New Zealand: Barge Smit Borneo Returns to Rena Wreck Site

 

The Smit Borneo has returned to the Rena wreck site and currently has 6 anchors secured in position.

Svitzer advise the tugs, Singapore, Go Canopus and Koraki are assisting. Two connections to the Rena are still to be made, and will hopefully be completed today or tomorrow at latest, subject to sea/swell conditions at the site.

Current weather conditions are for an easterly swell of 1.1m, with a maximum wave height of 2.8m, with northerly winds of 20 knots, turning southerly in the evening.

The forecast for tomorrow is for swells to remain at 1.1m, with a total expected wave height of 2.5m, with winds from the north, turning to SE on Wednesday.

Containers

Weekend clean-up operations by the Braemar Howells team included dragging debris up above the high tide mark at the base of Mauao (Mt Maunganui). The intention is to remove the debris – found on the western side of Mauao – today. Debris includes a couch, plywood and foam from refrigerated containers.

A survey of Pukehina Beach was conducted over the weekend. While the beach was found to be clear, debris already gathered by locals will be collected by Braemar in the near future.

Clean-up operations at Motiti Island will resume mid week if an expected window of improved weather occurs. There, the retrieval of debris under the water and on the tide line at the northern part of the island will be continued. Debris is mainly plastic and container pieces.

Container numbers remain unchanged from Friday. A total of 573 have been retrieved from the wreck, and 72 from the sea or shore.

21 total containers located away from Rena, but yet to be recovered.

MNZ / Spill response

50-100 people attended a community event to celebrate the contribution of the Rena volunteers in drizzly conditions at the Main Mount beach yesterday. MNZ Director Keith Manch and local body officials thanked the volunteers for their fantastic contribution to the recovery effort.

Operations at Whangaparoa were completed on Friday. There are currently no further operations planned for this week, but responders remain ready should there be any reports of fresh oil released.

There have been no new reports of oiled wildlife.

[mappress]
Source: Maritime NZ, March 13, 2012