VOEA Lomipeau (A301) (ex Punaruu, ex Bow Cecil) is a coastal tanker in service with the Tonga Maritime Force that entered service in 1995.[1][2] The ship was built in 1969 in Norway and commissioned into the French Navy as Punaruu on 16 November 1971.[3] It was gifted to Tonga in 1995 as a reward for not speaking out against French nuclear testing.[4] It was subsequently given a major refit in Auckland, New Zealand, then used to carry relief fuel to the Cook Islands,[5] and water to Haʻapai.[6]

General characteristics
TypeTanker
Displacement4,000 tonnes full load
Length83.5 m (273 ft 11 in)
Beam13.5 m (44 ft 3 in)
Propulsion2 diesels
Speed12.5 knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph)

Its home port was Nukuʻalofa.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Lomipeau". Marinetraffic.com.
  2. ^ skipshistorie
  3. ^ Jane's fighting ships. 1996-97. Janes. 1996. p. 720.
  4. ^ ""Voea Lomipeau"" (PDF). Marine News. Vol. 46, no. 3. 1997. p. 152-153. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  5. ^ "TONGAN SHIP TRANSPORTING OIL TO COOK ISLANDS". Pacific Islands Report. 7 January 1998. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  6. ^ "RAIN COMES TO TONGA'S HA'APAI ISLANDS AFTER SIX MONTHS". Pacific islands Report. 13 November 1998. Retrieved 16 March 2021.