French Polynesia News

Austal Limited announced Austal Vietnam has been awarded a contract to design and construct a 71-meter roll-on-roll-off (RORO) passenger cargo vessel for The Degage Group of French Polynesia.The new steel monohull ferry design includes an aluminium superstructure accommodating up to 140 seated passengers and 17 crew, and features a main cargo deck area of 494 square meters; capable of transporting a combination of 10- and 20-foot containers, palletized cargo and vehicles.With a cruising speed of 12 knots and a range of 1…

Austal Vietnam has delivered a new high-speed catamaran to the Degage Group of French Polynesia. The 66-meter Apetahi Express completed a series of sea trials off the coast of Vung Tau in May 2023 and is now preparing for its maiden voyage to French Polynesia. The ferry is anticipated to commence operations between Pape’ete (Tahiti) and Vaitape (Bora Bora) in French Polynesia in July 2023.The new Austal Passenger Express 66 catamaran features a length overall (LOA) of 66.4 meters, beam of 15.2 meters and draft of 1.8 meters.

Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine (AAM) announced it has appointed Daniel Zech as the organization’s business development manager.Zech, originally a Bellingham local, sailed on vessels from French Polynesia to the Caribbean for over a decade. His maritime career took him to the Charter House Yacht Club in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he managed day-to-day operations for a charter fleet of 28 catamarans and monohulls for multiple years. In addition, his experience…

Shipbuilder Austal Vietnam announced Wednesday that it has launched a new high-speed catamaran built at the company’s shipyard in Vung Tau for the Degage Group of French Polynesia.The 66-meter Apetahi Express is undergoing final fit-out, prior to sea trials which are due to commence in May. The vessel is scheduled for delivery in June 2023. The new ferry is anticipated to commence operations between Pape’ete (Tahiti) and Vaitape (Bora Bora) in French Polynesia in July 2023.Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg said…

French ship owner and operator Socatra has signed a contract with auxiliary wind propulsion systems manufacturer Norsepower for the retrofit installation of two Norsepower Rotor Sails️ on the medium range (MR) tanker Alcyone.The 50,000 dwt, 2022 built, French flag tanker - chartered by global energy company TotalEnergies – will be retrofitted with two 35 m x 5 m Norsepower Rotor Sails. The units will be delivered in December 2023 from Norsepower’s new production hub in China, with installation scheduled for Q4 2023 or Q1 2024.According to Norsepower…

The Austal shipyard in Vietnam has ordered 4 × 16V175D-MM engines, delivering 2,720 kW at 1,800 rpm for water-jet propulsion, in connection with the building of a high-speed catamaran ferry for customer, the Degage Group. The 66-meter, 574-passenger ferry is scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2023 and will operate as the Apetahi Express between Pape’ete (Tahiti) and Vaitape (Bora Bora) in French Polynesia. The new ferry will have a contracted top speed of 35.8 knots and a range of 360 nautical miles.Tuanua Degage…

The Coast Guard’s 353-ton, 154-foot fast response cutter (WPC) is capable of deploying independently to conduct missions that include port, waterways and coastal security; fishery patrols; search and rescue; and national defense. The service plans to build 64 of them to replace the 110-foot Island class patrol boats. The FRC has a range of 2,500 miles, but the endurance of the 24 crewmembers is normally limited to about five days based on the quantity of provisions carried. Both the 110s and 154s have about the same speed and range…

Australian shipbuilder Austal has been awarded a €20.5 million ( around USD 24 million) contract to design and build a 66-meter high-speed catamaran ferry for repeat client The Degage Group of French Polynesia.The new Austal ‘Passenger Express 66’ catamaran features a length overall (LOA) of 66.4 meters, beam of 15.2 meters, and draft of 1.8 meters. Over two passenger decks, the vessel will be able to accommodate 574 passengers, with an additional 80 seats available on an external sun deck. Crew accommodation includes 7 two-berth cabins and 2 single-berth cabins.

