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Cook Strait ferry operator Bluebridge says its troubled ship Connemara will recommence sailing tonight after days of disruption to its service threw travellers’ plans into disarray.

Bluebridge confirmed repairs to a faulty winch that had created issues with the stern door were well underway, and the ship was expected to be able to depart from Wellington on Monday evening at its scheduled time of 8.30pm.

Issues with the Connemara began on Thursday, when it set off as usual on an 8.30pm sailing from Wellington to Picton.

The ship returned to Wellington soon after departing upon the crew’s discovery of a mechanical fault in the winch that controlled the stern door, which is also used as the ship’s loading ramp.

Around 200 passengers remained trapped on the boat for 15 hours overnight, with crane operators called in to lower the ramp and allow passengers and freight to disembark.

A total of six ferry sailings were cancelled over the weekend, leaving holidaymakers stranded on both sides of the Cook Strait with the next available bookings nearly two weeks out.

Cranes were called in to fix the Bluebridge Connemara's stuck ramp, which left passengers stuck on board for nearly 14 hours overnight on Thursday. Photo / Tobias Macintosh

Many affected passengers told the Herald the cancellations had upended their holiday plans, with one woman saying their only option was “to fly at twice the ferry cost, hire a car and pay for extra accommodation”.

“The economic impact of this is far-reaching,” she added.

StraitNZ spokesmann Will Dady said at the time the company was “extremely disappointed to have experienced a mechanical issue during peak travel period”, and assured work was ongoing to return to full schedule again “as quickly as possible”.

The Connemara is due to depart Wellington at 8.30pm tonight after repairs are completed. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Connemara previously lost power in September 2024 after its fuel was contaminated, causing the ship to drift and requiring tug boats to come to its rescue.

Meanwhile, the knock-on effects of Sunday’s strong winds are continuing to disrupt travel in and out of the capital, with Air New Zealand warning seat availability will be limited over the coming days as staff work to rebook passengers affected by 50 flight cancellations to and from Wellington Airport yesterday.

CentrePort confirmed some empty containers stored along its waterfront depot had been knocked over by the fierce wind.

A spokesperson for Wellington's CentrePort said some empty containers had been blown over in strong winds over the weekend. Photo / Wellington Live

“While the wind was fierce, containers going over at the port is not unusual in those conditions,” said spokesperson Dominic Taffs.

“We have procedures in place to manage this type of event, including closing the container depot to staff and visitors for health and safety reasons.”