The MV Manu’atele is presently undergoing repairs after a Coast Guard inspection and Port Administration is chartering the privately owned vessel Talitiga for trips to and from Manu’a.
Port Administration Director Barney Sene said they hope to have the vessel back in operation next week.
The Talitiga is only able to carry fuel and cargo, but not passengers.
Sene said they are awaiting parts for some of the needed repairs on the Manu’atele. He added that if sea trials are successful, they can get the vessel up and running, but it will not be able to carry the full load of 120 passengers—just half.
Sene told KHJ News that bids will soon be out for the construction of two fast speed ferry boats that will travel between Tutuila and Manu’a. “We plan to award a contract before the end of the year,” he said.
The two ferry boats will take two years to complete and delivered to the territory. The ferries will carry 200 passengers.
While the Manu’atele takes six to seven hours to travel between Tutuila and Manu’a, Sene said a trip on the new ferries would take only two hours. It’s planned that the ferries would travel to Manu’a daily.
