The Interislander's Kaitaki ferry has been damaged after heavy seas last night, resulting in cancellations.
KiwiRail said "minor impact damage" to the starboard bow door of the Kaitaki was found during pre-departure preparation on Monday night when the door could not re-align before closing. The impact did not affect the safety of the ship.
It’s resulted in all of today's Kaitaki sailings being cancelled, while the damage is assessed in more detail and repairs are completed.
The ferry had been out of action two weeks ago after a mechanical issue led to a steering complication, forcing passengers to sleep on board. Interislander is also missing its Kaiarahi ferry, which is currently in Singapore undertaking scheduled maintenance.
The last remaining ferry, the Aratere, will run an additional sailing today to accommodate disrupted customers.
Meanwhile, both Interislander and Bluebridge are warning deteriorating weather conditions may also affect services today.
Bluebridge said the sailings will be "rough" and may take longer than normal.
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