MV Kaitaki

Last updated

MV Kaitaki, Wellington Harbour.jpg
MV Kaitaki in Wellington Harbour
History
Name
  • 1995–2002: MV Isle of Innisfree
  • 2002–2005: MV Pride of Cherbourg
  • 2005: MV Stena Challenger
  • 2005–2007: MV Challenger
  • 2007 onwards: MV Kaitaki
Owner Irish Continental Group (1995–2017), KiwiRail (2017–)
Operator
Port of registry
Route Wellington to Picton (from 2005)
Builder Van der Giessen de Noord, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Yard number963
Laid down3 August 1994
Launched1 January 1995
In service23 May 1995
Identification
StatusIn service
Notes [1]
General characteristics
Type Roll-on/roll-off ferry
Tonnage
Length181.6 m (596 ft)
Beam23.4 m (77 ft)
Draught5.30 m (17 ft 5 in)
Decks10
Installed power
  • 4 x Sulzer Type 8 ZAL 40 S
  • 5,760 kW each at 510 rpm
Propulsion
  • 2 propellers
  • 2 bow thrusters
Speed20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph)
Capacity
  • 1,350 passengers
  • 132 passenger berths
  • 600 cars
  • 1,780 lane metres
Crew60
Notes [2]

MV Kaitaki is a roll-on/roll-off ferry built in 1995. It previously operated under the names, Isle of Innisfree, then Pride of Cherbourg, Stena Challenger and Challenger. As of 2008, MV Kaitaki was the largest ferry operating the Interislander service between the North and South Islands of New Zealand having taken her latest name in 2007. KiwiRail, the operator of the Interislander service, bought the Kaitaki in 2017.

Contents

History

The ship was built at Van der Giessen de Noord shipyard in the Netherlands, and was launched in 1995 as the Isle of Innisfree for the Irish Ferries route between Holyhead and Dublin. Subsequently she served on the Pembroke Dock – Rosslare route between 1997 and 2001. [1]

In 2002 the Isle of Innisfree was chartered by P&O Portsmouth and was sent to Falmouth in July of that year for refit. She emerged as Pride of Cherbourg, the third ship to carry this name. Pride of Cherbourg entered service in September 2002.

MV Kaitaki under her previous name MV Challenger in Wellington Harbour PrideofCherbourg.jpg
MV Kaitaki under her previous name MV Challenger in Wellington Harbour

Pride of Cherbourg's last crossing for P&O was on 14 January 2005, from Cherbourg to Portsmouth. P&O subchartered her to Stena Roroand she sailed for Gdańsk, where all her exterior P&O branding was removed and she was renamed Stena Challenger. The Stena Challenger sailed on Stena Line's Karlskrona—Gdynia service from February until June 2005. [1]

After completing her service with Stena Line she was sub-chartered again, to KiwiRail. [3] Before leaving for New Zealand her name was shortened to Challenger, [1] with its Māori translation, Kaitaki, also appearing on its bow, being used for marketing purposes (the other two Interislander ferries at the time, Arahura and Aratere, had Māori names). In April 2007 the ship was renamed Kaitaki. [1] Like the Kaiarahi she is an Interislander ferry without a rail deck for the transport of railway wagons. [4]

In 2009, it was announced that the initial five-year lease would be extended. [3] The lease has been renewed again on 16 April 2013 until 2017 with the option to extend another three years afterwards. [5] In May 2017, KiwiRail purchased the Kaitaki outright from the Irish Continental Group. [6] [7]

On the evening of 28 January 2023, the Kaitaki suffered an incident where she lost power (including propulsion) around 5pm for several hours. However, the ship managed to anchor itself safely, did not encounter any further danger, and power was eventually restored to the vessel later that night. [8] The Transport Accident Investigation Commission of New Zealand stated that an investigation would be launched, due to the incident's impact on transportation safety and to make recommendations to prevent future incidents. [9]

