Pacific Towing (PacTow) is taking another significant step in its regional growth strategy, with the re-flagging of its Honiara-based ASD tug Pacific Salvor to Solomon Islands.
The move is more than a change of flag. It represents a shift from having a Papua New Guinea vessel permanently deployed into the Solomon Islands market to embedding a major marine asset within the country itself.
Once the re-flagging process is complete, Pacific Salvor will legally become a Solomon Islands vessel, fly the Solomon Islands flag and be renamed. The process is expected to take approximately six months.
PacTow General Manager Gerard Kasnari says the decision reflects the company’s long-term commitment to both Solomon Islands and the wider Melanesian maritime industry.
A major capability permanently based in Solomon Islands
Pacific Salvor is not just a harbour tug. The 50-tonne bollard-pull ASD vessel is also capable of emergency towage, salvage, wreck removal and long-distance ocean towage. It is equipped with specialist firefighting capability, enabling it to support vessels affected by onboard fires.
Recent events have already demonstrated the value of having such a vessel available locally.
When the cargo and passenger vessel MV Anjeanette caught fire at Honiara Port, Pacific Salvor was mobilised in the early hours of the morning, provided boundary cooling and towed the burning vessel away from the port and nearby fuel storage facilities.
The tug was also deployed when general cargo vessel MV Wealth broke down while under Solomon Islands police escort, requiring an emergency tow to Honiara.
Re-flagging reinforces a long-term regional strategy
The re-flagging of Pacific Salvor also sits within a much larger PacTow fleet investment program.
The company has invested PGK70 million in two technologically advanced new-build ASD tugs, Pacific Responder and Pacific Resolute.
With a 70-tonne bollard pull, Pacific Responder is more powerful than any other tug in the PacTow fleet and is equipped with advanced firefighting capability and high-powered forward and aft winches. The vessel has been designed to support not only complex harbour towage, but also salvage, emergency response and long-distance towage. A very similar vessel, but with a 60-tonne bollard pull, Pacific Resolute, further increases PacTow’s fleet capacity.
While the two new-build tugs were acquired primarily to strengthen harbour towage capability in PNG, their significance extends well beyond PNG’s ports.
In short, a stronger fleet in PNG creates a stronger fleet across the region. It improves PacTow’s ability to maintain harbour towage coverage while mobilising vessels for emergencies and major projects in other countries. In Solomon Islands, that regional investment is complemented by a very local commitment - the permanent deployment and now re-flagging of a second tug, Pacific Salvor.
