MV Sabanto operating at full capacity after extensive repairs

…as Govt in talks with US trade mission on acquiring new vessels

The MV Sabanto, one of the ships in the fleet of the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD), has been returned to full operational capacity following the Government’s decision to conduct repairs while the ship remained in service, rather than docking the vessel and leaving commuters inconvenienced.
The vessel had been sailing at less than full engine capacity while work was ongoing to fix one of its engines. Last week, during a parliamentary sitting, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill disclosed that relevant parts for the vessel, which ply the Essequibo-Parika route, have arrived in Guyana.
“The vessel under question by the honourable member encountered a difficulty with one engine. The normal trip to the Essequibo on the MV Sabanto, or the Kanuwan, is 90 minutes. As a result of the malfunctioning of that one engine, the boat has been taking a longer time…while the boat is sailing, Macorp is on the boat working to fix the engine,” he explained.
“We had a choice of taking the boat out of service and park it until it’s fixed, or we go with a boat that’s not as fast as it used to be but continues to provide a service. Because the trucks with the gas, the provisions, the coconut water, need to get out and the supplies get into the Essequibo, so we made a decision that we’d continue to sail while work is being done,” Edghill said.
It seems the decision to keep the ship in operation during repairs was a fortuitous one. The Transport and Harbours Department subsequently revealed that repairs have been completed on the MV Sabanto, and it is back to operating at full capacity.
According to the T&HD in a notice, the vessel had been operating on one engine while work was ongoing to fix the other. The repairs have now been completed, and travel time will return to the customary 90 minutes.
“As a result of diligent work over the past several weeks, the affected engine was fixed, and travellers will once again experience a shorter travel time. This is in keeping with the Government’s commitment to provide efficient and reliable ferry service to the public, and boost trade between key regions,” the T&HD has said.
“T&HD wishes to assure the public that their interest is of paramount importance to the agency, and it will continue to work towards the provision of a better quality of service. The Department is also pleased to inform the public that vehicle and passenger capacity on the Parika to Supenaam route has been boosted. Therefore, the public is assured of efficient and reliable ferry services during the Christmas season and in the New Year,” the department further said.

New vessels
In an effort to boost its capacity to provide transport services to far-flung areas and improve its ageing fleet, the Government is meanwhile on the lookout for fit-for-purpose ferry vessels, with markets such as the United States (US) being examined.
During a recent sitting of the National Assembly, the state of Guyana’s maritime transport sector was put under the microscope. Minister Edghill explained to the National Assembly that the Government is looking to boost the T&HD’s capacity.
Edghill noted that during a recent visit by a trade mission from the United States, discussions were had on potentially adding to Guyana’s fleet. This is a reference to the delegation that arrived in Guyana last month from the bilateral Chambers of Commerce headquartered in Houston, and the Louisiana District Export Council.
During that visit to Guyana, the delegation members met with key persons in both the Private and Public sectors, and were told of investment opportunities in Guyana while also being urged to form partnerships with local companies. According to Edghill, among the discussions that were held with the delegation was about finding “fit-for-purpose” vessels for Guyana from the US.
“Quite recently, we had a distinguished trade mission from the United States visiting here. And one of the engagements we had with them was to help us to find fit-for-purpose vessels that might be available for auction from the US market, because acquiring new vessels takes a year. So, whilst someone might want to say, ‘You buying an old vessel’, to get a new boat is two years or even more.”
The Minister recalled the $2.5 billion spanking new MV Ma Lisha, which only commenced service between Georgetown and Region One (Barima-Waini) in August of this year. According to Edghill, this vessel was built by the Indian firm Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) in record breaking time only through the bilateral assistance of the Indian Government.
“That’s not normal. This is not a canoe we’re buying. So, we have to see what the market has to offer so that we would be able to get to the rescue. But we are looking at acquiring fit-for- purpose vessels that will: one, improve consumption. Two, time in terms of travel; and certainly, as the number one priority, safety.”