Pacific Towing (PacTow) carried out two recent emergency towage operations involving vessels that suffered engine failure in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands waters.
The two incidents involved MV Khawaii, a general cargo and passenger craft in PNG waters, and MV Wealth, a Belize-flagged cargo vessel in Solomon Islands.
In the PNG incident, PacTow was requested to assist MV Khawaii after the vessel suffered main engine failure and could not be restarted. The request for assistance was made by the Provincial Disaster Office in Kimbe (West New Britain Province) on 21 May and relayed to PacTow by the National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA).
At the time assistance was requested, MV Khawaii was reported to be approximately 71 NM east of Karkar Island in the Bismarck Sea, off the north coast of mainland PNG, and drifting west at around 1.7 knots in the direction of the Manus island group.
PacTow mobilised ASD tug Waiowa (4,300 BHP, 57 Tonnes BP) from Lae to respond. The tug departed Lae Port at 0100 hours on 22 May, with 214 NM to travel to reach the distressed vessel.
Waiowa successfully connected tow to MV Khawaii at 1240 hours on 23 May and towed the vessel to safe anchorage in Madang on the morning of 24 May.
The operation involved coordination between several parties, including the NMSA, the Kimbe Provincial Disaster Office, PNG Ports Corporation in both Lae and Madang, and PacTow’s Lae team, which mobilised the tug at short notice.
A separate emergency towage operation was conducted in Solomon Islands following the arrest of MV Wealth by Solomon Islands authorities.
MV Wealth, a Belize-flagged general cargo vessel approximately 98 metres in length, had been intercepted in Renbel Province during a joint operation involving the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, Solomon Islands Customs and Immigration.
According to Solomon Islands authorities, the vessel was suspected of involvement in transnational organised criminal activities and had been the subject of a coordinated intelligence-led operation involving regional law enforcement partners.
Following its interception and arrest, MV Wealth was being escorted to Honiara when it suffered engine failure at sea. PacTow ASD tug Pacific Salvor (3,600 BHP, 50 Tonnes BP), which is one of the company’s two tugs deployed in Honiara, was mobilised to carry out the emergency tow.
Pacific Salvor safely towed the vessel to Honiara, where Solomon Islands authorities were able to continue their investigation.
While the circumstances of the two incidents were different, both required emergency towage after engine failure. In PNG, the response assisted a distressed general cargo and passenger vessel drifting at sea. In Solomon Islands, the response supported authorities after an arrested vessel became disabled while under police escort.
Both operations underline the importance of maintaining towage and emergency response capability within the region.
PacTow is Melanesia’s only full member of the ISU and is also a member of the International Spill Control Organization.
