THE MV Airi was detained by SIMSA prior to its departure to Malaita Outer Islands on Wednesday evening.

The boat was detained after it was found that it did not have the qualified officers onboard to take the ship to that distant location in the country.

Officer in charge of Operation Safe Boat – 2016 from the office of SIMSA, Mr Derek Saru told this paper yesterday that the boat was the second to be detained during this operation after a tug boat was detained two weeks ago.

He said that for the cause of MV Airi, it is the failure of the ship owner to comply with the marine safety and regulation that has resulted on the detention.

Mr Saru said the vessel was supposed to make a passenger trip to MOI when the Marine caught up with the ship and detained the boat.

“The reason for detaining the boat is come since we didn’t find any class three deck and engineer onboard to take the vessel.

“When we checked the boat we found out that the vessel is with invalid shipmaster, chief engineer and poor listing of crews onboard.

“With these areas identified we detained the boat and requested that the ship must with valid class three shipmaster and class three engineer before taking the trip.

We did that because the trip is a very long trip and it needs somebody with higher seaman qualification to take the boat,” he said.

Mr Saru said this action is not only applied to this trip, but it’s the marine’s responsibility to ensure all boats traveling long distances meet all sea worthiness.

He said the boat was detained and requested a dispensation from the ship owner to find a class-three shipmaster and chief engineer before the boat can sail.

Mr Saru said that if they can’t find anyone then they are recommended to find a class-four officer.

He said it took them the whole day yesterday to go about the work as SIMSA stands on the regulation that the ship owner must file a dispensation for that matter before the boat can sail.

However, the matter lay upon the person who charter the ship where he settle the issue with SIMSA before the ship left at 10pm last night.