Crew of MV Moana Chief recognised at the 2023 New Zealand Search and Rescue Awards

New Zealand – The crew of MV Moana Chief, a New Zealand-flagged vessel operating under Pacifica Shipping (Pacifica), was awarded a Certificate of Achievement at the 2023 New Zealand Search and Rescue Awards for their efforts in the rescue of a dismasted yacht, Astra, about 65 miles southeast of Napier.

In March 2023, MV Moana Chief was on passage to Auckland, having left the Port of Lyttelton. Weather conditions during that time were severe, with poor visibility, and southerly winds between 35 to 40 knots, with gusts up to 46 knots.

Nearby, a yacht, Astra, which was being manned by a solo skipper, had dismasted.

Upon receiving the Mayday relay radio call and being contacted by Maritime Radio (Napier), the then-captain of MV Moana Chief, Captain Nitin Tyagi, responded by diverting from the vessel’s original route to provide assistance alongside fishing vessel Amaltal Apollo and the helicopter Hercules.

At the awards ceremony held today, Alistair Skingley, Country Manager – New Zealand, Swire Shipping, and Captain Graeme Bird, a senior Master with Swire Shipping and Pacifica, represented Pacifica and the crew of MV Moana Chief to receive the award.

Alistair Skingley said, “I’m incredibly proud of the entire crew aboard MV Moana Chief during this rescue. Their swift action and decisive response during the rescue of Astra is testament to their dedication and commitment to safety, a core value and top priority at Swire Shipping. Their ability to react quickly and effectively in a challenging situation is truly inspiring and embodies the values we instil in all our crew.”

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About Pacifica Shipping
For over 39 years, Pacifica Shipping has been New Zealand’s leading dedicated coastal shipping operator and sustainable domestic cargo carrier. It offers door-to-door and wharf-to-wharf movements for inter-regional FCL cargo to complement New Zealand’s road and rail networks. Pacifica Shipping currently operates two New Zealand-flagged coastal container ships, MV Moana Chief and MV Takutai Chief, and is a member of the New Zealand Shipping Federation Inc. Headquartered in Auckland, Pacifica is an operating division of Swire Shipping (NZ) Ltd.

For more information, please visit https://www.pacship.co.nz/.

About Swire Shipping
Swire Shipping is the wholly owned, deep-sea ship owning and operating arm of the multinational Swire group.

Headquartered in Singapore, Swire Shipping is dedicated to facilitating and growing trade in regions where it operates. Connecting over 400 ports, Swire Shipping provides several high frequency liner shipping services in the Asia Pacific markets; integrated logistics solutions in the Pacific; transpacific services between North Asia and the Pacific Northwest; and specialist shipping services to the global project logistics market under the brand name, Swire Projects. It specialises in providing a wide range of specialist customer solutions for project, heavy lift, refrigerated, breakbulk and mini bulk cargoes. Swire Shipping maintains a worldwide agency network in addition to its own representative offices across the Asia-Pacific, Pacific Islands, North America, and Europe, providing customers with dedicated service and expert market knowledge.

For more information, please visit www.swireshipping.com.

Media contacts
Kevin LIM
Head of Corporate Communications, Swire Shipping
Tel: +65 9296 7318
Email: kevinsp.lim@swireshipping.com

Rebecca CHEE
Assistant Corporate Communications Manager, Swire Shipping
Tel: +65 9837 2677
Email: rebecca.chee@swireshipping.com