Operations to pump oil from the Rena wreck on Astrolabe Reef are on hold as salvors prepare to leave the vessel due to rough seas.
Maritime New Zealand salvage unit manager Andrew Berry says there are five salvors onboard sealing the fuel tanks in preparation to leave the container ship this afternoon.
Oil pumping has stopped on the Rena as the salvage team prepares to leave ahead of an increasing swell.
'This is a precaution because salvors are not going to be onboard the vessel this afternoon.”
Andrew says swell size of up to 4m is creating problems for pumping operations, with 90 tonnes of the estimated 1300 tonnes onboard Rena being removed yesterday.
Salvors onboard will also seal the manhole cover, which provides access to the main fuel tanks in order to protect the tank and keep it whole if the ship were to break up.
Pumping operations were abandoned at 11.30pm on Monday due to rough seas and high winds of up to 35 knots.
Andrew says the hose used for pumping from Rena to Awanuia was purposely disconnected last night because Awanuia was no longer able to hold position.
'Awanuia is sitting to the north of Rena, waiting for conditions to improve.”
More wind forecast overnight is increasing fears the ship could break up and Andrew says the ship is in a stable condition, but has been moving around on the reef.
'We are expecting a little bit more wind tonight and tomorrow.”
The two cracks on the port and starboard sides of Rena are clearly visible and Andrew says Rena is being held together by the reef and internal structures.
If the ship does breakup the stern will be towed to shallow water less than 50 metres deep so that salvors can continue to work – with divers.
MNZ National On Scene Commander Ian Niblock says a small amount of oil leaked from the ship overnight which is heading offshore and breaking up within 2km of the bow.
No beach clean-ups will take place today due to bad weather, but Ian says they are well prepared for the situation to change with more than 3000 volunteers on standby.
'We need a patch of good weather for salvors to remove as much oil as possible.”
No more containers have been lost from Rena overnight and MNZ has located another container near Motiti Island.
Andrew says salvors have all the equipment they need aboard the vessel to resume transfer operations as soon as the weather calms.
8 comments
4 metres my arse.
Posted on 18-10-2011 12:28 | By kiwisan
Looking at beach and seeing 2ft lines does not equate to a 4metre swell.Not even taking into account swell lift on the reef.
Love Beachside Critics
Posted on 18-10-2011 12:55 | By tabatha
kiwisan, realise that the Astrolabe Reef is more exposed to the wind direction then the beach. I take it you do not believe what the people on board Rena or Awanuia are subjected to. Please remember the people working out there have families and the last thing I think any of us would want is the injury or loss of life to one or any of the salvage operators. Please engage brain and read descriptions of what is happening before making stupid comments.
Rena
Posted on 18-10-2011 13:14 | By whiskers
I wish thew salvors would come clean on where they intend to tow the stern of the ship to when the ship breaks apart.I note in this article that the salvors have said they would tow the piece that breaks off to where the seabed is no more than 50 metres.So will this be towards the Mount and Papamoa coastline?If so what are they expecting the reaction of the Bay of Plenty residents will be?To me,the closer the ship is to shore then the bigger the mess that will need to be cleaned up in a spill of oil.
Bleed bleed cry cry..
Posted on 18-10-2011 16:22 | By kiwisan
Yes dear tabatha I do . I also know how people involved like to make everything sound just a little harder or more dangerous or more difficult than it could be so that we dont have too high expectations.Or underplay it to ridiculous lengths ,as in There will be no oil leaks or We are sure we can get it off in no time.....Right from the start lots and lots of people have been covering themselves just a little bit,havent they ,dear tabitha? I have no doubt the people on board got off for good reason. But I do know what a 4 metre swell is like . I have been surfing this coast for 35 years and have seldom seen a 4 metre swell. Kisses.
kiwisan
Posted on 18-10-2011 17:18 | By hapukafin
who is this idiot kiwisan
@kiwisan
Posted on 18-10-2011 17:27 | By tabatha
You have been surfing the coast for 35 years and I can understand your frustration. However remember the deeper the ocean the greater the wave and from memory Astrolabe is about 12 nautical miles from the main land. Not a place a surfer would surf. Us your brain you idiot. As for the kisses I would not like to meet a girl like you even in full daylight. Tabatha is my non de plume named after one of our cats who was in the room sleeping at the time. I have also lived in the region for over 60 years and know what can happen wave wise. Also saw the previous ship aground on Matakana in 1959, we were lucky then it went on sand. Think about the whole picture not your precious little surfing habit. The environment, the people missing out with business, the possible long time effect to the area and also our friends either side of Tauranga. hapukafin thanks for your quick comment I agree with you as you possible tell I am a little brassed off with the person myself.
I Dont care
Posted on 18-10-2011 17:28 | By jimmi
what the swell size is, get the crap out of the ship of one peice or is that two, maritime NZ surely dont know
Look a little deeper
Posted on 18-10-2011 18:48 | By kiwisan
Dont believe I was bleating about my precious little surfing habit.Just saw tv inmages of Reena Being pummelled by he 4 metre swell ,4feet slop not 4 metres.For what its worth I have surfed on reefs that rise a lot more sharply and from much deeper water than the Astrolab and actually think I do know more about it than you do. Anyway that is of little importance.My main point is that there is a lot of covering of lots of arses going on in this whole f-up. And if you cant see that or at least get a small inkling of that then you my good friend, tabatha the cat, are the idiot.Or at the least very gullible. Sloppy Kisses.
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