KiwiRail's problem plagued Interislander ferry Aratere will be out of action this week after engineers discovered problems with one of the vessel's two rudders.
Seals on the port side rudder have worn away and it's understood they're leaking, despite being replaced just two years ago during a dry dock refurbishment in Singapore.
The Aratere dry docked in Singapore (Supplied)
Aratere's sailings have been cancelled for the rest of the week, with all passengers and vehicles being transferred onto the vessels Kaiarahi and Kaitaki.
KiwiRail's refusing to front over the latest debacle, with a spokesperson saying operation manager Peter Mathews isn't available for interviews because he's "swamped" dealing with the vessel.
In a statement, Mr Mathews says engineers are working with Aratere's manufacturers to fix the problem.
"We are unsure what has caused the seals to degrade but we expect to have more information later today or tomorrow," he says.
The ferry's long had problems since being introduced into service in 1999, with numerous break-downs, near capsizes, and collisions with other vessels.
It was cut in half in 2011 and lengthened by 30 metres during a major overhaul in Singapore, but that didn't fix its woes, with gear box failures, rat infestations and toilet issues continuing.
It lost one of its propellers in Tory Channel in 2015, and was taken out of service to have it fixed in Singapore, where cracks were found in the rudder stocks forcing their replacement as well.
Mr Mathews says the current rudder problem has nothing to do with the propeller incident.
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