A replacement for the crippled interisland ferry Aratere has arrived in Wellington from Poland.
The Stena Alegra. Photo: SEA MEDIA
The Stena Alegra replaces the Aratere, which lost its propeller while sailing from Picton to Wellington on 5 November.
Interislander general manager Thomas Davis said the vessel had been sailing a route from Poland to Sweden when it was involved in a minor grounding in the Baltic during atrocious weather.
Mr Davis said he was comfortable that the repairs have been completed appropriately and the Stena Alegra should be ready for service early next week.
He said on Sunday the loss of the Aratere for passenger work meant fewer people than usual were moved before Christmas, but the arrival of the Stena Alegra will fix that.
The replacement ferry can carry 350 passengers and 78 trucks, while the Aratere is capable of taking 600 passengers and 28 trucks.
