KEVIN STENT/Stuff
Interislander has bought the Valentine ferry.
Cook Strait ferry operator Interislander has confirmed its purchase of the Valentine ferry, which it currently leases, to see it through the summer rush.
The ferry was originally leased to cover for the Kaiarahi ferry which was having repairs done on its gearbox. Interislander paid €5.2 million (NZ$8.6m) for the ship.
“Valentine has proved to be a great freight ship with the ability to carry up to 80 truck units each sailing,” Interislander general manager Walter Rushbrook said.
“This has especially been helpful while Interislander has been undertaking scheduled maintenance on the fleet through the winter period and while completing the Kaiarahi gearbox repairs.
“Purchasing Valentine means we have additional capacity and resilience for our customers as we prepare for the pre-Christmas peak in freight demand.”
READ MORE:
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* Interislander ferry repairs force changes to thousands of summer bookings
* Interislander adds extra ferry after Kaiarahi failure
The Kaiarahi has been out of service since a gearbox failure in August 2021 and has been berthed in Picton. It returned to Wellington last week to start sea trials ahead of returning to service.
Interislander ferries Kaitaki and Aratere are also in service.
