MV Carrier: Ship to be broken up for scrap on Llanddulas shore

Salvage crews are to break up and scrap the cargo ship which ran aground in rough seas off the north Wales coast.

The MV Carrier will be cut into "manageable" sections on the shore at Llanddulas, near Colwyn Bay, and sent to a scrap yard by road.

The owners confirmed contractors will start the demolition once they remove the ship's 24,000 litres of fuel. The work is expected to take six weeks.

Seven Polish crew had to rescued when the vessel ran aground last Tuesday.

Two lifeboats and Royal Navy and RAF helicopters were involved in the rescue during the night-time rescue in heavy seas.

More than 14,000 litres of fuel has, so far, been removed during low tides from the ship by workers from PGC Demolition of Heywood, Lancashire.

German shipping firm Reederei Erwin Strahlmann, which owns and manages the vessel, said a structural assessment revealed severe damage so the vessel has been "declared a constructive total loss".

It has awarded PGC Demolition a second contract to demolish and remove the vessel.

"This task is already under way, the work running in parallel with the fuel removal operation," said a company statement.

The company said the vessel will be cut into manageable sections on the shore and then taken by road to a designated scrap yard.

A 100-metre exclusion zone around the vessel has been put in place

"The demolition of the wreck is expected to take around six weeks, but the pace of operations will be dictated by safety considerations and the weather at the scene," said the statement.

The ship, which is registered in Antigua and Barbuda and was carrying a cargo of stone, is now resting against concrete blocks on the beach at Llanddulas, which runs adjacent to the A55 which was re-opened on Thursday night.

The company added that the crew members, who were uninjured, are expected to be repatriated home "as soon as possible".

The vessel had used a nearby jetty to load its cargo of limestone.

Specialist vehicles and equipment have been taken to the scene via the coastal cycle path.

Fencing was erected around the site on Saturday.

Users of fishing vessels, water bikes and other boats are asked to stay away from the area.

A 100-metre exclusion zone around the vessel has also been put in place.

Police said anyone who breaches the exclusion zone would be committing an offence.

The operation to remove fuel from the vessel began on Thursday.

A "small quantity" of oil which was in use at the time leaked out of the 82-metre long vessel but the impact of the leak is expected to be "minimal", Environment Agency Wales said.

It is monitoring the work while the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is also involved.

An investigation into the incident has been launched by the Department of Transport's Marine Accident Investigation Branch.

It also led to serious problems for motorists using the A55 expressway.

Initially, the dual carriageway was closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

However, North Wales Police reopened the road in both directions on Thursday, but imposed a 40mph speed limit.

The grounded ship is close to the main A55 coast road

Source: BBC. 7 April 2012

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-17645827

Stricken cargo ship to be scrapped:

MV Carrier: Work continuing at the site on Saturday

A cargo ship, MV Carrier which ran aground in rough seas will be broken up and scrapped, the owners have said.

Two lifeboats and Royal Navy and RAF helicopters were involved in the rescue of seven Polish crew after the MV Carrier struck rocks near Colwyn Bay, north Wales, on Tuesday in heavy seas.

Two lifeboats helped rescue the crew of a cargo ship which ran aground at Colwyn Bay

Fuel is being removed from the ship by PGC Demolition of Heywood, Lancashire, over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The German shipping firm Reederei Erwin Strahlmann, which owns and manages the vessel, confirmed the ship was to be scrapped.

In a statement, the company said: "A structural assessment of MV Carrier has revealed severe damage and the vessel has been declared a constructive total loss. Accordingly, PGC Demolition has been awarded a second contract to demolish and remove the vessel. This task is already under way, the work running in parallel with the fuel removal operation.

The statement continues: "MV Carrier will be cut into manageable sections on the shore. These sections will be taken by road to a designated scrapyard. The demolition of the wreck is expected to take around 6 weeks, but the pace of operations will be dictated by safety considerations and the weather at the scene."

The ship, which is registered in Antigua and Barbuda and was carrying a cargo of stone, is now resting against concrete blocks on the beach at Llanddulas, which runs adjacent to the A55 which was re-opened on Thursday night.

