TAIC’s interim factual report details what happened aboard the passenger catamaran after it struck a submerged object near Akaroa.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission has released its interim factual report into the grounding of the Akaroa tourist catamaran Black Cat, setting out for the first time the detailed sequence of events aboard the vessel on 31 January 2026.
Nearing Archway Rock
The 17.3m aluminium catamaran was carrying 38 passengers and three crew on a scheduled two-hour wildlife cruise. Shortly before the impact, one crew member noticed Black Cat was approaching Archway Rock from an unusual direction and said they were heading to the bridge to raise the concern with the master. Moments later, at about 12:12pm, a bump was felt and a scraping sound heard. The vessel’s position at the time aligned with a charted submerged rock of unknown depth.
The master initially thought the vessel might have struck the float of a crayfishing pot. About a minute after the scraping sound, the bilge alarm activated. The master went to check and found the starboard hull ruptured, with water in the engine room around the top of the engine. Despite Black Cat carrying four independent bilge pumping systems, electric, engine driven and manual, crew were not confident operating the engine driven pump and did not engage it.
Problems mount inside Akaroa Harbour
As the vessel passed the harbour entrance, steering, CCTV, the public address system and the starboard engine all stopped operating. The emergency steering system, also located in the starboard hull, could not be activated. A Pan-Pan urgency call went out at 12:32pm, and all 38 passengers, along with one crew member, were transferred to responding vessels by 12:40pm without injury.
The master and one crew member remained aboard, continuing toward the beach at Nikau Palm Gully on port-side propulsion alone. Coastguard vessel Ihenga Rescue arrived and two of its crew boarded with a portable petrol powered pump to attempt to dewater the vessel, before they and the remaining Black Cat crew evacuated as water came over the bulwark. Black Cat grounded a second time near Nikau Palm Gully at about 12:47pm.
The 41 people who had been aboard Black Cat all returned to Akaroa safely.
TAIC’s inquiry, and what’s still to come
The interim report presents facts established so far. TAIC’s final report, still to come, will contain the Commission’s analysis, safety issues and any recommendations.
Learn more on the incident and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission’s interim findings from TAIC.
