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M/V Luta arrival faces yet another delay
The arrival of the cargo and passenger vessel M/V Luta will be delayed yet again.
According to Senate President Victor B. Hocog (Ind-Rota), the vessel is currently undergoing another round of certification from the U.S. Coast Guard.
Hocog said after certification has been done on the vessel’s newly installed crane, and life rafts, it’s now under a 24-hour “open sea” test.
Hocog said owners of the vessel would have no choice but follow the regulations.
“Yes, it will be delayed again,” Hocog said, adding that he do not have any new information as to when the vessel will finally reach the CNMI, particularly Rota.
Back in April, the owner of M/V Luta was said to consider waiving the transport fees of agricultural produce in the CNMI.
This is apparently one of the concessions the privately owned vessel is willing to give, after getting a significant funding support for its fuel and other costs.
Hocog earlier confirmed that $400,000 was approved for use by M/V Luta, a retrofitted cargo and passenger vessel owned by Japanese company, Luta Mermaid LLC.
Hocog said the owner of M/V Luta is also proposing to waive the fees for all farm produce transported between Guam and the CNMI.
Hocog said the fund will be mostly used for the fuel costs for M/V Luta as it sails from the U.S. mainland to the CNMI. He clarified that the funds will be good for up to seven months of the vessel’s operations.
With the subsidy, M/V Luta can, in return, will provide discounts particularly on cargo fees transported between Guam, Rota, Saipan, and Tinian, Hocog said.
Rota Legislative Delegation Resolution 19-03 was approved “to authorize the Department of Finance to pay for fuel, lubrication, and other costs necessary for the maiden voyage of the vessel from Louisiana to its new home port in Rota, and to provide for the personnel and operational costs of the Office of the Mayor of Rota.”
The Rota Legislative Delegation adopted the resolution on March 20.
The vessel was said to set sail from Louisiana on April 15, and is expected to the reach the CNMI in about 36 days, but now, the schedule of its arrival remains unclear.