By 18 January 2024, Maritime New Zealand had concluded its year-long investigation and filed a charge against KiwiRail for violating the Health and Safety at Work Act. The Maritime Union backed Maritime NZ's investigation and decision to pursue legal action against Kiwi Rail. [10] On 9 September 2024, KiwiRail agreed to pay a fine of NZ$432,500 to Maritime NZ for exposing passengers to risk when the MV Kaitaki lost power in late January 2024. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Picton, New Zealand</span> Town in Marlborough, New Zealand

Picton is a town in the Marlborough Region of New Zealand's South Island. The town is located near the head of the Queen Charlotte Sound / Tōtaranui, 25 km (16 mi) north of Blenheim and 65 km (40 mi) west of Wellington. Waikawa lies just north-east of Picton and is considered to be a contiguous part of the Picton urban area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stena Line</span> Swedish ferry operator

Stena Line is a Swedish shipping line company and one of the largest ferry operators in the world. It services Denmark, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Finland and Sweden. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere. It is a sister company to one of the world's leading tanker company Stena Bulk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irish Ferries</span> Irish maritime transport company

Irish Ferries is an Irish ferry and transport company that operates passenger and freight services on routes between Ireland, Britain and Continental Europe, including Dublin Port–Holyhead; Rosslare Europort to Pembroke as well as Dublin Port-Cherbourg in France.

P&O Ferries is a British shipping company that operates ferries from United Kingdom to Ireland, and to Continental Europe. The company was created in 2002 through mergers and acquisitions within P&O. It has been owned by Dubai-based DP World since 2019.

StraitNZ, formerly Strait Shipping and Bluebridge, is a New Zealand transport firm that operates roll-on/roll-off freight and passenger shipping across the Cook Strait, between Wellington in the North Island and Picton in the South Island, as well as trucking and logistics services across New Zealand.

DEV <i>Arahura</i> Former train ferry of New Zealand

DEV Arahura was a roll-on/roll-off train ferry that operated on the Interislander service between Wellington and Picton in New Zealand from 1983 until 2015.

DEV <i>Aratere</i> Rail and vehicle ferry launched in 1998

DEV Aratere is a roll-on/roll-off rail and vehicle ferry operated by KiwiRail in New Zealand. Built in 1998 for the then-private company Tranz Rail and lengthened in 2011, she operates four daily crossings on the Interislander service across Cook Strait from Wellington to Picton each day.

GMV <i>Aramoana</i>

GMV Aramoana was a roll-on/roll-off train ferry operating across Cook Strait between 1962 and 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P&O Portsmouth</span> Former ferry operator

P&O Portsmouth was the name for P&O European Ferries' Portsmouth operations from 1999 to 2002 when it was merged with the Dover Operations to become P&O Ferries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interislander</span> Ferry service across the Cook Strait in New Zealand

Interislander is a road and rail ferry service across New Zealand's Cook Strait, between Wellington in the North Island and Picton in the South Island. It is owned and operated by state-owned rail operator KiwiRail. Three roll-on roll-off (RORO) vessels operate the 50-nautical-mile route, taking about three hours to complete the crossing.

MS <i>Isle of Innisfree</i> (2021) Passenger and car ferry ship

MS Isle of Innisfree is a passenger and car ferry to be operated by Irish Ferries between Dover and Calais. Originally built at Boelwerf as the Prins Filip originally sailing between Dover and Ostend, later between Ostend and Ramsgate, she has since 1997 operated for a wide variety of companies.

MV <i>Aratika</i>

MV Aratika was a roll-on/roll-off train ferry that operated on the Interislander between Wellington and Picton in New Zealand from 1974 until 1999.

