Around 200 passengers have disembarked after being stranded on board the Bluebridge ferry Connemara in Wellington Harbour overnight due to a ramp fault discovered shortly following its departure from the capital.
StraitNZ Bluebridge said the 8.30pm sailing from Wellington to Picton was forced to return on Thursday night when the issue was found.
If you have been affected and are willing to speak about your experience, please email news@tvnz.co.nz
MarineTraffic.com showed the 187m vessel turned around 40 minutes into its journey, shortly after leaving Wellington Harbour.
StraitNZ Bluebridge spokesperson Will Dady told 1News in a statement the company was "extremely disappointed" to experience a mechanical issue during the peak travel period and was working as quickly as possible to get the ferry up and running again.
StraitNZ Bluebridge said the 8.30pm sailing from Wellington to Picton was forced to return on Thursday night when the issue was found. (Source: 1News)
Specialist crane operators worked with crew to lower the ramp, with passengers disembarking from 10.30am.
"We apologise unreservedly to everyone affected and will work with each passenger to refund and reschedule. We are also adding an additional sailing of the Livia this evening to accommodate these passengers."
Passengers onboard had been put up in cabins overnight and had been served refreshments, he added.
"We acknowledge that it is a huge inconvenience for everyone."
One passenger told 1News the experience was "frustrating" but that the crew were "awesome" in how they handled it.
"They did free breakfast and free other stuff like that, but that wasn't the important part, it was how they behaved, and they were terrific," he said.
"I think that we all appreciated that it wasn't (in the) control of the people who we were talking to. Everybody dealt with it as well as they could in the circumstances."
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