Queen of Melbourne on Slipway, in compliance with MSAF regulations
Queen of Melbourne is up on the Fiji Ships and Heavy Industries Slipway yesterday.
This was confirmed by the Fiji Ships and Heavy Industries operations manager, Mr Lopeti Radravu yesterday.
Mr Radravu said the passenger vessel went on the slipway for repairing, refitting and mandatory maintenance requirements.
“Work on the vessel should start from today (Tuesday) and it should be completed within five working days,” Mr Radravu said.
“Even though the vessel is quite big we need to finish the work on time.
“Some of the work that we will be conducting is general maintenance in the engine room, in and out painting, checking thickness of the plate/hull, bilge pumps and valves.
“We will be ensuring full compliance with Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSA) regulations.
“MSAF will conduct inspections prior and subsequently after works are completed, for final certification.”
The Queen of Melbourne is a roll on roll of passenger vessel that has the capacity to carry 380 passengers and up to six trucks or buses.
Queen of Melbourne had arrived into Suva on January 19 2018, from Geelong in Melbourne.
Daily newspaper Geelong Advertiser in January had written that the Queen of Melbourne left after 2½ years in Corio Bay, Victoria, Australia.The article read: “She set sail from Geelong on January 5, 2018, bound for the South Pacific. She is to be used as a passenger ferry servicing islands in Fiji.”
