VESSEL REVIEW | Manu Sina – Lifeline ferry to serve inter-island routes in Tuvalu

Japanese shipbuilder Honda Heavy Industries has handed over a new lifeline ferry to the Government of Tuvalu.

Manu Sina was designed by Shanghai-based Schulte Marine Concept to fulfil very specific trade demands in the Tuvaluan waters of the Pacific Ocean. As part of the only viable means of transportation and trade in the area, she will serve the population of the archipelago by ferrying passengers whilst carrying essential and varied cargoes between various islands.

Built to transport goods as well as passengers

Manu Sina has an LOA of 67 metres (220 feet), a beam of 13 metres (43 feet), a draught of 3.7 metres (12 feet), and space for up to 200 passengers plus cargo. Onboard facilities include gender-segregated toilets and wheelchair-accessible spaces.

As the only means of transport between Tuvalu’s capital Funafuti and the outer islands is by sea, the new vessel will provide safe transfers of greater numbers of people and goods, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which provided US$30 million in grant funding for the shipbuilding project.

Can also support intra-regional trade

ADB said Manu Sina was designed to meet the unique needs of Tuvalu’s outer islands while meeting international standards of fuel efficiency, quality and safety.

The ferry will ensure connectivity between the outer islands, the capital Funafuti, and even the neighboring countries of Fiji and Kiribati, improving people’s access to economic opportunities and facilities such as health clinics, markets and schools.

The ferry was therefore built to possess improved climate resilience so that it can continue operating on its lifeline routes more often throughout a given year.

Manu Sina was built in compliance with ClassNK and Tuvalu flag requirements. The new ferry replaces an earlier vessel that had also operated on the same routes.