Ilala is back on sail having been certified fit by both Malawi Shipping Company (MSC) and Marine Department of the Ministry of Transport.
Excitement was evident in the voice of Likoma Island district commissioner Charles Mwawembe in an interview on Sunday.
“We are so excited. We will now be able to buy maize from Admarc markets because they had stopped bringing us maize following the withdrawal of the vessel,” said Mwawembe.
As at 8 o’clock Sunday morning, the vessel had left Nkhotakota and was expected to arrive in Likoma at 11am, sailing at a speed twice the normal.
“It has passed all endurance tests, but am not the spokesperson for the Marine Department, talk to the director,” said Lloyd Banda, acting head of Maritime Safety.
An endurance test involves putting the ship’s engines under as much intense pressure as possible to ascertain the vessel’s sea worthiness.
According to Mwawembe, news of Illala sailing “makes great listening because Likoma depends on mainland for virtually everything”.
“A lot of people are ready to travel to Nkhata Bay this afternoon,” he said at 9am on Sunday.
Shipping adviser for MSC, Austin Msowoya — former director of Marine Services — says the ship should run without any further problems for the next seven years.
Meanwhile, one of the two ships MSC plans to build from Monkey Bay Ship Building yard is expected to be ready in the next eight months, according to Msowoya.
So far, several parts have already arrived from Dutch company Damen, which has also sent in several engineers.
The Marine Department had earlier rejected the designs of the new ship, Damen Fast Crew Suppler 3307, saying it will not be fit for Lake Malawi services.
