This motorised vessel (MV) was built in 1972, and began sailing the Tongan route on 7 July 2009 only to sink less than a month later on 5 August.

Official figures released by Operation Ashika on 19 August 2009, confirmed that 54 men were rescued, and 74 people were lost at sea.

[6] The ferry was laid down in June 1972 and completed on 27 September 1972 at the Shikoku Dockyard in Takamatsu, Japan, and was named MV Olive Maru No.

[2] Due to concerns by the Tongan government over the physical status and safety of the existing inter-island ferry, the MV Olovaha,[7] the Princess Ashika was ordered from Fiji to replace the Olovaha at which time it was purchased by Shipping Corporation of Polynesia Ltd.[2] The use of the Princess Ashika was intended to be a stop-gap measure until a new boat funded by a NZD$35 million grant from Japan was to replace it in 2011.

[2] The ferry was travelling from the capital of Tonga, Nukuʻalofa, to Ha'afeva when it sent out a mayday call just before 2300 hours on 5 August 2009, followed by a distress beacon.

[11] A P-3 Orion plane from the Royal New Zealand Air Force located a trail of wreckage 86 kilometres (53 mi) northeast of Nukuʻalofa.

[17][18] After the sinking of the vessel on its first domestic service, Captain Maka Tuputupu admitted that he had been pressured by the government to go to sea without delaying the voyage to conduct necessary repairs.