Complement 411 passengers Weight 346.5 tons Beam 10 m | Commissioned 1988 Speed 12 knots Length 27 m Displacement 309,300 kg | |
 | ||
Class and type Commercial Passenger Ferry | ||
M.V. Kea (sometimes called the Seabus Kea) is a commercial passenger ferry that operates the busy Devonport-Downtown Auckland express route for Fullers Ferries (Auckland's largest ferry operator). The Kea operates a regular service departing from Downtown Auckland every half-hour.
The Kea was purpose-built in Whangarei for Fullers, and entered service in 1988 as the 14th ferry of the company.
The Kea can carry approximately 400 passengers on her two passenger decks, while the bridge area forms a third deck. Her distinctive design is similar to earlier Auckland ferries in that she is longitudinally symmetrical, effectively meaning that she can be driven both ways, so that no U-Turns at the starts or finishes of crossings have to be made. This enables the Kea to maintain a half-hourly express service between Downtown Auckland and Devonport.
In 2007, she was removed from the water and given a substantial overhaul in a shipyard in the Western Reclamation, including major work on both engines.
Fullers would also prefer to commission a second ferry for the Devonport service. However (as of 2007) the investment of around NZ$ 4.5 million for a duplicate of the Kea is considered too risky.
In 2006, the Kea was involved in a minor collision at the Auckland Ferry Terminal with the moored Starflyte, due to steering failure.
In February 2015, the Kea was again involved in a collision, this time at the Devonport Ferry Terminal, no other vessel was involved.