There's bad news for Waiheke vineyards and restaurants banking on a holiday season boom to help them recover from Covid.

Ferry operator Fullers said it will transition to its busier summer timetable 15 crews or 60 staff short of the number required for its "optimal" summer timetable of 122 sailings per week. It's set to be nine sailings short of that target.

The firm still aims to add an extra 32 weekend sailings from October 17. But that is not as many as it would like to add, and it warns there will be no staff for backup and contingency vessels.

All Coromandel sailings have been suspended (service to the peninsula is usually seven days a week during peak summer and three days during the rest of summer) and service to Rangitoto scaled back.

A Fullers crew on the Hobsonville Point-city run. Photo / Cole Slawson

Under a new contract signed with Auckland Transport in July, Fullers faces financial penalties if it can't meet minimum timetable, punctuality or reliability targets. A Fullers spokesperson said the Waiheke service will still met the minimum.

There is no penalty for suspending the Coromandel service because it is regarded as a tourist run rather than a public transport service

Fullers will offer a 35 per cent discount for those who travel to Waiheke off-peak in a bid to smooth demand.

But it said the situation was "challenging" and it encouraged recreational travellers to Waiheke to arrive an hour before their ferry departure time as the skills crisis continues to hurt its business.

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Those who live on Waiheke and commute to the CBD will be prioritised under Fullers 'Residents Lane' initiative.

Fullers chief executive Mike Horne said the anticipated post-pandemic summer demand is a bittersweet moment for his company, given what he described as a critical industry-wide skills shortage.

"Our business has been grappling with skills shortage issues for over a year, alongside many other transport and tourism operators in New Zealand," Horne said.

"We are working hard to resolve this including launching a domestic and international recruitment campaign, increasing pay for our employees, investing in training and development and partnering with competitors to sustain our summer timetable."

Fullers is actively recruiting workers from other markets including Manila, South
Africa, Australia and the US, Horne said.

"But there is no quick fix."

Fullers' skills shortage includes a requirement for skilled people with specific marine
qualifications, as set out by Maritime New Zealand, which take many months/years to achieve from an entry level position, Horne said.

"We appreciate the frustrations our customers may feel as we anticipate travel delays over summer, particularly during peak times. And we acknowledge that many businesses on Waiheke Island rely on our services for patronage.

"Unfortunately, it's a matter of people, not vessels - we have the boats, but not the crews to operate more services that we would so love to deliver."

Fullers' hiring strife comes at a time of major transition for its 30-odd ferries.

Council-controlled Auckland Transport is taking ownership of the vessels, and bankrolling seven new ferries (two electric hybrids with diesel generator backup and five pure electric boats) plus an upgrade of four existing ferries in its aging fleet to more efficient diesel engines.

The big chair: empty. Photo / Cole Slawson

The various local companies involved in building the new ferries have all faced supply chain issues with parts, but Hamilton Jet Managing director Ben Reed told the Herald by far the biggest issue was recruiting skilled workers.

With the local labour market exhausted, Reed said his firm had brought in 15 staff from the Philippines - but could hire up to 50 more if Government visa rules allowed it.

AT is also overseeing a slow-motion tender to equip wharves with rapid chargers.

Fullers, although no longer the owner of the ferries, remains as the operator.

Separately, Transport Minister Michael Wood is pushing to have the currently-exempt Waiheke route brought within the Public Transport Operating Model (POTM), which would allow for capped and subsidised fares.

AT has been asked for comment.