MO-2000-205

At about 0914 on Wednesday, 31 May 2000, the passenger ferries "Quickcat" and "Quickcat II" were operating on the ferry service between Waiheke Island and Auckland when they collided about 0.5 miles east of the northern leading light in Auckland Harbour. The visibility in the area at the time of the collision was about 50 m due to fog. There was a total of 127 passengers and 7 crew aboard the 2 vessels, none of whom were injured.

Safety issues identified included:

• the speed of the 2 vessels in restricted visibility
• the inefficient use of radar for collision avoidance
• non-compliance with the collision regulations
• the adequacy of the documented passage plan
• the absence of high-speed navigation techniques
• the number of scheduled ferry services within Auckland enclosed limits and the need for a system to manage vessel traffic.

Safety recommendations were made to the operator and the Auckland Regional Council harbourmaster to address the safety issues.