An ageing passenger ferry that had originally been slated to be scrapped recently re-entered service in Australia's Sydney Harbour following an extensive refurbishment.
The 1984-built Narrabeen has resumed operations in Sydney Harbour. This marks the first time the ferry sailed operationally since her earlier retirement in 2021.
The New South Wales State Government said that the ferry's refurbishment cost the equivalent of US$46 million.
The upgrade is intended to enable the vessel to remain on operations for at least five years before requiring drydocking. The works included repairs to her hull, installation of new CCTV cameras, a complete propulsion rebuild, and upgrading of her onboard control systems.
The NSW State Government decided to return Narrabeen and two of her sisters to service after their intended Chinese-built replacements have been beset by numerous technical issues such as those related to their propulsion and their fuel tanks.
At least ten reports of steering defects on the replacement ferries have been submitted to the NSW Office of Transport Safety Investigations since 2021. However, no findings regarding the causes of the failures have yet been released.
