A new “schooner” to serve the Southern Islands in French Polynesia is planned:
Le Tuha'a Pae IV sera remplacé, dès 2026, par un nouveau cargo mixte sur la ligne des Australes et de Rapa. Plus gros, avec ses 89 mètres, plus spacieux et plus pratique pour le fret, les produits frais et les passagers, le Na Hiro e Pae sera surtout...
A line which, as the shipowner points out, imposes design constraints. Not only because of the sea and wind conditions, which are more difficult as we sail towards the South. These are the very characteristics of the islands served which are reflected in the plans of the boat. “In the Austral Islands, we have high islands and low islands, we have to work offshore, unload by nautical means, and at the same time enter very shallow lagoons. No ship in the fleet, apart from the Tuha’a Pae IV today, can and does not risk going to the dock in Tubuai for example, explains Boris Piel, the technical director of the company and head of the Na Hiro e project. Pae. The constraint of the ship is to be able to unload the goods offshore in the most comfortable way possible in the strongest possible weather, which requires having a lot of feet in the water, and a certain width, and at the same time time to be able to navigate in complete safety in the lagoons of the Austral Islands. » Result: the draft of the new cargo ship will not exceed 4 meters when fully loaded… Where other fenua schooners sink as much into the water when empty.
PS> I believe we have at least one member here who are familiar with trading in the South Pacific.