The condition of the front and rear sections of Rena have deteriorated over the past few days following heavy weather. The bulkheads at the front of the stern section have been damaged and the forward section has suffered structural damage. This has resulted in debris and a small number of containers going into the sea.
The Astrolabe Reef was hit by with swells of up to 6 metres overnight, resulting in a slight change to the list on the stern section of the wreck and causing the sections to move. https://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/default.asp[Maritime New Zealand] Tauranga Response and Recovery Manager David Billington indicated this was not unexpected given the rough weather and the fact that the ship has been exposed to the elements for so long. Salvors continue to monitor the vessel, but it apears settled for now.
Recovery of Debris and Containers
Container and debris recovery company Braemar Howells has already collected one container containing milk powder by tug boat, north of Motiti Island. A plane, a fast response vessel, a barge and two tug boats have been working at sea collecting floating debris. This included timber and packaged milk powder. Members of the Braemar team were working to keep the debris from shipping channels, and to prevent as much as possible from reaching shore.
649 Containers Recovered
To date, 649 containers have been recovered ashore and a further 43 located. About 250 are estimated to remain below decks on the forward section of the vessel. However, obtaining an accurate count of how many containers are still to be recovered is extremely difficult, due to conditions around the wreck and the amount of container debris on the seafloor.
Navigational Warnings Remain in Place
Navigational safety warnings remain in place, and any vessels out on the water should keep a good look out and avoid the area between the wreck site and Motiti Island. Skippers are advised to listen to the navigational warnings being put out by the harbourmaster and watch their speeds.
Oil Sheen
National On Scene Commander Rob Service said a light sheen of oil was stretching just under 1 nautical mile in an easterly direction from the wreck. Observers had also noted some dark patches of oil in the immediate vicinity of the wreck. There is the potential for some oil to come ashore. Shoreline Clean-up Assessment Teams have surveyed the beach between Leisure Island and Tay Street this morning and located small droplets of oil along the high tide mark. These could be the result of the fresh release, or old oil being exposed due to the stormy weather. https://www.swzonline.nl/fotoverslag/57[Visit the Rena photo album which has been updated with three new pictures.] Source: https://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/News/Latest-media.asp[Maritime New Zealand, picture LOC (https://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/Rena/gallery-salvage.asp[Maritime New Zealand Incident Gallery])
