Divers to undertake new Rena inspection
Divers are this week set to carry out a full underwater survey of the Rena after completing preliminary sub-surface inspections around the container vessel yesterday.
Further recovery work should resume tomorrow when the sea conditions settle.
Maritime New Zealand national on-scene commander Rob Service said the divers would be able to prepare for a full underwater survey of the sunken rear section of the Rena once the sea swells ease over the next couple of days.
The sea swell, which has hampered rescue efforts since the aft section split off and the majority of it sunk on Astrolabe Reef a week ago, dropped to about 1m yesterday.
Mr Service said the crane barge Smit Borneo was now connected to the aft on the port (left hand) side, and the Svitzer salvors also wanted to see how close they could get other vessels to the Rena.
He said shoreline assessment teams were on Matakana Island yesterday and also checking the protective oil booms at Maketu, Little Waihi and Waitahanui. Assessment teams were today to be sent to Motiti Island assisted by an environment adviser.
The Braemar Howells recovery team will this week lift two containers from the seabed off Matakana Island and Waihi Beach.
Grant Dyson, Braemar Howells spokesman, said divers would attach flotation bags to the containers to bring them to the surface and they would then be lifted on to a barge - when sea conditions were suitable.
It will be the first time that containers have been taken from the seafloor in the shallower inshore coastal waters since the Rena grounded more than three months ago.
The Svitzer salvage team removed 389 containers from the Rena before it split up, and Braemar Howells has processed 113 containers at its specialised facility in Truman Lane, Te Maunga.
A total of 1600 tonnes of cargo has been recovered, and 310 tonnes of that has been recycled and re-used. So far, 1000 tonnes of oily waste has been recovered.
At the Bowentown Heads, clean-up teams came across clusters of thin latex gloves.
"There were a lot of them scattered around the shore," Mr Dyson said.
Yesterday, Braemar Howells sent the barge Subritzski and a fast response craft (cat) to the White Island area to collect debris, mainly timber, but rough seas hampered the efforts.
Helicopters will be used to help in the removal of 11 containers and timber debris from Matakana Island.
Maritime NZ said wildlife teams yesterday recovered two dead oiled blue penguins from Papamoa, and a lightly-oiled little blue penguin was transferred from Motiti Island to the Te Maunga wildlife recovery facility.
