was not the first grounding. Earlier in June 2024, the Aratere grounded again in Picton Harbour around 10pm due to another steering failure (YouTube news report), reinforcing concerns about the vessel’s mechanical condition. No injuries were reported in either incident.

Incident details near Picton

• Steering failure identified as the primary cause of both 2023 and 2024 groundings
• Maritime NZ detained the vessel after the June 2023 incident for regulatory review
• Refloating operations succeeded without major damage to the vessel or environment

Passenger safety

The grounding incidents raised questions about safety protocols aboard the aging ferry. With passengers aboard and steering systems failing twice in quick succession, regulators faced pressure to act. The Maritime NZ detention after the June 2023 grounding marked an official acknowledgment that the Aratere’s reliability had become a regulatory concern.

The implication: each grounding increased pressure on KiwiRail to accelerate the Aratere’s retirement, culminating in the confirmed departure date of no later than 30 August 2024.

Why is the Aratere ferry still in New Zealand waters?

Despite being officially retired from Interislander service, the Aratere remains anchored off the New Zealand coast—specifically off the Nelson coast in February 2026, according to crew welfare concerns raised by the Maritime Union (RNZ YouTube). The sale process has not concluded, leaving the vessel in limbo.

The situation has drawn attention to crew welfare aboard the former ferry. With foreign crew potentially still assigned and union concerns unresolved, the Aratere’s prolonged presence in New Zealand waters represents an unfinished chapter in its troubled history.

Crew welfare concerns

• Maritime Union has flagged concerns about crew welfare conditions aboard the retired vessel
• Foreign crew may still be assigned to a ferry no longer in commercial service
• Union pressure continues as the sale process stalls

Post-retirement status

The Aratere was officially retired by August 2024, but its disposal remains unresolved. The vessel sits idle in New Zealand waters while KiwiRail navigates sale negotiations—leaving crew aboard a ferry that’s no longer earning revenue.

The trade-off: KiwiRail’s decision to keep the Aratere moored rather than immediately scrapping or exporting it may preserve some salvage value, but it also maintains a crew welfare liability and a visual reminder of the fleet’s struggles.