Ferry damages wharf during berthing mishap at South Island, New Zealand
A strong gust of wind caused a ferry to drift sideways and accidentally strike a wharf as it was attempting to berth art Picton on New Zealand's South Island on Tuesday, October 8.
A spokesperson for local transport operator Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferries confirmed the cause of the mishap, which occurred on the morning (local time) of Tuesday as the Ro-Pax ferry Connemara was manoeuvring in preparation for offloading passengers and vehicles.
The ferry did not sustain damage and no one on board suffered injuries whilst one of the wharf's fenders needed to undergo repairs. The berthing was then temporarily delayed until repairs could be completed on the affected fender.
The wharf strike is the second mishap involving Connemara to occur in less than a month.
On the late evening of September 19, the ferry had departed Wellington on a scheduled voyage across Cook Strait when it lost power and went adrift. It was towed back to Wellington the following morning and was then placed under a Maritime New Zealand detention notice, which could only be lifted after a range of conditions have been satisfied.
