White water and winds exceeding 30 knots have pounded Rena overnight pushing the stern of the ship to the left and halting any oil removal operations.

Maritime New Zealand salvage unit manager Andrew Berry says the ship's condition is continuing to worsen due to rough seas, with swells up to four metres and strong winds.

Computer generated graphic assessments of how Rena was sitting on Astrolabe Reef on Tuesday. Image: MNZ.

'The ship is not in the same condition it was five days ago.

'The aft section of the ship has moved further to the left, but not to the point where salvors cannot board the vessel.”

Three salvors are onboard the Rena carrying out a general assessment of the ship's condition, and attempting to find out what internal structure is holding the two pieces of ship together.

Once this is complete and conditions are safe a further three salvors will board Rena.

Divers are working on a plan to access the passageway and open the hatch to a starboard fuel tank.

Salvors are waiting for the swell to drop before they can reconnect the hose to the Awanuia and resume pumping oil off Rena.

'There is no timeframe for when that might happen – we have to work to the conditions.”

The Awanuia is remaining in position to the north of Rena.

Booster pumps are ready to go and will be loaded onto Rena as soon as conditions allow.

No new oil has leaked from Rena overnight, but a light sheen is visible to the south of the ship.

Andrew says during an aerial observation at 7.30am there was less oil in the water than there was at the same time yesterday.

MNZ national on scene commander Ian Niblock says teams are working to recover the oil that washed up at Harrisons Cut on Tuesday afternoon.

The coastal navigation warning has been extended around the East Cape after debris from containers washed up at Te Kaha this morning.

A shoreline assessment was carried out this morning and no beach clean ups will take place today.

Ian says 5000 volunteers are on standby if a further discharge of oil from Rena occurs.