INTERISLANDER ARATERE RUNS AGROUND AT PICTON

The Interislander Aratere ferry has run aground north of Picton at Pine Bay, on it’s way to Wellington on the 10pm sailing. The ferry seemed to lose steering and hit the bank. All passengers onboard are ok. Forty-seven people are onboard - eight commercial drivers and 39 crew. It was a freight only sailing. There are no injuries and the vessel is watertight. The Picton Harbour Master is on board and work is underway to move the vessel back to Picton.

It appears the Bluebridge Connemara is enroute to help pick up passengers, as well as 2 or 3 other smaller vessels. The sea is calm but the night air is cold.

Emergency services were calling it a “major incident” and were believed to be on standby. It is said to be “well stuck”.

MORNING UPDATE - Authorities have abandoned plans to attempt to refloat the stricken Interislander ferry Aratere at 9am as they instead send down divers to gather more information about how badly the vessel has run aground.

The ferry hit the South Island coastline near Picton just after 10pm last night after suffering a steering failure.

Forty-seven people - eight commercial truck drivers and 39 crew - spent the night onboard the grounded ferry, while Picton’s deputy harbour master, two pilots and the port’s manager are among experts to have boarded the vessel overnight as authorities consider how to tow the vessel back to the city’s port

More info here