Bluebridge has joined Interislander in cancelling ferry sailings from this evening due to large swells in the Cook Strait.
Interislander’s sole ferry currently operating, the Kaitaki, will not be sailing from 8.30pm this evening to early Thursday morning amid swells of more than four metres and strong southerlies.
Around 530 Interislander passengers have been impacted after six ferry sailings were cancelled today, Interislander executive general manager Duncan Roy confirmed to 1News in a statement.
“We have offered all affected passengers a booking on a Saturday sailing. We do not expect there will be any backlog,” he said.
The Aratere remains under detention in Picton after it ran aground on June 21.
Six Bluebridge passenger sailings have since also been hit with cancellations today.
Freight sailings will continue, however.
The wild weather was not expected to effect the passenger backlog ahead of the school holidays, beginning this weekend, with Interislander’s Kaiarahi ferry expected to return to service on Saturday, Roy said.
“Having both Kaiarahi and Kaitaki operating from Saturday will ensure passenger and freight capacity over the school holidays.”
Kaiarahi passenger sailings will run on a modified schedule for a week from Saturday, “to support moving more commercial vehicles and rail freight”, he said.
“We expect any weather-related freight backlog should be cleared in a few days.”