Close inspection of the 520 ton MV ‘Otuangaofa found cracks were inside a ballast tank that needs dry dock maintenance in Fiji.
Matangi Tonga reports the CEO of the Friendly Islands Shipping Agency, Vaka'utapola Vi, saying that the cracks were due to localised stress.
He said the bow and the stern were the most highly-stressed areas of the vessel; with the bow stress caused by ramming, pounding and racking; while the stern stress was caused by pounding, propeller pressure and vibrations.
The company's MV Niuvakai is providing inter-island services until the Otuanga'ofa returns from Fiji in a fortnight.
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