SPA’s new tugboat, ‘Mamelles’, inaugurated |28 October 2023
Unveiling the tugboat’s name
The Seychelles Ports Authority officially inaugurated its new tugboat, named ‘Mamelles’, in a ceremony yesterday morning at the Mahé Quay, Victoria, ending a series of activities for the Golden jubilee of the Mahé Quay.
The ceremony started with a thanksgiving mass led by Father David Alcindor and Reverend Christine Benoit to acknowledge the port’s many years of service and its contribution to the country as well as the 19th anniversary of the SPA.
The mass, animated by the National brass band, was followed by a welcoming remark by the deputy chief executive of SPA, Dr Egbert Moustache, who noted that the event was one of SPA’s important achievements.
“At SPA we have a very dynamic and dedicated operation team that ensures that everyday everything runs smoothly and this great milestone is guaranteed to make them work even harder and better,” said Dr Moustache.
He concluded by thanking his team for their hard work in “ensuring the port remains operational for all those in the region and contribute to our economy”.
For his part, the Minister for Transport, Antony Derjacques, expressed his pleasure to witness yet another milestone with the inauguration of a new tug.
“This is indeed another remarkable investment in facilitating progress as SPA’s new module. This tug shall serve as a significant boost to providing efficient and reliable harbour tug services,” he said.
Earlier in the year, a competition was launched to name the new tug, and the person who came up with the name ‘Mamelles’ was Jim Moncherry, who is SPA’s security manager. He received a cash prize of R2,000.
The ceremony ended with the christening of the new tugboat by the longest serving female staff, Guyzella Gonsalves who has been working for SPA for 25 years.
There was also a lucky few who got the chance to ride on the boat as it did a small trip in the vicinity of Ste Anne Island.
Diane Larame
Photos by Joena Meme
