The Bluebridge ferry Connemara has hit a wharf in Picton while berthing in strong winds this morning.
Bluebridge spokesperson Will Dady said a strong wind gust caused the Connemara to make contact with fendering on Picton wharf while berthing.
“Wind does cause issues when berthing in Picton from time to time.”
Dady said there was no damage to the ship but that a fender attached to the wharf needed repairs.
He added that the ship was delayed from berthing while repairs were conmpleted.
“We apologise to the passengers onboard for this inconvenience.”
Transport Minister Simeon Brown said he had been advised by Maritime NZ that a Bluebridge ferry had damaged the fenders on the wharf at Picton but that there had been no damage to the shop.
“The cause at this stage is being attributed to a strong gust of wind.”
MarineTraffic.com showed the ferry doing laps before appearing to drop anchor in the Queen Charlotte Sound.
This is the second incident involving the Connemara in less than a month.
It needed to be towed back to Wellington late last month after it lost power and started drifting in the Cook Strait.
It remained in Wellington under a detention notice for one week before returning to service.
The Maritime NZ investigation into the power loss is ongoing.
