More damage to Rena, salvors still working

The Rena has suffered further damage as it continues to deteriorate on the Astrolabe Reef.

A fly-over the wreck on Thursday morning noted additional damage to the forward section, Maritime New Zealand revealed yesterday.

The bulkhead on the port side had failed and was now open to the sea. MNZ said this damage was expected, given the gradual deterioration of the wreck and its exposure to the elements.

The rear section was visible below the surface, as was a light oil sheen of approximately 1km in length, drifting in a south-east direction from the wreck. The sheen dispersed about 1.5km from the reef. Salvors Svitzer continue to land salvage teams on the forward section of the Rena by helicopter. MNZ said the teams were making good progress cutting up the hatch lids in preparation for removal by the heavy-lift helicopter.

No work was currently being undertaken on the submerged rear section of the wreck.

On Wednesday, the salvage team recovered Rena's port anchor and secured it.

They also removed a section of the anchor chain in order to allow the chain to be used as a future mooring point for the crane barge Smit Borneo.

A total of 683 containers have been removed from Rena as well as from the shore and water. About 240 containers are estimated to still be below decks on the forward section of Rena.

The Braemar recovery teams are continuing to focus their efforts on the Coromandel where about 60 tonnes of assorted debris has already been recovered.

Braemar operations manager Neil Lloyd said the teams were now collecting debris at strategic locations to get the most effective results from planned heli-lifts. Shoreline surveys were planned for Mount Maunganui and Leisure Island yesterday and for Sulphur Point, Kulim Park, Mount Maunganui and Papamoa today.