New Zealand Defence Force
Te Ope Kaatua O Aotearoa

29 January 2009

The Royal New Zealand Navy’s Diving Support Ship, HMNZS MANAWANUI will arrive in Wellington on Friday 30 January 2009 and depart Monday 2 February at 10.00am.

HMNZS MANAWANUI is undertaking Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) patrols on the east coast of the North Island and prior to departing Wellington harbour on Monday 2 February, will host the Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral David Ledson and the Warrant Officer of the Navy, Warrant Officer Neil Roberts.

The ship will not be open to the public however Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander Phil Rowe and his ship’s company warmly invite members of the public to view the ship from Queens Wharf and take photographs.

ENDS

HMNZS MANAWANUI A09

HMNZS MANAWANUI was originally the STAR PERSEUS, built as a diving support vessel for North Sea oil rig operations. She was renamed and commissioned into the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) in 1988.

The Operational Dive Team (ODT) frequently work onboard MANAWANUI. The ODT are the premier divers of the RNZN, trained for deep diving with mixed gases, underwater demolition and unexploded ordnance disposal.

Specifications:
Standard Displacement: 911 tonnes
Length Overall: 43 metres
Beam: 9.5 metres
Draught: 3.2 metres
Speed: 11 knots
Range: 5,000 nautical miles
Complement: 24 Officers and ratings
Propulsion: Two Caterpillar marine diesels (565 hp)
Two shafts
Bow thrusters
Diesel with CPP (Controllable Pitch Propeller)

MANAWANUI has a triple lock recompression chamber, a crane with 13 tonne lifting capacity, wet diving bell and a small engineering workshop. She also has limited deck cargo carrying capacity.

ENDS

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