Kea (ferry)


Kea crossing the Waitemata Harbour
Career
Namesake: Kea
Commissioned: 1988
Homeport: Auckland
General characteristics
Class and type: Commercial Passenger Ferry
Displacement: 341 tons [1]
Length: 27.06 metres
Speed: 15 knots
Complement: 400 passengers, 2 crew

M.V. Kea (sometimes called the Seabus Kea) is a commercial passenger ferry that operates the busy Devonport-Downtown Auckland express route for Fullers Ferries (Auckland's largest ferry operator). The Kea operates a regular service departing from Downtown Auckland every half hour. [2]

The Kea was purpose-built in Whangarei for Fullers, and entered service in 1988 as the 14th ferry of the company. [3]

The Kea can carry approximately 400 passengers on her two passenger decks , while the bridge area forms a third deck. Her distinctive design is similar to earlier Auckland ferries in that she is longitudinally symmetrical, effectively meaning that she can be driven both ways, so that no U-Turns at the starts or finishes of crossings have to be made. This enables the Kea to maintain a half-hourly express service between Downtown Auckland and Devonport.

In 2007, she was removed from the water and given a substantial overhaul in a shipyard in the Western Reclamation, including major work on both engines.[4]

Fullers would also prefer to commission a second ferry for the Devonport service. However (as of 2007) the investment of around NZ$ 4.5 million for a duplicate of the Kea is considered too risky.[5]

In 2006, the Kea was involved in a minor collision at the Auckland Ferry Terminal with the moored Starflyte, due to steering failure. [1]

References

  1. ^ a b http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/publications/accidents/AccidentSummaryMar06.pdf
  2. ^ Destination History - Devonport (from the Fullers Ferries website. Retrieved 2007-09-14.)
  3. ^ Company History - Growth in services (from the Fullers Ferries website)
  4. ^ Maintenance programme nears completion - The Waiheke Week, 26 July 2007 Page 9
  5. ^ Barton, Chris (9 April 2005). "Ferry terminals offer tickets to ride". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/organisation/story.cfm?o_id=414&ObjectID=10119476. Retrieved 8 October 2011. 

External links