Carnival Corp’s Princess Cruises said on Wednesday its voyages would remain suspended through the end of summer as reduced flights and travel bans around the globe bring the industry to a virtual standstill.Holland America Line, Carnival’s another unit, said it has canceled all cruises for Alaska, Europe and Canada and New England for the year, as well as its Amsterdam vessel that was scheduled to depart in October to Fort Lauderdale, Florida from Boston.“As we continue to navigate through these unprecedented and challenging times…

The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation has released their findings from the largest coral reef survey and mapping expedition ever conducted in French Polynesia.The Global Reef Expedition: French Polynesia Final Report provides a comprehensive summary of the research findings from the expedition, an assessment of the health and resiliency of French Polynesia’s coral reefs, and recommendations for preserving French Polynesia’s coral reefs into the future.The Foundation embarked on the Global Reef Expedition to understand the coral reef crisis on a global scale. As part of the Expedition, an international team of 73 scientists worked side by side with local experts to gain a thorough census of reef health throughout French Polynesia.Over the course of seven months…

The China Navigation Company (CNCo) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment (SPREP) have today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to address critical waste management issues in the Pacific islands. Known as the “Moana Taka Partnership”, this MOU allows for CNCo vessels to carry containers of recyclable waste from eligible Pacific island ports, pro bono, to be sustainably treated and recycled in suitable ports in Asia Pacific. “This historic partnership will be of great benefit to our Pacific islands, and one for which we are very appreciative to The China Navigation Company,” said Kosi Latu, Director General of SPREP. “Our Pacific islands face an immense waste management challenge.

When the 2,194 TEU containership Kea Trader ran aground on the Durand Reef in the Pacific Ocean on July 12, Ardent was called in under a Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF) to remove the stranded vessel. The ship was sailing from Papeete in French Polynesia to Noumea in New Caledonia, with 756 containers on board at the time of the incident. Ardent representative Bernard van Haeringen, said, “The Kea Trader’s remote location in the Pacific is a hurdle that we are working against. Ardent first removed 600 tons of heavy fuel in early August…

Three weeks after the grounding of Kea Trader on a reef off New Caledonia, the removal of heavy fuel oil from the 2017-built containership is now underway and could be completed next week. According to Radio New Zealand, helicopters are being used to remove fuel from a ship stuck on a reef off New Caledonia. Oil is being moved from the vessel in tanks onto the nearby Chasseloup barge, London-based Lomar Shipping, the ship’s owner, informed. "The swells reportedly prevented the salvage teams to dock a barge next to the stricken ship as they plan to pump out the 750000 litres of fuel in its tanks. Due to the adverse sea conditions have made it impossible to extract the fuel direct to barges, hence helicopters are being used to shift the fuel," said the report.

Damen Shipyards said it has won an open tender for the supply of a tug to Port Autonome de Papeete on the Pacific island of Tahiti. Tahiti is part of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of the French Republic. The tug will be Damen’s popular ASD 2810 model, a rugged, versatile vessel capable of delivering 60 tonnes of bollard pull. Pape’ete is the capital of French Polynesia and the economic hub of the archipelago. Port Autonome de Papeete serves a wide range of vessels including local ferries…

Aranui 5, a cruise ship / container ship hybrid, will make its maiden voyage from Tahiti to the Marquesas Islands in the South Pacific Ocean at the end of November 2015. The Aranui 5 is replacing its predecessor, the Aranui 3 on a dual mission to bring travelers and commodities to the Marquesas Islands, the remotest archipelago in the world. The Aranui 5 will complete a circuit of 2,200 miles leaving from Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, and traveling to all six inhabited islands in the Marquesas chain. Making it into the archipelago alone takes over three day’s sea journey. With a total length of 126m, featuring air-conditioning and lifts…

When ms Amsterdam departs Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Jan. 5, 2015, the cruise will span 114 days and call at 45 ports in 25 countries on six continents. Offering a refined and elegant “home away from home,” Amsterdam guests will enjoy gracious service, superior amenities and many special Grand Voyage experiences. For guests who have less time on their hands, eight segments ranging in length from 22 to 57 days are available from departure ports along the route. Highlights of the roundtrip Fort Lauderdale journey include 11 overnight calls in some of the world’s most exciting cities, transits of the Panama and Suez canals, crossing the equator and International Date Line, visits to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, evening theme balls, local entertainment and a host of other activities.

The Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star is scheduled to return to their homeport of Coast Guard Base Seattle at 10 a.m., Friday, March 21, 2014, following a 108-day deployment of Operation Deep Freeze 2014. Polar Star departed Seattle Dec. 3rd, 2013, and made port calls in Honolulu, Sydney, Australia, McMurdo Station, Antarctica, and Tahiti, French Polynesia. Having completed a reactivation that began four years ago, this deployment marks the first time in six years that a U.S. icebreaker has supported Operation Deep Freeze, the U.S. Antarctic Program’s resupply efforts of McMurdo Station, Antarctica. In January, Polar Star departed Sydney to assist in the rescue effort of two ships, the Russian vessel Akademik Shokalsiky and the Chinese vessel Xue Long.

Circling the world five times as part of her famed 30,000-mile circumnavigation voyages, the tall ship Picton Castle has often been called upon to deliver critically-needed goods, including medical supplies and thousands of pounds of donated books and educational materials, to remote island communities. For Captain Daniel Moreland, founder of the award-winning sail training program, these impromptu cargo missions are valuable teaching moments – an opportunity to learn how to safely load…

Maersk Line announce that the ‘Tahiti Express’ service to/from French Polynesia will close down at end of April 2013. The last vessel sailing on the Tahiti service is the BC San Francisco, 1317, expected to depart (ETD) from Auckland (New Zealand) on 23 April 2013 and expected to arrive (ETA) at Papeete (French Polynesia) on 29 April 2013. Maersk add that they regret the inconvenience this may cause, will make every effort to assist regarding the service change.

MTN Satellite Communications (MTN) wins VSAT service contracts from four specialised luxury cruise ship operators. •    Windstar Cruises , a sailing luxury small ship cruise line based in Seattle, Wash. “Our team at MTN recognizes that no two customers are alike and it is our job to develop communication solutions that not only meet, but exceed their unique communications requirements,” said Brent Horwitz, senior vice president and general manager for MTN cruise and ferry services.

Prince Khaled bin Sultan of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recognized for marine wildlife conservation & science contributions. Prince Khaled is the founder of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, dedicated to conservation of the world's oceans. For the past eleven years Prince Khaled has spearheaded the Foundation through his personal leadership, financial support, and by making the ships and aircraft of the Golden Fleet available to scientists from around the world to conduct research under the banner of Science Without Borders®.

Paul Gauguin Cruises, operator of the highly-rated and longest continually sailing luxury cruise ship in the South Pacific, the m/s Paul Gauguin, announces that world-renowned oceanographer and environmentalist Jean-Michel Cousteau will guest host four sailings in 2013. Mr. Cousteau is a diplomat for the environment, educator, author, and film producer communicating his passion and concern for the Earth's oceans. For more than 60 years, he along with his father, the legendary Jacques Cousteau, and his family, have been part of the greatest exploration of the oceans in all of history. In 1999, Mr. Cousteau founded the Ocean Futures Society to explore global oceans…

OW Bunker confirmed an increase in demand for bunkers across the Pacific Islands, resulting from a further strengthening in trade between Australia, China, Indonesia and India and further growth in the domestic cruise industry. OW Bunker Australia, which acts as the OW Bunker Group's purchasing centre for the region, has reported that the Pacific Islands are experiencing an increase in demand for marine fuel as Australia's commodities markets and marine tourism industries continue on a positive growth trajectory. OW Bunker has confirmed that availability of both 0.1% MGO and 3.5% fuel oil across the region is sufficient to meet demand, with a strong supply infrastructure throughout the Pacific Islands. Stefan Poulus, Branch Manager, OW Bunker Australia.