The operation to remove around 35 tonnes of fuel from the vessel was launched on Thursday.

A "small quantity" of oil which was in use at the time seeped out of the 82-metre long vessel but the impact of the leak is expected to be "minimal", Environment Agency Wales said.

The company added that the crew members, who were uninjured, are expected to be repatriated home "as soon as possible".

Source: The Press Association. 7 April 2012

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gDXWms5FmQsGbjVVAknODP-vjszg?docId=N0171151333812986408A

Cargo ship stranded on Brittany beach will be scrapped where it lies;

Vessel too badly damaged to risk being towed back to sea

The Maltese-registered cargo ship, TK Bremen, which ran aground off the coast of Brittany late last week in high winds and torrential rain now looks set to be scrapped where it lies.

Cargo ship TK Bremen is stranded on the beach at Kerminihy beach at Erdeven, near Lorient, France, on Friday, Dec. 16. High winds have beached the cargo ship off France's Atlantic coast and some of the 220 tons of fuel in its hold is leaking, threatening a local beach.

Preliminary inspections indicated that the vessel, built in 1982, is too badly damaged to be towed back to sea.

A spokesman for the maritime prefecture said: “We can’t take the risk of towing it, as there is a danger of it breaking up and becoming more difficult to remove.

“Strictly-speaking, the shipowner has the right to repair the vessel where it lies,” he added, “but it appears it struck several rocks and its hull has been perforated in several places.

Stranded ship TK Bremen 

“The most probable outcome is that the ship will be dismantled.”

The 19 crew members on board the TK Bremen were airlifted to safety by helicopter and booms deployed to contain an oil spill threatening a nearby beach.

The task of emptying the stricken ship’s tanks of their 220 tonnes of fuel could be completed by the end of the week.

The maritime prefecture spokesman said dismantling the TK Bremen would be a complex operation in what is an environmentally-protected zone. The ship would be cut up and the pieces loaded onto trucks.

Workers clean the beach after the Maltese-registered cargo ship the TK Bremen ran aground on Kerminihy beach at Erdeven, spilling oil from its engines on the coast of Brittany in western France on Dec.

“The objective is to restore the beach and the dunes by [next year’s] Easter holidays,” he added.

The TK Bremen left the Brittany port of Lorient en route to the UK as the storm was gaining strength, and dropped anchor off the nearby Isle de Groix to wait for an improvement in the weather. However, the ship was unable to maintain its mooring in the storm and began drifting towards the coast.

Source: IFW. By Stuart Todd. 22 December 2011

http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/index/cargo-ship-stranded-on-brittany-beach-will-be-scrapped-where-it-lies/20017927856.htm

There she blows! Moment a 500-tonne barge is destroyed by explosives

This is the moment a massive 500-tonne, six-storey barge ship went BOOM after it was blown up by explosives.

The enormous barge ship named Margaret was destroyed in Jacobs Bay, 120km north of Cape Town, South Africa.

BOOM: The barge Margaret blown up after being stranded on the South African coast for six months

The 100 metre-long vessel - which had been en-route from China to the Netherlands - was deemed unsalvageable after it ran aground in winter storms.

On board, its huge cargo of two dry docks - massive maintenance bays for ships - and 12 river barges were also unable to be recovered and so the decision was taken to destroy everything.

Smoke on the water: A massive amount of explosives is detonated inside the stricken vessel

After a team appointed by the owners spent 6 months unsuccessfully attempting to remove the wreck from the rocks, all salvage efforts were abandoned.

The wreck then became the responsibility of the South African Maritime Safety Authority.

The enormous demolition task depended on using a massive two-and-a-half tonnes of explosives to bring the wreck crashing down like a pack of cards.

Explosive sight: The stranded barge smashes apart as the full blast rips through the superstructure

Amazingly, 6 of the barges on board were successfully released into the water during the operation and towed to the port of Saldanha, a few miles away.

Amateur photographer and marine salvage worker Glenn Kasner caught the whole amazing spectacle on camera.

Mr Kasner, 52, from South Africa, said: 'Various options were considered and it was eventually decided that the best method would be to release as many of the barges as possible by toppling the stack by means of controlled explosions.

