Hundreds of people waiting to board the troubled Cook Strait ferry Aratere have been told the ferry has broken down again and the 2.45pm sailing from Wellington to Picton has been cancelled.
An Interislander spokesman said Aratere's 6.45pm return sailing from Picton to Wellington had also been cancelled.
He said crew had found a technical fault as the ferry was berthing when it arrived in Wellington Harbour from Picton at 2pm.
Among the hundreds stranded in cars at the Interislander ferry terminal is Christchurch-based geologist Phil Boudreau and workmate Travis Grace.
"We're not happy about this. We've checked to see if we can get on [rival ferry company] Bluebridge and we have been told they are fully booked up for two days as well," Boudreau said.
"We're just waiting in the queue down here. We cannot go anywhere because we are surrounded by hundreds of people in cars wanting to get on board."
The Aratere lost a propeller in Cook Strait on November 5, 2013, and spent eight months out of action while undergoing a dry-docking in Singapore.
Boudreau referred to Aratere as being a "jinxed" ship.
Source: The Dominion Post
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