She was rebuilt in 2005 special survey at Harwood Island with new tanktops and coated double bottom tanks and again in 2010 (Special Survey which was carried out at the Owners yard in Cebu).  Last docking June 2012. (Mid-term)

Fitted with Hiab crane and recently fitted new generator.

Vessel has been doing low hours of trade 40 hrs steaming, fortnightly to local islands from Nukualofa and is currently trading on this line of service.

The vessel was removed from class once she stopped trading internationally and has been in local Tongan survey under bareboat charter as required for short inter island voyages.

History

1963 -The ship was built in 1963, Bureau Veritas Ice Class and operated as a small Danish Coaster in the North Sea.

1986 – The ship was purchased by Malcolm Reid and traded to Lord Howe Island (LHI) until 1996.

1996- 2010 – The ship traded to both Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, after a second service had started at LHI shrinking the trade.

2010 – The ship sailed to Cebu, Philippines where we operated a shipyard, for special survey,  and then sailed from Cebu to Nuku’alofa after the sinking of a Tongan ferry, as the Kingdom had no shipping service at this time.

She remained on a weekly service for a number of years, until Tonga were given a replacement ferry from the Japanese government which shrunk the trade to the islands, and the ship has become surplus to our needs.

2010-2015 The ship has operated an interisland shipping service in the Kingdom of Tonga under Local Survey.

The ship could be returned to class under Pacific Register of Shipping ( PRS) but since she is GRT 289 and is non-solas, under 400 tonne so non-Marpol and under 300 Tonne non-radio, so therefore is not under any shipping convention, and  there is little point spending the extra money when local island survey is sufficient.

Sitka has 400 DWT, can cruise around 9 knots in fair sea, with 1.3 tonne per day fuel. She has a separate 20,000 ltr bulk fuel tank fitted in the hold, as well as fuel double bottom tanks.

The ship is a good little ship that has been renewed in recent years, as the owner also owned and operated shipyards despite being built in 1963.  The tank tops and hull margin plates have been replaced, as well as a new generator in the forepeak under a year ago.

The ship is for sale on an “as is where is basis” (currently Nuku’alofa) and includes 2 forklifts, a Hiab Crane, spare parts, as well as GMDSS.

Also please note in the pictures that all the double bottom tanks were fully abrasive blasted and epoxy coated.

IMO # 5330424

Built: 1963, Marstal Denmark

Flag: Tonga

Call sign: A3CS4

Home Port: Nuku’alofa

Class: Tonga Local Survey

Previous- BV Unrestricted Nav

Tonnage

DWT:  405.4

GRT:  289

Net:  138

Explosives

Dimensions

LOA: 42.96m

Beam: 7.62m

Beam Moulded: 7.6m

SWL Draft: 2.826m

Length BP: 38.410m

Depth Moulded: 3.1m

Cargo Area

One Hatch: 19.2 X 5.0m

One Hold: 25 X 7.6 X 2.4m

Deck load: 50 T max

Lifting Gear

1 x Hiab 1165 Marine Crane

4.2 T @ 2.6M, 2.6T @ 4.3M

Main Machinery

Main Engine: B&W Alpha V405, 5 cyl 220KW 300 RPM

Fuel: 1250 lts Gas Oil/day

Variable Pitch Propeller

Aux. Machinery

Engine Room 1 x 3cyl Lister 25KVA

1 x 3 cyl Lister, Ballast/Compressor/DC Gen

Fwd Machinery Space

1 x Deutz Diesel 62 KVA Reefer/Crane

1 x Lister 3 cyl anchor windlass /Crane

Bridge Equipment

Full GMDSS

GPS

2 x Radar

1 x Autopilot

2 x Compass

1 x Echo sounder

Fire System

Fixed Co2

Fire pumps: 3

Endorsements

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