Longer, Cleaner Ferry Due Back Soon
Thursday, 11 August 2011 |  Lloyd Burr  |  0 comment

Image by MoToMo

A longer, more efficient Interislander ferry will arrive back in Wellington next month as the finishing touches are made to its $40 million ‘jumboisation’ makeover.

The Aratere sailed to Singapore’s Sembawang Shipyard where it was cut in half and a new 30-metre section inserted.

The ship also had its bow removed and a new, sharper one fitted and its stern reshaped in an effort to make it more fuel efficient and handle rough seas better than it used to.

The structural alterations have been completed, the ship has been refloated and an overhaul of the interior has begun.

State-owned KiwiRail, which owns the Interislander ferry service, ordered the overhaul to boost capacity in time for the Rugby World Cup, which starts next month.

Interislander general manager Thomas Davis says the ship will now be able to carry 300 more passengers, 27 percent more rail freight and 30 percent more commercial freight.

“The stretch does increase its capacity, and enhances its performance, particularly in rougher weather. Its old bow was quite blunt, and the new one is much finer and will cut through waves better.

And Mr Davis says the structural integrity of the Aratere will not be compromised by the extension.

He says the ship “has to meet all the same rules as any new ship for the strength of its hull. The structure is continuous, and there is additional structure both between and behind the funnels to provide that continuity of strength throughout the ship”.

The changes to the hull make it the longest ferry in operation on Cook Strait, just longer than the Kaitaki by around a metre.

The new features are expected to reduce the ship’s wake by 25 percent, making it compliant to the stringent wake rules in the Marlborough Sounds.

Mr Davis says he “expects an 11 percent fuel efficiency saving”.

Aratere will also receive new engine generators, propellers, new interiors and a special “Aratere Plus’ lounge.

Mr Davis says that in Wellington the new Aratere will overhang the wharf meaning a new automated, Christchurch-made mooring system, called Moormaster, will need to be installed on the wharf.

The wharf will also need to be reinforced to handle the longer ship.

The ship will return to Wellington next month and will be open to the public for a day so the changes can be checked out.

Click here for more photos of the project.