Penrhyn residents have commended Cook Islands General Transport (CIGT) barge crew for ensuring their goods reached the island with minimal damages after storm-like weather had affected them this week.

This comes after residents lost some of their cargo when the MV Lady Moana caught fire en route to the island in early November.

The fire, which is still under investigation, resulted in the loss of approximately $90,000 worth of dried, non-perishable goods, frozen items earmarked for Christmas, motorcycles, and other cargo for Penrhyn. The vessel also had cargo for Rakahanga, and Manihiki.

This week, strong winds swept through the island, damaging approximately nine homes in Omoka and Tetautua. Due to the adverse weather conditions, the barge delivering cargo to Penrhyn was diverted to Manihiki.

The barge carried four containers of dry goods and one of frozen goods, intended to replace items lost in the fire and sustain residents until the next ship arrives in late February or early March.

Island’s executive officer Puna Vano said the barge was 16 nautical miles outside of Penrhyn on Monday night, but had moved away by early Tuesday morning because of the adverse weather condition.

Yesterday, Vano confirmed the barge's arrival in Penrhyn and stated that some of the damaged items from the previous shipment had been replaced.

While unsure of the exact amount, he expressed gratitude to the CIGT crew for taking care of their cargo despite the sea water and strong winds that forced the vessel to divert to Manihiki.

“I must commend the crew for re-strapping the goods/container in Manihiki and returning to Penrhyn. There was minimal damage. The crew have done a good job in stepping in to secure the items.”

Vano explained that the goods were affected by seawater and required inspection to determine the extent of damage. 

“The barge manager had called and mentioned the goods. It is something way beyond our control, a natural disaster,” Vano said.

“We got the goods to replace those damaged from the fire, sustain us until January as the next ship would come by the end of February or early March.”