CORAL Expeditions has arranged the repatriation of passengers stranded by the grounding of expedition ship Coral Adventurer, arranging evacuation via PNG coastal ro-pax.
Lutheran Shipping’s 499GT Ialobu took all 80 passengers off Coral Adventurer, which remains on a reef it struck at around 0525 local time on Saturday [27 December] in the waters of Morobe Province during passage between Lae and Wewak.
Ialobu was expected to reach Lae by early afternoon local time, where passengers will embark on a charter flight to return them to the 12-day cruise’s port of origin, Cairns.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau yesterday announced it had launched an investigation into the grounding off the Finschaffen Coast, 30 km east of Lae, between Kumbam and Nussing islands.
Last night, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority confirmed it had detained the vessel in accordance with the Navigation Act 2012, “based on reasonable suspicion that it is not seaworthy due to potential damage sustained during the grounding, and that it is substandard as a result of failures in the implementation of its Safety Management System under the International Safety Management Code.”
“AMSA is working closely with the operator, the vessel’s Classification Society and the National Maritime Safety Authority-PNG,” it said.
Pacific Towing initially despatched the Lae (and ex-Howard Smith Melbourne) tug Macedon to assist with a ‘natural’ refloat of the cruise ship, but a more powerful tug, Langila (ex Rich & Smith’s Turmoil of Port Adelaide), was later standing by Coral Adventurer.
According to local reports, authorities and salvors are awaiting season-high tides before making another attempt, with the ship’s hull still said to be intact.
“To date, initial inspections indicate no damage to the vessel, with further comprehensive inspections of the hull and marine environment to be conducted as standard procedure once the vessel is refloated,” a Coral Expeditions spokesperson said. “There have been no injuries to any passengers or crew members.”
Ironically, Ialobu was itself at the centre of a grounding incident when it was driven ashore by high winds and strong currents on Kampalop Beach at Siassi Island, Morobe Province, in early March 2022, with 132 passengers aboard.
The ship was acquired from Philippine interests in early 2019 and has since operated regular coastal passenger services from Lae.