Now you see it, now you don't: The aftermath of the explosion & the barge is completely destroyed

'A naval architect - assisted by an explosives expert - carefully calculated exactly the quantity of explosives required and where these 'shaped charges' should be placed in order to achieve the desired effect.

'Preparations for the blast included boarding up the windows on all the houses in close proximity to the site and evacuating the residents to safe viewing sites,' said Mr Kasner.

'We watched it from about a kilometre away, it was softer than expected and sounded much like someone firing a machine gun as the individual detonations were milliseconds apart.

He explained: 'The reason for this was to prevent damage to the nearby houses - some as close as 200m - from the huge shock wave.'

But the operation was deemed a success. 'In fact, not a single window pane was broken during the operation,' Mr Kasner said.

Source: The Daily Mail. 28 October 2011

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2054237/There-blows-Moment-500-tonne-barge-blown-up.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Tauranga incident - Rena update 42 - 22 Oct 2011: 1.45pm

Relatively calm weather has allowed on-going pumping of oil from the vessel Rena today, while clean-up operations continue at various points along the coastline.

There have been no significant leaks of fresh oil from Rena for 11 days, which means that most of the oil coming ashore is remobilised oil – oil that has come in, washed out and then come ashore again with the tide.

The amount of oil removed from Rena in the past 24 hours will be provided later this afternoon. As of yesterday afternoon 171 tonnes had been transferred from the largest (772 tonne) tank to the tanker Awanuia.

MNZ Salvage Unit Manager Bruce Anderson said pumping had been at varying rates, but the salvors were making steady progress.

The clean-up events today are occurring at 5 main points along about 30km of coastline, with the remotest at Waihau Bay, about 200km from Tauranga.

Operation Beach Clean volunteers Manager Pim de Monchy said there was great enthusiasm among the volunteers.

”Initially there was frustration – and of course anger that this happened. Two weeks on there’s still plenty of ‘how and why’ but also a reluctant acceptance and, most significantly, a determination to fix it.

“That attitude is going to be the key to clean beaches when the last of the oil has come ashore. We’re limited at present, because there’s no point going too far below the sand surface, given the possibility of significant further contamination.”

Volunteers are advised a day in advance where to go and when. They are then trained in how best to collect the oil and then go to their designated area with a group leader, usually for about four hours.

Mr de Monchy said people should not be disappointed if they are not immediately called into action.

“We are extremely grateful – be assured your time will come.”

National On Scene Commander Alex van Wijngaarden urged people to heed public health warnings, even if they can’t see oil.

“Don’t swim, don’t catch fish from contaminated areas and don’t take shellfish because there will still be residual oil in the environment - and don’t touch the contents of beached containers, because if they contain perishables they are going to be an extreme health risk.

“Similarly, boaties need to heed navigation hazard warnings, because there are still about 40 containers unaccounted for. We know some or many of them will have sunk, but some may be floating or partially submerged and these obviously represent a significant hazard to all vessels, but particularly relatively small pleasure craft.”

Source: Maritime New Zealand. 22 October 2011

http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/News/Media-releases-2011/20111022b.asp

Tauranga incident - Rena update 39 - 21 Oct 2011: 2.00pm

The ocean washes in and out of the wide fracture on Rena's starboard side. 2o Oct 2011

The salvage team is continuing to pump oil from the cargo vessel Rena today, making slow but steady progress, Salvage Unit Manager Andrew Berry says.

Rena's bow is broken and twisted from the impact with the Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty. 20 Oct 11

“The volume of oil collected is taking some time to measure, due to the large size of the tank on the Awanuia, which is receiving the oil from Rena.

The line taking oil from Rena to the oil tanker Awanuia is supported by buoys between the two ships. 20 Oct 11

“The wind is blowing up to 30 knots at times, which is causing difficulties for the operation. However, the team is remaining on the ship for the time being.”

A fracture and buckling extends down Rena's hull on the port side. 20 Oct 11

National On Scene Commander Alex van Wijngaarden said shoreline clean-up work was going well, with volunteer teams today working at Harrison’s Cut at Papamoa, Mount Maunganui, Maketu and Waihau Bay.

