MV Sonia had 14 defects

THE MV Sonia, which last week began plying between Tobago and Trinidad, was found to have 14 deficiencies when inspected last July. The deficiencies included two in its lifesaving appliances, two in its fire safety measures, one defect under “safety in general,” three in the certification of the crew, one in the ship’s documentation, and one case of insufficient working space in breach of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) rules.

The results of an inspection of the ferry at Naples, Italy, are shown on the Internet at a marine information web site, www.equasis.org which is funded and run by the maritime administrations of the European Commission and France as well as those of Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom, the US Coast Guard and Japan. The Sonia was inspected both times under the authority of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control. More details on these deficiencies were accessed through the Paris MoU web site.

These included, lifesaving appliances such as inflatable life-rafts and rescue boats. Operational deficiencies include  abandon ship drills and muster list, structural safety, means of escape, working spaces and accident prevention, danger areas and crew certificates for master and officers. A later inspection last August 11 showed just one deficiency, in the Sonia’s propulsion and auxiliary machinery. Last Thursday, said the Equasis web site, the Sonia changed owner to Tomasos Transport from Italo-Hellenic Tourist Ent which had become owner on November 15, having previously been owned since September 24 by Tomasos Brothers.

Interestingly both the Tomasos Brothers and Italo-Hellenic companies have the same registration address at 2 Iassonos Street, Piraeus, Greece. Last Thursday the ship also changed its registration flag from Greece to Italy. The web site reveals that the vessel, whose International Maritime Organisation (IMO) registration number is 9257735, was originally registered as Atsalakis 010 in 2001, then as Adamantios Korais in 2003, then as the Sonia on July 26, 2004, Adamantios Korais on October 19, 2004, and Sonia again on November 8, 2004. Opposition Senator Wade Mark has claimed that the Sonia is not a new vessel but after being built last July had serviced the port of Naples where she suffered an explosion. these claims have been flatly denied by Minister of Works and Transport, Franklin Khan.