MO-2006-201 Passenger freight ferry Aratere, heavy weather incident resulting in cargo shift, Cook Strait, 3 March 2006

On Friday 3 March 2006 at about 1644, the passenger freight ferry Aratere unexpectedly rolled very heavily to starboard and sheared to port while on passage from Wellington to Picton in heavy weather in Cook Strait. About 30 minutes later the ship rolled heavily several times as the Master attempted to alter course to bring the weather onto the ship’s port bow and gain more clearance from the land. At about 1739, approximately one hour after the initial very heavy roll and shear, the Aratere again rolled very heavily to starboard and sheared to port.
During the periods of heavy rolling, some of the rail and vehicular cargo stowed on board the Aratere shifted and fell over after some of the securing lashings broke. This resulted in the Aratere developing a list of about 5 degrees to starboard, which the crew were unable to reduce until the ship arrived in Picton.
Four passengers and one crew member suffered minor injuries but did not require hospitalisation.
Although the available evidence showed that the safety of the ship was unlikely to have been compromised, the suddenness and extent of each of the rolls were uncomfortable for all on board, frightening for some and injurious for a few.
Safety issues identified included:
• the knowledge of the handling characteristics of the ship in following and quartering seas
• the efficiency of the cargo lashing system on board the ship
• the suitability of some of the management systems to provide adequate training and backup to the ship’s master
• the inexperience and lack of training of the Night Master in the use of some of the onboard systems
• the adequacy of procedures covering the dissemination of information from the International Maritime Organization.
Safety recommendations were made to the Director of Maritime New Zealand to cover some of these issues. Due to the safety actions taken by Interislander no safety recommendations have been made to it.