The MV Lady Samoa III is enroute to Samoa after undergoing a two-week survey and service in Fiji.

Samoa Shipping Corporation C.E.O., Papali'i Willie Nansen, told the Samoa Observer during an interview that reports of the ship and its crew being stranded in Fiji after a state of emergency (S.O.E.) was declared in that country are not true.

He said the survey of the vessel in Fiji went well and was on schedule though there were delays caused by bad weather.

“The MV Lady Samoa III was not stranded in Fiji, the special docking survey went well and was on schedule, although there were some minor delays due to rainy weather conditions in Fiji which was beyond our control but overall it went well,” he said.

“The docking was completed on Saturday 28th March 2020 and the vessel was de-slipped and went for a sea trial to check the shafts, propellers, and valves that were removed and refitted to ensure they were all working well.”

Thanks to the success of the survey and the sea trial, Papalii indicated that the vessel with its captain and crew departed Fiji on Sunday 6.30am (local time) and is expected in Samoa on Tuesday night. 

The MV Lady Samoa III is the Corporation’s largest vessel operating the inter-island ferry service between Upolu and Savai’i.

Savai’i resident Tauata’i Fagaleu said a lot of people feel safer on MV Lady Samoa III when travelling between Samoa’s two largest islands.

“We know there have not been any cases where the other ships to Savai’i sunk but with the Lady Samoa III, we feel safer in it when we travel from Savai’i to Upolu or Upolu back to Savai’i,” she added.

“On the small ships, we sometimes get wet or it moves too much that it doesn’t make you feel at ease, also with the vehicles inside, that’s why we always choose to travel by the MV Lady Samoa III.”

The vessel had to undergo a full five-year survey by the Lloyds Register of Ships with Papalii saying early in the month that the ship classification exercise will enable the verification of the ship’s structural strength and the integrity of the vessel’s hull, engine, propulsion and steering system and power generation amongst others.