Rena remains reef bound

Rena is steady on the Astrolabe Reef with the overnight storm not appearing to have shifted it or caused more damage to its buckled and cracked hull.

Maritime New Zealand salvage unit manager Bruce Anderson says nine salvors are aboard the vessel inspecting it for damage.


See animation below of how Rena is positioned on the reef. Animation compiled for October 20 by Rosalind Spink, London Offshore Consultants.

Data from sensors positioned on the ship show it has not shifted on the reef and eyewitness accounts show the original cracking has not worsened.

Bruce says it is not known if the buckling toward the stern of the vessel, first noticed at the weekend by divers, is in a worse condition following the storm.

'Over the next days as the sea state settles down divers can get there to see how it has developed.”

This buckling is toward the bow of the ship in a submerged section.

Other tasks to be conducted by the salvors are re-establishing the divers' station and shifting lighter oils aboard the ship to tanks from which it can be easily pumped off.

The last tank holding heavy fuel oil, 358 tonnes, is the starboard five tank and it does not appear to have leaked in the storm.

Bruce says the ship's stability on the reef is in part because of air pockets inside the ship, principally in the engineroom, with this giving some buoyancy.

If the ship were to break in two the Go Canopus tug is in position to attempt to tow the stern section to shallower water.

There are four locations selected for this.

A Maritime New Zealand spokesperson says these locations are not onshore, such as at Papamoa Beach, or on an island such as Motiti Island, but instead are in shallower water than that surrounding the reef.

Bruce says there is a 90m deep seabed in places around the reef and a shipwreck at that depth is difficult for salvors to operate from.

Towing a broken ship section is not an easy operation and the salvors will be guided in their decision making as to where to try and tow it based on weather conditions.

'It is heavily weather dependent – we can't take it against the wind or the swell.”

The next bout of stormy weather is forecast for Friday.

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3 comments

thought of minds

Posted on 02-11-2011 17:42 | By blocker

we all want to know ..if it breaks off where is it going to be attempted to be towed too .do they dare to answer that question ......


Here's a clue...blocker

Posted on 02-11-2011 23:45 | By tibs

It's in the second to last paragraph, inside the " "! But as you didn't or couldn't read that, it's heavily weather dependent and they can't tow it against the wind or swell.


Oil that is ... Black Gold... Texas Tea.

Posted on 03-11-2011 10:04 | By bigted

I suggest weather permitting Rena be towed to Wellington with no stamp on it, addressed to the Beehive. No problems!


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