The Rena finally breaks apart in heavy seas
January 9, 2012
Timber, plastic and sacks of milk powder, along with other debris from containers began being washed up onto popular New Zealand beaches this morning after the containership Rena, stuck on an offshore reef for three months, broke apart in heavy seas yesterday.
The 47,230-tonne Liberian-flagged Rena, grounded on Astrolabe Reef, finally broke in two about 22km off Tauranga on the east coast of New Zealand after being pounded by waves of up to six metres.
Up to 300 containers have been washed overboard, with most expected to sink.
While a new oil leak is feared, clean-up teams expect it to be smaller than the initial escape.
After the Rena struck the well-marked Astrolabe Reef off the North Island resort area of Tauranga on 5 October, the resulting fuel oil spill was described as New Zealand’s worst maritime environmental disaster.
The vessel’s captain and other senior officers face up to 16 charges relating to the wreck.
At least five containers have already washed ashore at Waihi Beach, a popular spot for holidaymakers, a Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) spokesman said.
“There are a lot of containers and debris in the water and washing up on the beaches,” he said.
An oil sheen was spreading 3km from the stricken vessel and small amounts of oil were washing up on nearby islands and beaches, he added.
Dozens of sacks of milk powder also littered the beach and stained the sea surrounding the ship after one container broke apart.
Recovery company Braemar Howells said it believed 200-300 containers out of the 800 still on the ship had fallen overboard when the ship split.
It is likely the stern section will capsize and sink, which could make recovering any further containers considerably more difficult, said MNZ salvage adviser Jon Walker.
Courtesy of IFW
