What became of HMNZS MONOWAI (A06)?
HMNZS MONOWAI, Doubtful Sound, Fiordland c1995 (Larry Robbins)
MONOWAI was decommissioned on 21 April 1998, was steamed by a delivery crew to UK at the end of 1998 and ended up in Lowestoft.
The company who bought her indicated that they were planning to convert her to a small luxury cruise ship but the cost of the project proved to be prohibitive due to the need to return her to SOLAS and she was thus offered for sale.
During this time there was a small fire onboard but nothing too serious: “The New Zealand research vessel M/V MONOWAI (2,753 gross) had fire in engine-room while berthed at Lowestoft, awaiting refit, Mar 26. Fire extinguished same day. ” (Kills. March 28, 2000)
(source: www.cargolaw.com/presentations_casualties.0.html)
In October 2002 she was towed away to Cadiz for scrap. She broke free in the English Channel but the French Navy captured her, towed her to Brest whence she was towed to Cadiz:
(Approximate translation) “Perilous towing of Monowai the ex New Zealand oceanographical ship (disarmed). Monowai was towed by a Togolese ship, Le Polar, when it was in difficulty 35 km off the Finistere Coast, in the night of 26 to October 27. The tow being broken and the weather conditions not making it possible to board, a Super-Frelon of the 32F (squadron?) landed an evaluation operating team on board. The Alcyon tries a to take he ship in tow which is unsuccessful due to swells from 8 to 10 meters. The L’Abeille Flandre installs and then succeeds in taking the vessel in tow. A new parting of the cable obliges a new launch of Super-Frelon for assistance. The ship is taken in tow again and the convoy can return to Brest the following day. Led in the naval base and moored with old row of the aircraft carriers, the Kampuchean cargo liner Winner seized by the national Navy for traffic of cocaine, the New Zealand vessel has waited since then to be diverted to the Spanish demolition site in Cadiz, its destination of origin, until Monowai will be reinforced. It is a Portuguese salvage tug, the Falmouth Bay registered in Madeira, which will be charged to convey Monowai for its last voyage.” (Cols Bleus N ° 2637 of 16/11/2002, Le Télégramme January 16, 2003).
Any additional information would be welcome.