Transport / Weather

Questions raised over why Kaitaki ferry lost power

08:53 am on 31 January 2023

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Wellington's harbourmaster says he'll be very surprised if weather caused the breakdown of a Cook Strait ferry on Saturday night. The InterIslander's Kaitaki lost its engines in a rough swell on its afternoon sailing from Picton, and drifted dangerously close to the rocky south coast of Wellington. It seems two new ferries, set to replace the fleet in 2025, can't come soon enough. Reporter Kate Green has the story.