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GMV Aranui

AranuiinQueen Charlotte Sound in 1968
History
Name	Aranui
Owner	New Zealand Railways Department
Route	WellingtontoPicton
Builder	Vickers, High Walker
Cost	$NZ 4 million
Yard number	183
Launched	26 June 1965
Completed	1965
Identification	IMO number: 6517067[1]
Fate	Scrapped at Chittagong 1994
General characteristics
Tonnage	3,281 GT; later 4,160
Length	112.2 m (368 ft)
Beam	18.6 m (61 ft)
Draft	4.78 metres (15.7 ft)
Installed power	6 × English Electric 16-cylinder 4-stroke turbocharged 16 CSVM diesel 10" x 21" design 900rpm, service 700rpm
Propulsion	Electric drive to 2 shafts
Speed	19 knots (22 mph)
Capacity	800 passengers 30railroad cars 70 cars
Crew	90

GMV Aranui was a roll-on/roll-off train ferry operating across the Cook Strait between 1965 and 1984.

Government Motor Vessel (GMV) Aranui was built in 1965 for the New Zealand Railways Department for the service between the North and South Islands of New Zealand.^[2] She was built by Vickers in England.^[3][4] In February 1965, she sailed via the Panama Canal, arriving in Wellington on 28 May^[4] and entered service with her sister GMV Aramoana on 9 June.^[5] In 1977 she was rebuilt by Sims Engineering, Dunedin to carry 950 passengers to meet the increased traffic, following the company's main competitor, the Union Company's withdrawal from the route.^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

In 1983, Aranui and Aramoana were replaced by the significantly larger Arahura. Aranui was laid up in Wellington in June 1984 and sold four months later to the Najd Trading & Construction Company of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.^[4][11] Renamed Aranui A and then Nui, she commenced service carrying Muslim pilgrims on the Red Sea.^[4]

In 1986, the ship was renamed Najd III. Five years later, following an engine failure, she was laid up at Singapore.^[8] In 1992, her owners were unable to make progress payments for a repair/refit. She arrived at a Chittagong breaker's yard on 3 November 1994.^[4]

Aranui was slightly larger than Aramoana. She had a higher bridge and funnel than her older sister ship.^[12]

A combined vehicle deck could carry 70 cars and 30 rail wagons.

Aranui was built to operate a railway service between Wellington and Picton, later known as the Interislander.