- Arahura (ferry)
The
DEV Arahura is a roll-on roll-offrail ferry in service forInterislander inNew Zealand . The ferry was built for the New Zealand Railways Corporation in1982 to replace the aging MV Aramoana. The name Arahura means "Pathway to Dawn" in theMāori language . Decks 1 and 2 are below the waterline and contain the ship's engines, fuel tanks etc, deck three is for rail and motor vehicles, deck 5 is the dedicated vehicle deck, decks 7 and 8 are the main passenger areas, deck 9 is the passenger viewing/sun deck, and deck 10 houses the bridge and officer's quarters. She carries approximately 70 crew, half of whom live onboard on a 7 days on, 7 days off roster cycle. Arahura has a fuel capacity of 450,000 litres. Arahura was built with the capability to provide power ashore for civil defence or similar emergencies. Arahura is a diesel electric ship and can supply 14 MW power - enough power to light all the houses in Wellington. During its lifetime so far, Arahura has made over 24000 return crossings across Cook Strait.In 1986, the Arahura helped rescue passengers from the sinking Russian cruise liner Mikhail Lermontov. Arahura was invaluable providing lifeboats and extra assistance to the sinking Mikhail Lermontov.
External links
* [http://www.interislander.co.nz/Our-Ships-And-Services/Arahura.aspx Arahura at the Interislander website]
* [http://www.nzmaritime.co.nz/arahura.htm New Zealand Maritime Index: DEV Arahura]
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