Interislander marks 50 years of linking New Zealand's North and South Islands

Interislander is currently celebrating the 50th anniversary of its ships plying the beautiful Cook Strait between Picton and Wellington in New Zealand. Interislander has a long history of innovation, typified by it being the world's first adopter of Cavotec's innovative automated mooring system MoorMaster™ in 1997.

MoorMaster™ is a vacuum-based automated mooring technology that eliminates the need for conventional mooring lines. Remote controlled vacuum pads recessed in, or mounted on, the quayside, moor and release vessels in seconds.

MoorMaster™ is safer, more efficient and even more environmentally friendly than conventional mooring. In many cases, as in Picton and Wellington, MoorMaster™ customers also find that introducing the technology reduces costly infrastructure investment.

The technology moors ships at Ro-Ro, fuel, bulk and container handling and lock applications worldwide. We are also currently delivering MoorMaster™ units for two exposed container berths on the Mediterranean Sea. 

A short film of MoorMaster™ in operation at ports in Denmark and Australia.

Interislander ordered four ship-based MoorMaster™ units for the KiwiRail Aratere ferry on the Picton – Wellington service  in 1997. Interislander went on to test the world’s first berth-mounted MoorMaster™ four years later.

With the introduction of the longer Kaitaki ferry in 2005, two additional MoorMaster™ units installed at Picton avoided the cost of extending the pier by at least 60 metres.

In 2011, following a refit of the Aratere during which the ship was lengthened 30 metres, another two MoorMaster™ units were installed at the rail berth in Wellington. To handle the new, longer Aratere using conventional mooring techniques would have meant extending the berth – a costly process that was avoided by using MoorMaster™.

To mark their anniversary, Interislander has published a commemerative magazine packed with information about the history of the Picton - Wellington service. You can view and download it on Issu here, where you will find a feature about the MoorMaster™ units at Picton and Wellington on page 61.

Our thanks to all our partners and customers with whom we have worked on these projects; and many congratulations to Interislander. Here's to the next 50 years of safely sailing the Cook Strait!