Tongan ferry to be docked In Fiji

The Tongan inter-island ferry MV ‘Otuanga’ofa will soon be on Fiji’s Industrial & Marine Engineering Limited (IMEL) floating dock for repairs.

This was confirmed to Fiji Sun by Inoke Seru, the operation manager IMEL.

He said the vessel had not arrived but the booking had already been made. As soon as the Tongan vessel arrived he said it would be docked for repairs.

He said all the repair works would be carried out the IMEL staff in Fiji.

IMEL he said had the experts to work on any vessel.

In an earlier interview Seru had said the floating dock “Naiqasiqasi” had proven to be a success since it commenced operation in March 2007. So far this year, he said the floating dock had slipped 14 fishing vessels for repair and maintenance.

This figure doubles the rate of around six to seven vessels being slipped at the floating dock per month, compared to when they first commenced operations nine years ago.

The Suva-based floating dock is operated by Industrial & Marine Engineering Ltd (IMEL), a division of Carpenters Fiji Ltd.

He said they were much busier this year compared to previous years.

According to a report from the Matangi Tonga the MV ‘Otuanga’ofa is expected to be docked in Fiji for the repairs on 25 September.

It adds that a passenger ferry from Australia is expected to arrive in Tonga and start servicing the outer islands sometime this month, until the inter-island ferry MV ‘Otuanga’ofa resumes operation in October after repairs in Fiji.

 

The chief executive officer (CEO) Mosese Fakatou, CEO of the Friendly Islands Shipping Agency (FISA), said they were leasing the ferry, which could seat more than 200 people, to provide temporary alternative ferry service for about three-months, until the MV ‘Otuanga’ofa was back in action.

 

“This ferry will operate alongside FISA’s MV Niuvakai, a much smaller passenger ferry that has been transporting passengers to the outer islands,” he said.

 

Since June this year, he said the MV ‘Otuanga’ofa had suspended all trips to the outer islands awaiting the delivery of a new rudder from Japan. The old rudder had experienced technical problems.

 

He said the ferry is now expected to be docked in Fiji for the repairs on 25 September.  The Japanese ship builder has confirmed the delivery of a new rudder before then.

 

“We expect the MV ‘Otuanga’ofa to resume trips to the outer islands in October.”

 

The MV ‘Otuanga’ofa is a passenger and cargo ferry which can carry up to 400 passengers was gifted to Tonga by the Government of Japan, financed under a Grant Aid, worth over TOP$30 million (US$13.2 million). It was commissioned in Nuku’alofa on October 28, 2010.

 

Meanwhile the MV Niukavai was launched by Tonga’s Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala at Faua Wharf on March 14, the past year.

 

It was formerly known as MV St Theresa, the ship was bought by Tonga’s shipping agency, Friendly Islands Shipping Agency at a cost of NZD$936,000 (about FJD$1.3 million).

 

It was bought from the Pacific Royale Shipping Group Limited based in Vanuatu through the Tonga’s agent, Jaws Shipping Limited.

 

The MV Niuvakai has a built in chill freezer and cargo capacity of 660 cubic meters and 274.4 cubic meters with 274,440 litres for bulk cargo diesel fuel