Malawi Shipping Company has announced that is has  withdrawn MV Ilala from Lake Malawi waters for routine maintenance.

MV Ilala, formally Ilala II, is a motor ship that has plied Lake Malawi in East Africa since 1951. She is operated by Malawi Lake Services and based in Monkey Bay, Malawi (on the southern end of the lake); every week she crosses the lake all the way north to Chilumba, Malawi, near Tanzania (about 300 miles (480 km) from Monkey Bay) and then returns to Monkey Bay.

Company spokesperson Thomas Chafunya told Zodiak Radio that MV Chilembwe will replace MV Ilala, to keep operations functional as normal. The MV Chilembwe is a passenger ship operating on Lake Malawi, named after Malawian freedom fighter John Chilembwe. It was launched in 2014 to partly replace the over 60 years old MV Ilala.

“MV Ilala will undergo routine maintenance for three weeks,” said Chafunya, as he urged passengers to pay MV Ilala fares on MV Chilembwe.