.gif)
Aratere (ferry)
Encyclopedia
The DEV (Diesel Electric Vessel) Aratere is a roll-on roll-off
RORO
Roll-on/roll-off ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo such as automobiles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers or railroad cars that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels...
rail and vehicle ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
in service for Interislander
Interislander
The Interislander is a road and rail ferry service across New Zealand's Cook Strait, owned and operated by state-owned rail operator KiwiRail.The Interislander travels between Wellington in the North Island and Picton in the South Island, forming a road and rail link between New Zealand's two main...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The ferry was built for Tranz Rail
Tranz Rail
Tranz Rail, formally Tranz Rail Holdings Ltd , was the main rail operator in New Zealand from 1991 until it was purchased by Toll Holdings in 2003.- Formation :...
, now KiwiRail
KiwiRail
KiwiRail Holdings Limited is the rail operations subsidiary of the New Zealand Railways Corporation, which trades as KiwiRail. Headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, KiwiRail is the largest rail transport operator in New Zealand. Since July 2010 John Spencer has been the Chairman...
, in 1998 to replace the aging MV Aratika
Aratika (ferry)
The MV Aratika was a ferry that served the Interisland Line, taking passengers between Wellington and Picton in New Zealand. The aging Aratika, was replaced in 1999 by the since problem-plagued MV Aratere.- History :...
. The name Aratere means "Quick Path" in the Māori language
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
.
Like the Interisland ferry Arahura
Arahura (ferry)
DEV Arahura is a roll-on roll-off diesel-electric rail ferry built in 1982 for the New Zealand Railways Corporation. She remains in service on the Interislander route across the Cook Strait in New Zealand.-History:...
, Aratere has both rail and vehicle decks, both of which can be loaded simultaneously through the stern via a double linkspan
Linkspan
A linkspan or link-span is a type of drawbridge used mainly in the operation of moving vehicles on and off a RO-RO vessel or ferry.Linkspans are usually found at ferry terminals where a vessel uses a combination of ramps either at the stern, bow or side to load or unload cars, vans, trucks and...
. In addition, she has a lower hold that has space for additional cars.
In late 2009, Aratere celebrated her 20,000th crossing of the Cook Strait, having travelled around 2 million kilometres.
Aratere has recently returned to Wellington following her refit at the Sembawang shipyard in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. The refit includes new stern, bow and a new 30 metre section
Jumboisation
Jumboisation is a technique in shipbuilding consisting of enlarging a ship by adding an entire section to it. By contrast with refitting or installation of equipment, jumboisation is a long and complex endeavour which can require a specialised shipyard....
mid-ship. The changes will improve her capacity and efficiency.
Layout
Aratere has ten decks. She only has ten double-berth cabins, as the Interislander service is only a 3-4 hour crossing.- Deck 1 - Engine and propulsion rooms
- Deck 2 - Rail deck
- Deck 3 - Road vehicle deck
- Deck 4 - Passenger accommodations, including video arcadeVideo arcadeAn amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
, food court, play area, lounge, and a shop - Deck 5 - Passenger accommodations, including outdoor seating.
- Deck 6 - Bridge and sun deck
Incidents
Aratere is infamous for having been involved in several technical problems and engine failures over her years in service. There is no official relationship between these incidents, though the media have stoked speculation that the ferry may be jinxJinx
A jinx, in popular superstition and folklore, is:* A type of curse placed on a person that makes them prey to many minor misfortunes and other forms of bad luck;...
ed and she has earned the nickname "El Lemon
Lemon (automobile)
A lemon is a car, often new, that is found to be defective only after it has been bought. Any vehicle with numerous, severe issues can be termed a "lemon", and, by extension, any product with flaws too great or severe to serve its purpose can be described as a "lemon".-Origin:The use of the word...
". These incidents have dropped away in the past few years, and she now operates six crossings each day (three passenger, three freight).
Notable incidents have included:
- 25 February 1999 - An engine failure.
- 18 December 2000 - An engine malfunction.
- 1 October 2004 - "30 seconds of potential disaster" after Aratere has a steering fault in the Marlborough SoundsMarlborough SoundsThe Marlborough Sounds are an extensive network of sea-drowned valleys created by a combination of land subsidence and rising sea levels at the north of the South Island of New Zealand...
. - 10 February 2005 - Aratere is detained after a "crisis of confidence" with inspectors noting that she had arrived from Spain six years ago in a shocking state, and they could no longer allow her to operate as she was (she was eventually allowed to sail again on 15 March)
After the extensive refit carried out in Singapore in 2011, the ship once again experienced numerous incidents, including engine failures. On 2 November 2011 Maritime NZ ordered the ship to stop operating until it was proven safe.