Decontamination training was successfully carried out in Waihau Bay this morning, Captain van Wijngaarden said.

“We have sent equipment to the eastern Bay of Plenty, with more than 500 units of personal protective equipment and decontamination equipment sent to Waihau Bay.

A fracture and buckling extends down Rena's hull on the port side. 20 Oct 11

“We also have trained teams assessing the shoreline to ensure we take a methodical and safe approach to the clean up. What we’ve seen so far out in Waihau Bay is a lot of debris from the containers, rather than oil – it’s a natural collection point and we will just have to keep cleaning and re-cleaning those areas.”

Captain van Wijngaarden said a number of goods and services had been donated to the Rena response.

Rena’s remaining containers hang precariously. More than 80 containers have fallen overboard. Many have come ashore, and others are being located on the seabed. This picture was taken from the stern starboard (right) side. 20 Oct 11

“We’re extremely appreciative of the individuals and businesses that have shown their support to the response effort.

“We are continuing to get amazing support from the local community, in the form of volunteers, donations, and general feedback. We really appreciate this – it is hugely encouraging to the team to see everyone get behind the response.”

The degree of twisting along Rena's hull on the port (left side) can be seen in this picture. 19 Oct 11

The main Mount Maunganui Beach will remain open for public access over the long weekend.

Calm conditions around Astrolabe Reef allowed these close up photos of the Rena’s stern to be taken. 20 Oct 11

Capt van Wijngaarden said he appreciated people wanted other beaches open for the long weekend, but the risk of contaminating clean areas with oil was too high.

Shoreline clean-up assessment teams have confirmed that earlier reports of oiling at Whakatane Spit and Ohope Beach are incorrect.

Ornithologist David Melville with a rare and protected New Zealand dotterell, at risk from Rena's oil spill. 21 Oct 11

The Department of Conservation has confirmed a pygmy sperm whale that beached at Ohope Beach this morning has been refloated. The whale was assessed by DOC specialists, who advise the stranding was unrelated to the oil spill from Rena.

David Hurn, one of the many hundreds of volunteers involved in the clean up of beaches in the Bay of Plenty, concentrates on the rocks around Mount Maunganu. 20 Oct 11

There will be five volunteer events taking place along the coastline tomorrow, and these will be coordinated through local iwi, the Defence Force and the volunteer coordination group.

Tourists from Chile, Lorena Bravo and Sebastian Gabler pitch in at the wildlife centre to clean boots and other gear used in the oil clean up. 20 Oct 11

Get shipshape before you head out: 21 October 2011 11.00am

Labour Weekend is coming up - and boaties everywhere will start heading for the water.

Now is the time for boat owners and skippers to ensure their boats, gears – and skills – are up to scratch, says Jim Lilley, Maritime New Zealand’s Acting Manager Recreational Boating.

“We’ve reviewed many tragic accidents over the years, and we know that things can very suddenly go wrong when out on the water, regardless of a skipper’s level of skill or experience. If you are well prepared and make sensible choices, it can mean the difference between life and death.”

Jim says recreational boating deaths for 2011 stood at nine by 31 July. Major factors continue to be failing to wear lifejackets, not checking the weather, not carrying reliable communications, alcohol and speed.

“Each boating tragedy shows just how important it is for all boaties to be prepared for the worst,” says Jim.

“Trouble can hit without warning. In an emergency, finding your lifejacket and putting it on is sometimes impossible.

“To be safe, wear your lifejacket and have a reliable way of calling for help at your fingertips, such as a marine VHF radio or a distress beacon (PLB or EPIRB) clipped to you or to your lifejacket. A cellphone is useful as a back-up – as long as it’s in a sealed plastic bag.”

Jim says last year’s total of 14 recreational boating deaths was a significant improvement on 24 in 2009, but is still 14 people too many.

“That is still 14 families that have lost loved ones,” says Jim. “There are plenty of easy, commonsense things boaties can do to prevent that. Check the marine weather forecast before you go out; watch your speed and stay off the booze until you get home – it will all help ensure you come home safe to your family.”

