Hurricane force winds catch Interislander and Bluebridge ferry passengers on 12-hour journey from Wellington to Picton

Hundreds of ferry passengers spent more than the equivalent of a flight to Los Angeles when their vessel finally docked in Picton after being delayed due to high winds.

The Interislander Kaitiaki ferry left Wellington at 9 am today with 570 passengers on board, and was due to arrive at 12:30 this afternoon, but was finally only able to dock at 9 pm

Passengers on the smaller Bluebridge ferry will have an even longer tour, as their ferry left the capital at 8am.

Interislander General Manager Walter Rushbrook said strong gales from the southeast caused delays in Cook Strait ferries attempting to dock, with gusts of more than 40 knots (74 km / h) at Picton port.

Part of the Picton terminal has also been damaged by unusually strong winds.

“We are waiting for a hiatus in the weather so we can dock safely,” Rushbrook said.

“The weather is forecast to improve later tonight, but exactly when is unpredictable.”

Herald Wellington’s business editor Hamish Rutherford was aboard the Kaitiaki and confirmed that the ferry docked at 9 p.m.

He praised the ship’s crew for their “excellent” work, noting that “they all put in huge hours.”

Earlier in the day, just when the ferry was due to arrive, it turned around to sail around the Sounds waiting for the winds to calm down, Rutherford said.

Passengers were able to see the Bluebridge ship, which departed at 8 am, doing the same.

“Everything seemed to be going well. The crossing was difficult, but we have had much more difficult in the past. But just as we entered the dock, the ferry turned, the captain said that the wind was too strong and that we were going to go around the port , and now we’ve been hanging around the last eight hours. “

Rutherford, who was traveling with his fiancee Aimee Gulliver to the South Island for their wedding on Sunday, said the atmosphere on board was “surprisingly optimistic.”

They had been served fish and chips as a complement and offered refreshments.

“Everyone is quite understanding, I mean that the wind is very strong and has not dropped.

“People are surprisingly optimistic, there are some school trips on board, parents with their children are heading to university, people are understandably a little grumpy and tired, but the atmosphere has been quite good. The staff has been very nice. .

Rushbrook said Picton tugs were in a position to assist with the docking if necessary.

“Passengers have been informed of the delays and have been offered complimentary food and drinks,” he said.

Delays have also affected later departures, with two return services canceled due to weather conditions.

“We are reaching out to all affected customers and our goal is to eliminate passenger and vehicle backlog within 24 hours,” said Rushbrook.

“We apologize for the inconvenience, however the safety of our passengers and crew must be our number one priority.”

Bluebridge has been contacted for comment.