VOEA Savea (P203)
General characteristics
Displacement162 ton
Length31.5 m (103 ft)

VOEA Savea (P203) was a Pacific Forum patrol vessel operated by the Tongan Maritime Force from 1989 to April 2019.[1][2]

Savea was replaced by VOEA Ngahau Koula in June 2019.[3]

Background

When the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea extended maritime nations' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to 200 kilometres (120 mi)}, Australia designed and built 22 patrol vessels for 12 of its fellow members of the Pacific Forum.[2] Australia provided the patrol vessel free of charge, and helped build port facilities and provide training. This allowed its neighbour to exercise sovereignty over their EEZ, intercept smugglers, and poaching fishers, and provide emergency services.

Australia will replace Savea and her two sister ships with two slightly larger and more capable vessels between 2019 and 2020.[4]

Design

The 31.5-metre (103 ft) vessels displace 162 tonnes, and are built using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment, instead of more expensive, high-performance, military-grade equipment, to ease the maintenance burden, since local maintenance will be performed in small, isolated shipyards.[5][6]

Operational history

In 1999 Savea carried scientists from the Ministry of Land, Survey, and Natural Resources to study a volcano that emerged from the ocean in early January 1999.[7] A newly emerged volcanic island was observed from the air on January 8, 1999 35 kilometres (22 mi) northwest of Tongatapu Island. When first observed the island was approximately 300 metres (980 ft) long, with a 100 metres (330 ft) cinder cone. The cone was visibly venting fumes. By the time Savea arrived the island had been washed away, but fumes were still venting from underwater vents.

On August 24, 2009, Savea was dispatched to rescue Santana, a yacht in distress.[8] She was proceeding with her captain and a single crew member. That crew member reported the captain fell overboard, and he did not know how to operate the vessel. In 2009, after 20 years of service, Savea returned to Australia for a major refit.[2] She underwent another refit in Australia, in October 2017.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "VOEA Savea's final voyage from Tonga". Matangi Tonga. 2019-04-16. Retrieved 2019-06-25. The VOEA Savea departed Masefield Navy Base for the last time on Saturday, April 13, sailing past the Nuku'alofa waterfront and Royal Palace on its way to Australia. It will be replaced by a new patrol boat named VOEA Ngahau Koula (Golden Arrow).
  2. 1 2 3 "Maritime Surveillance Adviser -- Tonga". Nautilus Institute. Retrieved 2018-06-26.
  3. ↑ "Tonga Receives Guardian-Class Patrol Boat, VOEA Ngahau Koula". Defpost. 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2019-06-25. VOEA Ngahau Koula (Golden Arrow) replaces VOEA Savea, a Pacific Forum class patrol boat operated by the Tongan Maritime Force since the late 1980s. A second replacement vessel will follow in 2021. The new Guardian-class vessels are slightly larger, and more capable compared to Pacific Forum-class boats.
  4. ↑ "Tonga to receive new patrol boats from Australia". Tonga Broadcasting. 2017-08-22. Archived from the original on 2017-08-23. Retrieved 2018-06-26. According to Component Commander of the Navy, Commander Haisi Fonohema, Tonga will receive the 2 new patrol boats by 2019-2020.
  5. ↑ "Pacific Patrol Boat upgraded". Australian Defence. 2009-09-29. Retrieved 2018-06-26. The 31.5-metre PPBs are built to a commercial standard and are used by Pacific nations for maritime surveillance and response, in particular fisheries patrols.
  6. ↑ Fiona Walsh (2013-10-04). "International Fleet Review: seven to watch for when the ships come in". The Guardian. Retrieved 2019-06-25. Voea Savea is part of the tiny Tongan Maritime Force, which has a fleet of just half a dozen vessels and 130 sailors. The Voea Saveo has a crew of 14 to18 sailors, a speed of 20 knots, weighs 162 tonnes when fully loaded and is 31.5m long.
  7. ↑ "Report on Unnamed (Tonga) — March 1999". Smithsonian Institution. March 1999. doi:10.5479/si.GVP.BGVN199903-243030. Retrieved 2019-06-26. On 15 January a survey team, including two geologists from the Ministry of Land, Survey, and Natural Resources, inspected the island from the deck of the VOEA Savea, according to a report in the Tonga Chronicle. At that time the island had disappeared beneath the ocean surface, but the site was still emitting smoke and fumes.
  8. ↑ "VOEA Savea Rescues Yacht 'SANTANA'". Government of Tonga. 2009-08-26. Retrieved 2019-06-25. The only surviving crew member has reported that Santana captain fell overboard three days ago. According to the interview by Savea of the crew man, he said that since did not know how to operate the yacht or the communication equipment onboard, he could not recover the captain. He said the Captain wore a life jacket.
  9. ↑ "Completion of VOEA NEIAFU Refit by Australia". Government of Tonga. 2017-10-06. Retrieved 2018-06-26. On completion of the refit package, the boat was handed over to the crew under the command of Lieutenant Commander Semisi Tapueluelu for work-up on upgraded systems and preparations for passage back to Tonga.
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