Maritime New Zealand: Svitzer Makes Good Progress on Rena Salvage

Svitzer has continued to make good progress removing containers and debris from the Rena wreck over the past week.

Salvage

Salvors have been cutting into containers to allow contents to be removed using the heavy lift helicopter. ·
Salvors have also this week focused on cutting up hatch covers and removing them from the wreck. ·
Favourable weather conditions have allowed dive operations around the stern section to locate and remove bags of debris from the sea bed around the wreck.
At Astrolabe Reef, there are currently moderate W-SW winds, which are expected to persist through until Monday morning. There are swells of around 1m at the reef.

Container and debris recovery

The Braemar Howells recovery team has made strong progress in cleaning up beaches and coastal areas of the Coromandel and Great Barrier Island - the most northern point that Rena debris has been found.
A motorised barge has been in operation as the ‘mother ship’ for smaller vessels which have been ferrying debris to it gathered by shore teams - ranging from wheelbarrow parts and small amounts of timber to noodle packets and plastic beads.

NZ Operations Manager Neil Lloyd says the four teams are working hard to make the most of fine weather and low swells in the area.
On the Coromandel Peninsula, teams aim to have completed collection of the larger debris from beaches in the Tairua area including Sailor’s Grave and Pauanui, by Sunday.
In the meantime, two staff are working on Matakana Island, carrying out a grid survey of the 23 kms of beaches – planning for an operation to target the remaining plastic beads. The cleanup methods include the use of modified portable vaccum equipment.
Plans are also being made for a similar operation on Motiti Island.
The number of containers recovered and brought ashore by Braemar has risen to 769. This leaves an estimated 201 containers in the bow section, most of them empty, and a further 358 in the aft section or on the seabed nearby.
Mr Lloyd says that Braemar is continuing to operate under instructions from, and with strong support from Rena's owners, who are maintaining a close watch on progress with the clean-up.

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