The MV Taunga Nui barge is undergoing a five-year class survey in Whangārei, Aotearoa New Zealand and is scheduled to return to Rarotonga towards the end of this month.

Extensive maintenance is being carried out on the Cook Islands General Transport Ltd (CIGT) vessel while it is on dry dock.

The overhaul and maintenances include shafts and propellers being removed and inspected, hull inspections throughout the vessel which involves sand blasting and repainting, the main engines, generators and gearboxes serviced, and the testing of all the main systems.

Thorough inspections of the Taunga Nui’s navigational and safety equipment relevant to Lloyd’s register quality assurance are also being conducted.

Kim Mulholland, CIGT special projects manager, says everything is going well. “The crew are in good spirits and are looking forward to returning to the Cook Islands towards the end of June to prepare for their first voyage to the Pa Enua in mid-July.”

The MV Taunga Nui first arrived to Rarotonga in November 2020 after a two-week long delivery voyage from Australia.

The barge is 46-metres long, just under 11-metres wide and can carry roughly about 400-tons of cargo.

Depending on conditions, the vessel can cruise at 10 knots with a maximum speed of 12 knots.

The proposed schedule for the Taunga Nui barge is as follows: V60 RAR Mid July  Manihiki – Rakahanga - Penrhyn; V61  RAR    Mid-August    Palmerston – Pukapuka – Nassau - Palmerston; V62 RAR Late August/Early September Southern Cooks; V63 RAR Mid-September Palmerston - Aitutaki; V64 RAR End September  Manihiki – Rakahanga - Penrhyn; V65 RAR Mid October Pukapuka – Nassau - Palmerston; V66 RAR Early November Southern Cooks; V67 RAR Late November Manihiki – Rakahanga - Penrhyn; V68 RAR Mid December Southern Cooks.