Østensjø Rederi has outfitted the vessel Edda Fonn, getting it ready for the delivery to the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) following the sale announcement in August 2018 .
“ Edda Fonn has served our company to great satisfaction. However, we are very pleased with the sale and it will give our company the opportunity to invest in new tonnage ,” says CEO Kenneth Walland .
To meet RNZN’s needs for rebuilding and adaptations of Edda Fonn, Østensjø Rederi offered them a turnkey solution with a rebuilt vessel. The vessel has spent the last weeks being rebuilt in Frederikshavn, Denmark. It is now outfitted with dive, ROV and hydrographic systems and its bright colors have been replaced by the Navy’s grey paint.
During the next weeks, 12 New Zealanders and Edda Fonn crew of 13 and will cross 12,105 nautical miles, before reaching their destination in Auckland. The voyage starts by heading towards the English Canal, along to the French coast, and the Portuguese Azorean islands, before heading towards the Caribbean. The vessel will then transit through the Panama Canal before crossing the Equator and cruising across the vast Pacific Ocean towards Wellington and Auckland.
Once in Auckland, Edda Fonn will be re-named HMNZS Manawanui with home port in Gisborne.
The vessel will be utilized for military and Coast Guard functions. It may also be used to carry out crane, diving and ROV operations, assisting Pacific nations with rescue operations or handling natural disasters.
Edda Fonn was Østensjø Rederi’s first purpose-built vessel for the offshore market with fifteen years in operation.