KiwiRail Holdings Limited is a New Zealand state-owned enterprise (SOE) responsible for rail operations in New Zealand and operates inter-island ferries. Trading as KiwiRail and headquartered at 604 Great South Road, Ellerslie, KiwiRail is the largest rail transport operator in New Zealand. KiwiRail has business units of KiwiRail Freight, Great Journeys New Zealand and Interislander. The company was formed in 2008 when the government renationalised above-rail operations and inter-island ferry operations, then owned by Toll Holdings. In 2021, the government launched the New Zealand Rail Plan, with funding for rail projects to come from the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF), and with KiwiRail remaining an SOE but paying Track Access Charges (TACs) to use the network.

GMV <i>Aranui</i>

GMV Aranui was a roll-on/roll-off train ferry operating across the Cook Strait between 1965 and 1984.

MS <i>Kaiarahi</i> Ferry in New Zealand

MS Kaiarahi is a roll-on/roll-off ferry operated by Interislander on the Wellington to Picton interisland route between the North and South islands of New Zealand.

MV <i>Connemara</i>

MV Connemara is a RORO passenger and freight ferry currently sailing across the Cook Strait in New Zealand on StraitNZ's Bluebridge service, after being purchased from Stena RoRo. From 2007 to 2010, she was operated by Balearia as Borja, then between 2010 and 2011 as Baltic Amber for AVE Lines and then DFDS Seaways, before subsequently spending four years on charter to LD Lines. She spent the majority of autumn 2014 and 2015 on charter to Inter Shipping sailing from Algeciras, Spain, when she was then chartered by ANEK Lines, being replaced by Nova Star Cruises's Nova Star. The ship was renamed Asterion which comes from Greek Mythology of Asterion, the King of Crete.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Journeys New Zealand</span> Tourism division of KiwiRail

Great Journeys New Zealand is the tourism division of KiwiRail that operate its three Scenic train services. The new division was launched in May 2017 and replaced the former tourism brand KiwiRail Scenic Journeys. It has continuity with the earlier InterCity Rail (1987–1995) and Tranz Scenic (1995–2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicola Willis</span> New Zealand politician

Nicola Valentine Willis is a New Zealand politician who is currently deputy leader of the National Party and minister of Finance in a coalition government with ACT and New Zealand First. Willis entered the New Zealand Parliament in 2018, when she inherited Steven Joyce's seat in Parliament as the next on the party list after his retirement from politics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CentrePort Wellington</span> Port operating company in Wellington

CentrePort Wellington (CentrePort) provides land and sea infrastructure and manages port facilities in Wellington Harbour in New Zealand. The company is the successor to the Wellington Harbour Board, and was formed as one of the outcomes of the 1989 local government reforms. This article is about both the company and the port.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Asklander, Micke. "M/S Isle of Innisfree (1995)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 23 February 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2008.
  2. ↑ "Facts and Figures – Kaitaki | Interislander". Interislander. Archived from the original on 14 October 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2008.
  3. 1 2 "Three more years for Interisland ferry". Wellington.Scoop. Archived from the original on 25 September 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
  4. ↑ "Strait ferries weigh on government books". Television New Zealand. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
  5. ↑ "KiwiRail to renew Kaitaki lease". marlborough-express. 16 April 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  6. ↑ "KiwiRail buys the Kaitaki passenger ferry 'to secure future of Cook Strait link'". The New Zealand Herald . 17 May 2017. Archived from the original on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  7. ↑ KiwiRail buys Interislander ferry Kaitaki Track & Signal August 2017 page 35
  8. ↑ "Tug boats escorting Interislander to Wellington after ferry loses power". RNZ. 28 January 2023. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  9. ↑ "Commission opens inquiry into Interislander ferry Kaitaki mayday". NZ Herald. 29 January 2023. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  10. ↑ James, Nick (18 January 2024). "Maritime NZ files charge against KiwiRail following Kaitaki mayday call". RNZ . Archived from the original on 22 June 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  11. ↑ James, Nick (9 September 2024). "KiwiRail sentenced for ferry losing power in Cook Strait". RNZ . Archived from the original on 9 September 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2024.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Kaitaki (ship, 1995) at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.