BY TONY IROGA
Pelican 3 had to cut short its maiden voyage to Western province over the weekend due to a major mechanical fault resulting in its passengers having to be transferred to Pelican 1 to complete their journey.
Passengers travelling on the maiden voyage of MV Pelican 3 to Western and Choiseul provinces over the weekend were safely transferred to another vessel after the ship developed a technical fault in Marovo Lagoon.
The incident forced the vessel to make a precautionary stop at Gasini after its control and monitoring system malfunctioned.
According to Pelican Shipping Services (PSS) official Facebook page over the weekend, the problem was not related to the vessel’s engines or propulsion system, despite speculation on social media.
“Our main engines and propulsion units operated normally throughout the incident, and the vessel remained under full control at all times,” PSS said.
PSS said its technical team responded quickly and restored basic system functions before MV Pelican 1 arrived at Gasini to continue the journey.
“Departure proceeded after all passengers were safely embarked to ensure they reached their destinations as scheduled,” the statement said.
MV Pelican 3 will now return to Honiara for a full engineering inspection to determine the cause of the system failure.
The statement said the vessel will not return to service until all safety and compliance requirements have been fully met.
PSS apologises to passengers for the disruption and said it remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of maritime safety and reliable service.
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