THE Spirit of Altruism is the latest inclusion of ship to be serving the waters of Fiji. Bought and owned by the Patterson Brothers Shipping Co Ltd, the vessel provides return services between Natovi and Nabouwalu and between Natovi and Savusavu.
The Spirit of Altruism is PBSCL third fleet, joining two other RORO passenger ships, Spirit of Harmony and Spirit of Love.
According to Trevor Patterson, the vessel was bought to cater for the increased economic activities in the Northern Division.
“Given the increased economic activities in the Northern Division bauxite mining, major works to infrastructure and further developments that will be taking place in the immediate future, additional tonnage was required to cater for this increase and to allow sufficient operational downtime to carry out the company’s planned maintenance system,” Mr Patterson said.
With a maximum speed of up to 16.0 knots and operating speed of 12 knots, the Spirit of Altruism allows faster travelling time for the public — a three-hour and 45 minute travel time between Natovi and Nabouwalu and a six-hour travel time between Natovi and Savusavu.
Mr Patterson did not want to reveal the price of the vessel, only saying that the purchase reflected her condition.
“The Spirit of Altruism was designed and built to Bureau Veritas Classification Society standards and is in very good condition for a vessel of her age. The ship was operated in Northern Europe and Southern Europe to their stringent standards of surveys and inspections.
“The ship represents a substantial investment on the part of Patterson Brothers Shipping Co. Ltd as the company continues to reinvest in good quality ships to improve passenger services to the North.”
When asked if PBSCL had plans to purchase further vessels in the future, Mr Patterson said right now there aren’t.
“At this stage, the three ships have sufficient tonnage and passenger capacity to transfer up to 2200 passengers and 5000 tonnes of cargo on a daily basis. Any further purchase will depend on further developments in the Northern Division.”
