The local US Coast Guard unit will be traveling to Apia next week to conduct an inspection of the Samoa Government’s new ferry, Lady Samoa IV.
Lt Richard Quintana, head of the local Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Unit, said three of them will be in Apia from November 9 to 14 to inspect the new vessel and also doing professional outreach with two fish export companies in Samoa, Deepsea Fishing and Apia Export.
Lt Quintana says the new vessel must pass an inspection before it is certified to carry passengers to American Samoa.
The outreach with the fish export companies in Samoa, he said, is mainly to establish good relations with them.
The Lady Samoa IV, funded by Japan, is a 1,130 metric tons with a complement of 280 passengers and 17 crew members.
It replaces the aging Lady Naomi which has been ploughing the waters between Apia and Pago Pago for about 30 years.
