Bluebridge secures new Cook Strait ferry

The Stena Livia which will be used for Cook Strait sailings by the end of the year. Photo: Supplied / StraitNZ

Bluebridge has announced it will buy a new ship to replace its 28-year-old Cook Strait ferry.

The company currently sails its

Strait Feronia

and

Connemara

ferries through the route between the North and South Islands.

Bluebridge will replace the

Strait Feronia

which first launched in 1997 with the

Stena Livia

which began sailing in 2008.

The

Stena Livia

is currently sailing for the company Stena Line between Germany and Latvia.

StraitNZ chief executive Shane McMahon said as the owner of Bluebridge, the company was delighted to have secured the vessel as part of its continued commitment to upgrade services for customers using the critical Cook Strait.

"We are familiar with the vessel type and know it is well suited to work on Cook Strait. When we set out to find a suitable vessel replacement a few months ago, we wanted to be able to provide more freight and passenger capacity and the

Livia

delivers both."

McMahon said the new ship will provide a 10 percent increase in vehicle capacity and will increase Bluebridge passenger capacity significantly with further alterations.

He said it was scheduled to join its fleet in July following a name change and dry dock work in Europe.

It would replace the

Strait Feronia

towards the end of the year.