The grounding of Aratere
A timeline look at the grounding and refloating of KiwiRail’s Interislander Ferry Aratere.
Welcome to this special NZ Transit Buzz report, a timeline look at the grounding of KiwiRail’s Interislander Ferry Aratere on June 21st 2024.
Some information written here has been collated by Maia Hart, a Local Democracy Reporter (originally posted on Scoop). Additional timeline information has been extracted from the Stuff Live Blog. This is a brief timeline of the incident based on publicly available information at the time of writing please note that this is not a complete timeline of events.
The Post has also compiled a brief history of previous issues with the ferries and discussed the challenges of their replacement.
Presently, the Aratere is anchored at Picton Wharf, where it has been placed into Maritime New Zealand detention pending an investigation.
9:19 PM - The Aratere departs Picton, 40 minutes ahead of its scheduled departure time.
9:45 PM - The Aratere runs aground at Titoki Bay following a reported steering failure. The freight-only sailing has 47 people on board: eight commercial vehicle drivers and 39 crew members.
10:34 PM - The first images start being shared from onboard the Aratere on social media, showing passengers wearing lifejackets as a precaution.
10:35 PM - Landside images of the grounded Aratere are posted on social media platforms.
10:54 PM - Emergency services are placed on standby, according to reports from the New Zealand Herald. Another picture shared on social media appears to show dirt/sand that the ferry grounding kicked up.
10:56 PM - Local drone photography and videography company Skyworks shares a clear photo of the grounded Aratere on their Facebook page.
11:14 PM - NZ Transit Buzz sources tracking data from the Marine Traffic website, showing Aratere’s track from Picton before grounding near ‘Titoki Bay’.
11:37 PM - KiwiRail’s media team emails out a statement following the grounding of the ferry, confirming that the Aratere ran aground shortly after departing Picton. KiwiRail states that the ferry is watertight and there are no injuries on board.
11:56 PM - Low tide is expected around 2:26 am, with high tide expected at approximately 9:08 am.
12.20 AM - Maritime NZ confirms the harbourmaster is on board the ferry and the vessel will be refloated as tidal conditions allow.
2:13 AM - Labour MP for Nelson Rachel Boyack reveals on Twitter/X that the crew ‘are fine’ and reveals a plan to tow the ship at high tide.
The Aratere remains grounded throughout the night.
7:57 AM - KiwiRail issues a media statement, announcing plans to refloat the Aratere at high tide just after 9 am.
8:02 AM - The Transport Accident Investigation Commission announces they are opening an inquiry into the incident involving the Interislander ferry, sharing an image of the Aratere on the night of the incident.
9:59 AM - Reports indicate KiwiRail bosses are flying from Auckland to Picton to assist with the recovery operation.
10:09 AM - KiwiRail announces that the refloating of the Aratere has been delayed until Saturday evening’s high tide at around 9 pm, to allow more time for ship preparation and to take advantage of a higher tide.
11:27 AM - Interislander executive general manager Duncan Roy issues a statement, saying eight passengers and 12 crew members have disembarked and are on their way to Picton.
The Aratere remains grounded throughout the day while plans are made to refloat the ferry and conduct further inspections.
7:42 PM - Marlborough’s Harbourmaster announces an attempt to refloat the Aratere will be made at 9 pm on Saturday, during high tide, stating the operation is likely to take several hours.
Marlborough District Council also shares drone photos and video of the grounded Aratere on their Facebook page captured by Skyworks.
8.31 PM - Marlborough District Council issues a navigation warning, stating "Picton port is now closed to all vessels for the protection of the Aratere recovery operation."
9:15 PM - According to the Marine Traffic tracker map, the Aratere is ‘underway using engines’.
9:20 PM - The Marine Tracker map shows the Aratere has been refloated. The operation involved two Port Marlborough tugs pulling from the stern, with the ship’s engines used to help propel it into deeper water.
9:37 PM - Interislander confirms the successful refloating of the Aratere. The ferry will now move to a safe anchorage in Picton Harbour overnight to re-ballast and stabilize the vessel before returning to Picton Wharf.
9:42 PM - Marlborough District Council shares an image showing the moment the Aratere was moved off the shoreline.
9:58 PM - KiwiRail confirms the Aratere will not operate until it has been released from the detention order issued by Maritime New Zealand. They cannot provide a timeframe for the Aratere’s return to service.
10:17 PM - Tracking shows the Aratere anchored near Lochmara Bay. The ferry will stay anchored there overnight while re-ballasting occurs, allowing crews to rest before returning the ferry to Picton Wharf.
10:19 PM - Marlborough District Council has confirmed the port of Picton has reopened to all vessels following the successful recovery operation.
For the remainder of the evening and into Sunday, the Aratere remains anchored near Lochmara Bay.
1:04 PM - Interislander executive general manager Duncan Roy reports that on Sunday morning, divers checked the hull and found it remains watertight, with minimal damage to the vessel.
3:02 PM - Marlborough District Council states the Aratere is expected to dock at Picton Harbour later on Sunday.
5:17 PM - Tracking information from Marine Traffic shows the Aratere is making its way back to Picton from its overnight anchor position.
6:17 PM - 1 day and 20+ hours after departing Picton, KiwiRail’s Interisland ferry Aratere has returned to its original departure point of Picton
