Niuatoputapu passengers grounded as Cyclone Ian crosses ferry route [1]
Thursday, January 9, 2014 - 21:00. Updated on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 - 12:20.
By Mary Lyn Fonua
Severe Tropical Cyclone Ian Cat.3, located in northern Tongan waters today (red zone), intensifying to Cat. 4 on the red track forecasted by the RSMC Nadi-Tropical Cyclone Centre [2]. Latest bulletins for Tonga are available from the Fua‘amotu Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre [3].
A crowd of around 200 New Year's visitors remain onshore at Tonga’s remote Niuatoputapu Island today, as Severe Tropical Cyclone Ian is expected to track across the ferry route between Niuatoputapu and southern Tonga, intensifying into a Category 4 storm over the next two days.
The inter-island ferry MV ‘Otuanga‘ofa carried hundreds of passengers, many of them Tongans coming from overseas, to attend a reunion on Niuatoputapu over the Christmas holiday. The ferry was supposed to pick them up this morning for the return voyage through Tonga’s southern islands to Tongatapu, where many had international flights to catch.
Captain Viliami Vaka‘uta Pola Vi, CEO of the Friendly Island Shipping Agency, in Nuku‘alofa, said the MV ‘Otuanga‘ofa had entered the Niuatoputapu lagoon safely at around 7:00am, but it had not taken on passengers and today's sailing for Vava‘u was postponed.
“We are saying we are sailing tomorrow, but we will have to see tomorrow actually what Ian's doing before we decide to leave or whether we are just hanging there,” he said. “What we don't want is to have a meeting [with Ian] in Vava‘u.”
At 1:00pm this afternoon Ian was located 170km southwest of Niuafo'ou or about 360km northwest of Vava'u, and was slowly tracking towards Vava‘u. The weather in Niuatoputapu remained calm today.
“So the safest bet is to stay in Niuatoputapu for the time being,” said Capt. Vi. “If it is coming up to a Category 4 we will just stay until maybe Monday morning. It’s quite safe to sit there,” he said. “Everybody's ashore and only the crew on board.”
“Category 4 is very, very rough weather so you have to avoid it as far as possible,” he said.
“We don't know exactly which way Ian might come down south - so all this area is vulnerable to the hurricane at the moment…. Everything points to a southeast track,” said Capt. Vi who has been tracking the Low for 11 days.
The MV ‘Otuanga‘ofa voyage from Niuatoputapu to Vava‘u normally takes 16 hours, but Capt. Vi expected heavy swells would slow down the voyage when it finally got underway.
“It depends on how Ian behaves. I have to think about them leaving maybe Saturday evening and arriving about Sunday afternoon in Vava‘u.”
The ferry, captained by Captain Koli Sitanilei with a crew of 30, expects to take on around 200 passengers at Niuatoputapu for the return voyage.
“All the men on board I trust their judgment,” said Capt. Vi.
Built in Japan, the three year old MV ‘Otuanga‘ofa , is a modern fully equipped ferry. The double hulled vessel is 53m long, with twin screws, and the cargo is water-tight, said Capt. Vi.