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
OwnerIrish Continental Group (1995-2017), KiwiRail (2017-)
Operator
Port of registry
RouteWellington to Picton (from 2005)
BuilderVan 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
TypeRoll-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.

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

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]

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.

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