The MMA Vision tugboat had been contracted by the government as a standby tug for the Cook Strait ferries. PHOTO: ALEX CAIRNS/STUFFMarlborough’s mayor and the chairperson of the Greater Wellington Regional Council say not having a dedicated open-ocean rescue tug for Cook Strait is putting lives and economic lifelines in peril. Cook Strait, between the North and South Islands, has been left without a tug capable of ocean rescue for more than a week. In case of an emergency, the closest ocean tug would be at least five days away. “The absence of a dedicated emergency tug or rescue capability in the Cook Strait poses unacceptable risks,” the letter said, adding the passageway was one of the most dangerous complex stretches of water in the world to navigate, especially in poor weather.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 14, 2026 01:40 UTC