Ferries fine for many more years

1 News reports:

KiwiRail asked DNV to determine if the ships could operate for another five years, because that is enough time for “alternative solutions” and is realistic for the life expectancy of the ageing fleet. 

KiwiRail today released a summary of the DNV report – but not the full document – to 1News and other media following requests under the Official Information Act.

Roy said DNV submitted their report earlier this month and had found the ferries were in a better state than previously thought.

That meant the ferries could run reliably beyond 2026 with additional maintenance, according to the report.

“It found the three vessels have been well maintained. While the ferries are ageing, it has concluded it is possible to keep the three vessels running at least until 2029,“ Roy said.

The report found the hulls of the three vessels to be a particularly good condition for their age and Interislander said this was due to them not sailing in very heavy seas. …

DNV assessed the hull condition of the fleet as “good” and found the vessels had a low hull fatigue age, given all of them were built in the 1990s.

The ships’ actual ages in 2029 will range from 31 to 34 years old, but the projected hull ages will be 6.9 to 11.1 years old.

All the hysterical idiots who claimed we had no choice but to spend $3 billion+ on Labour’s mega ferries as the old ones were about to stop working should be very embarrassed.

The current ones are fine for at least the next five years with regular maintenance, calling the Government and Kiwirail to decide on replacements that won’t require billions in new port infrastructure.