Black Pearl – the new Diamond Harbour Ferry 

This is a guest post from Tim Frank

If you’ve used the ferry between Lyttelton and Diamond Harbour recently, you will have noticed that there’s now a brand new ferry operating across the harbour. The Black Pearl was built locally by Icon Custom Boats in Rangiora and entered service in September 2024. It seems there was a community event on 1 September at the Diamond Harbour Wharf to welcome the new vessel; on 13 September there was another launch event with officials.  

The ferry does look smart and it is really nice and comfortable inside. With large panorama windows, it feels spacious and welcoming. Outside there is a bike rack. However, otherwise the outside aft deck is not so much designed for passengers, who are probably more expected to stay inside. The seats are more comfortable than those on the old ferry, the inside is heated and the ride is smoother and quieter. Nevertheless, when sitting alongside the wharf the motor vibrations are also quite noticeable on the Black Pearl.  

The Black Pearl is 16.0 m long, 5.45 m wide and has a draft of 1.3 . It has a capacity for 95 passengers, 53 of those seated. The vessel previously used on the run, the Black Diamond, is 12.0 m long, 4.0 m wide and has a draft of 0.6 m. It has a capacity for 45 passengers. The Black Diamond was launched in 2001. The arrival of the new ferry significantly increases the space available for passengers. This was becoming an increasing problem, particularly on fine weekend days, when the Black Diamond often could not cope with the many people wanting to go across the harbour. It is after all one of the more affordable recreational activities around Christchurch and that with a regular service. Hopefully, in the near future not quite as many passengers will have to be left behind waiting for the next crossing.  

The Black Diamond will remain in Lyttelton for the time being as a back-up vessel.  It’s great to get a new ferry for this service. A bigger ship was clearly needed. The Black Diamond was also looking increasingly tired, so a thorough refurbishment or a new ship had to be considered. Welcome, Black Pearl! 

I want to consider three aspects raised by this new vessel:  

1. Diesel propulsion. Other regional councils, in particular Wellington and Auckland are investing in new electric ferries for their network. Environment Canterbury must have considered an electric ferry as well. I can recall several statements to that effect. However, in the end a diesel ferry was built. This probably came down to the cost of buying an electric ferry. It would be great to see the decision-making matrix on ordering a diesel ferry. It may well be that in 15 years time the ferry will be the last diesel public transport service in Canterbury. 

2. Lack of publicity. I am fairly interested in public transport, but I only knew from the Diamond Harbour Ferry facebook page that a new ferry was on the way and then that there would be a welcome in September 2024. Press releases were finally issued on 13 September 2024 and I have not yet seen anything in the newspapers. The Diamond Harbour Ferry is probably the most interesting part of Christchurch public transport. The lack of public exposure of such a new ferry is quite noticeable. That is in stark contrast to countries where public transport is more part of daily life. In Switzerland the arrival of a new vessel or public transport vehicle would have made considerably more waves! The community would have been involved from the design, kept informed on construction progress and the launch would have been widely reported in newspapers. This is even more so the case for ships, which for some reason seem to have more of a personality, so to say. 

Part of that is may be because overall in New Zealand there is not that fascination with public transport. Most regard it as just a way of reducing congestion in cities, getting commuters to work, or moving the few people who cannot use a car to their appointments. Mobility and access are the main reasons for public transport, but for many people transport also has an emotional aspect. We all know the fascination boyracers and many other car owners have with their cars. They put their life and soul in it. It is their bright, shining possession. At times that can get obsessive and unhelpful. But for most people cars are not only machines, but something that shapes our experiences.  

Something similar can also happen with public transport vehicles. Often people have some emotional attachment to them and are fascinated by them. It’s different to car ownership. I often compare car ownership with having a pet and fascination with public transport vehicles to observing wild animals. Emotional appeal can affect transport systems significantly.  

When I worked at the Swiss Federal Office for Transport, some of my colleagues thought that in part the Swiss public transport system was not only so good because public transport is an efficient way to move people and facilitates better spaces and ways of life, but rather because so many Swiss like trains. It is because the Swiss are ferrophil (railway-loving) that they have such a great railway and public transport system. This interest with transport technology also extended to other things, such as ships, funiculars, cable cars, trams and even buses. That’s why the arrival of new vehicles as well as the preservation of old ones is such an emotional issue in Switzerland. Maybe the emergence of dedicated bus commuter communities in Auckland and Wellington are a sign that something like this is happening in New Zealand, too. Transport cannot be divorced from emotion. Those wanting to provide better services need to keep that in mind. The arrival of a new ferry should create a splash! 

3. Lyttelton Harbour / Whakaraupō ferries. Is there a possibility of using ferries more widely on Lyttelton Harbour to access other communities such as Rapaki, Governors Bay, Charteris Bay, Church Bay and Purau? This could take traffic off the road around the harbour and provide more recreation opportunities.