The Malawi Shipping Company is a privately owned company, managing services for both passengers and business on Lake Malawi, as well as shipyard activities:
Passenger ships
The mv Ilala is a 400 tonne passenger vessel. It has a total capacity of 450 passengers and offers cabin class, first class, second class and economy class facilities as well as a bar and restaurants. The mv Chilembwe is mostly used as a relief boat whenever the Ilala needs to be taken off the water for maintenance. It is 32 metres long and 7 metres wide, with two fixed-pitch propellers and two Caterpillar C32 TTA (WOSR) engines rating 2460 bkW (3300 bhp) power. It can carry 120 passengers and 20 tons of cargo, including food and medicines, at a maximum speed of 22 knots. MV Mtendere: A companion ferry to Ilala, operating in the southern part of the lake and sometimes replacing Ilala for maintenance.
Cargo Ships
At the moment in operation there are three cargo vessels, MV Katundu with total capacity of 720 tons, MV Karonga with total capacity of 300 Ton and MT Vipha Tug & Pontoon with total capacity of 650 tons. There are able to transport break cargo i.e coal, sugar, fertilizer, maize, general cargo and containers, between Lake Malawi ports of Mozambique, Tanzania and Malawi.
Likoma Express
Likoma Express operates a fast ferry service between mainland Malawi and Likoma Island, each journey is just two and a half hours. Visit their website to make an instant booking. Departures are from Nkhata Bay and Ngala Beach Lodge. Sailings can be booked to Chizumulu Island and to the Northern Lakeshore
Boarding points
The Likoma Express main boarding points on Likoma Island is Chinyanya Bay jetty which is located in the north of likoma island. This is the ferry’s original point of departure in the mornings and the last stop when it arrives back on the island. Nkhata Bay port jetty check-in for departures from Nkhata Bay is at Hot-Spot Cafe, approximately 50 meters from the main port gates. Passengers are encouraged to check-in at least 90-minutes prior to the departure of the ferry.
The oldest ship on Lake Malawi
The story of a Malawi ship named after Anglican missionary Chauncy Maples, is one that is as fascinating as it is saddening.
Though initially meant for mission work the MV Chauncy Maples has changed names and even purposes along the way. It is currently docked on the shores of Lake Malawi at Monkey Bay, awaiting its ultimate fate.
The MV Chauncy Maples, initially called the SS Chauncy Maples, is a 113-year-old ship introduced to the waters of Lake Malawi by an Anglican missionary society the Universities’ Mission to Central Africa in 1901. It was primarily meant for use as a mobile mission station and since then, has traversed the vast and often treacherous waters of this great African lake.
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