SeaLink has launched an investigation after both main life rafts snapped from their cradles and floated away during Sunday’s afternoon ferry sailing to Auckland. The incident occurred as the vessel was navigating the Colville Channel area, where the water is known to get a little choppier.
The car ferry was carrying around 30 passengers when the crossing, which usually takes four hours, stretched to nearly six. The vessel was buffeted by two-meter swells. Passenger Bruce Hopkins said the skipper handled the conditions well, bringing the speed back rather than powering directly into the chop.
The first life raft came loose shortly after the ferry left Tryphena Wharf. Hopkins watched the entire sequence unfold from the deck. “I saw it bounce and roll out of its cradle,” he said. “It’s locked in a cradle on the side of the hull, there’s one on each side and it was like, ‘Holy, shit that just bounced and rolled off the boat.'”
He and other passengers watched as the retaining rope snapped under tension. The raft immediately inflated on impact with the water and began drifting back towards the land, where it was later recovered and towed back to Tryphena by local Pete Ganley. With the first unit lost, the vessel continued its journey toward Auckland.
About an hour later, a second commotion broke out while the ferry was out in the Hauraki Gulf. The second life raft suffered an identical failure on the opposite side of the hull. Hopkins saw the line through the cafe windows before another passenger came inside to sound the alarm.
A crew member wearing a safety harness attempted to retrieve the second raft from the side of the ship, but the effort had to be abandoned. The raft floated away, leaving the ferry without its primary life-saving inflation units. “We headed to Auckland because you’ve got no choice then because we were out in the middle of the Hauraki Gulf,” Hopkins said.
The vessel involved was the SeaQuest, a 45-meter catamaran built in 2023 that frequently subs in to cover excess passenger and freight trips to the Barrier. It is designed as a low-profile displacement catamaran. In contrast, the route’s regular ferry, the Island Navigator, is a heavier vessel with a deep hull.
The SeaQuest remains in port at Hamer Street this morning as investigations continue. As a precaution during the final leg of the trip, SeaLink dispatched a sister ship to shadow the ferry back to Auckland. The vessel eventually berthed safely and all passengers disembarked without injury.
A company spokesperson confirmed that a full review into the twin failures is currently underway, noting that the crew acted strictly in accordance with safety protocols. “The safety of our passengers and crew is always our top priority,” the spokesperson said. “We are reviewing the circumstances of both incidents and will take any necessary steps to prevent a recurrence.”
