 TheQueen Salamasina stranded on the Apia waterfront, 1990 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Samoa | |
| Name | Queen Salamasina |
| Operator | Samoa Shipping Corporation |
| Builder | Dillingham Shipyard,Perth,Australia |
| Launched | 30 April 1977 |
| Completed | October 1977 |
| Acquired | 1977 |
| Decommissioned | January 1999 |
| Identification | IMO number: 7601762 |
| Status | Decommissioned |
 | |
| Name | MVIsland Navigator |
| Owner | Patterson Brothers Shipping Company (1999–2008) |
| Christened | 1999 |
| Decommissioned | 2008 |
| Status | Decommissioned |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Ferry (RORO) |
| Tonnage | 714 GT (gross tonnage); 120 metric tonsdeadweight (DWT) |
| Length | 43 m (141 ft) |
| Beam | 10.2 m (33 ft) |
| Complement | 14 |
| Notes | 206 passengers |
TheMVQueen Salamasina was an inter-island ferry which was operated inSamoa by theSamoa Shipping Corporation from 1977 to 1999.
TheQueen Salamasina was constructed for the Australian government at the Dillingham Shipyard inPerth,Australia and completed in 1977.[1] On completion, it was gifted to the Samoan government,[2] which then leased it to the Samoa Shipping Corporation.[3] Shortly after arriving in Samoa it damaged its propeller shaft inApia harbour and had to be taken toSuva,Fiji for repairs.[4] In September 1978 it added trips toSalelologa to its scheduled sailings toPago Pago.[5] Over its career it also sailed to Tokelau, Tonga, Niue, Rarotonga, Wallis and Futuna, Fiji, and New Zealand.[6]
In February 1990 duringCyclone Ofa the ferry broke its moorings in Apia harbour and was washed ashore on the Apia waterfront. It was refloated in July 1990 and towed toNelson, New Zealand for repairs.[7] Increased maintenance costs and safety concerns following the repairs caused the Samoan government to ask the government of Japan to design and construct a replacement vessel.[8]
TheQueen Salamasina made its last trip for the SSC in January 1999 and was replaced on the Apia - Pago Pago route by the MVLady Naomi.[6] In November 1999 it was sold to Fijian companyPatterson Brothers Shipping Company.[1] It was renamedIsland Navigator.[9]