Jim says the other key area for boat owners to focus on is ensuring their vessels are working properly before taking to the water. “And make sure that any safety equipment – such as lifejackets or PFDs (personal flotation devices) and communications equipment – is well maintained and in good working order,” he says.

“If you’re taking the boat out for the first time after winter, or using it frequently, regular checks are the only way you will have trouble-free boating. Make sure your boat is well maintained and equipped, and know how and when to use your equipment – it will all help you stay safe.”

Source: Maritime New Zealand. 21 October 2011

http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/News/Media-releases-2011/20111020b.asp

MV Rena - Grounding off the coast of Tauranga: Updated 11.45am 13 Oct 2011

Rena is settled on the reef, but is moving around a little with high tides. The next tide is at 9am. The salvage master and the head of the MNZ salvage unit are going out at first light to do an observation flight. They will make an assessment of the vessel and a plan will be developed to get the salvage crew back on board the vessel if it can be done safely. Human safety must be the priority and no action will be taken that will put lives at risk.

The second officer will appear in Tauranga District Court this morning facing one charge laid by Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) under section 65 of the Maritime Transport Act (MTA) 1994, "for operating a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk".

Oil washing up on the shoreline of Tauranga.

Yesterday, 17 kilometres of coastline was cleaned of oil. Clean-up teams have so far collected 50 tonnes of solid waste and 5 tonnes of liquid waste. Today the coastline from Whangamata to Whakatane will be assessed by the SCAT (Shoreline Clean-up Assessment Team) to determine the areas of highest priority for cleanup. The teams will then work methodically through the affected areas. There is a massive operation underway today with around 500 responders on the beach.

Clean-up crews tackling oil spilled on Bay of Plenty beaches from the cargo vessel Rena face a “long hard slog,” MNZ National On Scene Commander Nick Quinn said "Our focus is on recovering oil from wherever we find it and we will go in day by day until this is over.

"It's hard dirty work, but with all the agencies involved and the community pulling together, we will get this oil cleaned up," Mr Quinn said. The response team is working to coordinate volunteer efforts and is asking for people to be patient as they put people in place to manage these teams.

Community briefings are being held and there are calls for volunteers.

Public notice - beach access restricted : 13 October 2011: 11.30am

For members of the public:

Rena struck the Astrolabe Reef about 6 nautical miles north of Motiti Island around 2.20am on Wednesday 5 October 2011.

Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) is carrying out oil spill response activities to respond to that event, and in the interests of public safety considers it necessary to restrict access to certain waterfront areas in the Bay of Plenty area.

A marine oil spill response is being carried out in the following area:

The area from Mount Maunganui to Maketu Point, including the Maketu Estuary.

To enable the marine oil spill response to be conducted, access to this area is restricted to those persons who are part of the MNZ oil spill response.

Any person who wants to volunteer to assist MNZ with beach clean ups can register at: www.boprc.govt.nz/oilspillvolunteers or on 0800 645 774.

Rena response (media update 11): 12 October 2011: 6.30pm

A large crack appears in the side of
the stricken vessel Rena

The Rena has suffered substantial structural failure, with a crack appearing in the number three cargo hold on the starboard side. This has been caused by the movement of the vessel as the stern, which has remained afloat, shifting with the waves, while the front part of the ship remains stuck on the reef.

There is a concern that the stern of the vessel may break away. The salvors have 3 tugs mobilised either to hold the stern on the reef while further effort is made to remove the oil, or to tow the stern to shallow water where they will remove the oil. Naval architects are working on possible scenarios. Iwi are also involved in advising on any cultural issues regarding moving or sinking the ship.

A number of containers have now come off the vessel. Those remaining continue to move, making it extremely dangerous for salvage crews to work on board. 6 vessels have been mobilised to intercept the drifting debris in the water.

MNZ National on Scene Commander Nick Quinn says he is confident that he has the people, equipment and plans to cope with the increasing scale of the Rena response.

"Our experience means we have been preparing for a worst case scenario right from the start. We already have hundreds of well trained responders from a number of organisations across land, sea and air operations, and have access to more if we need them.  

Debris from containers that have toppled off the stricken Rena just off Tauranga

"Our priority is the here and now, and cleaning up the oil. However this is not a quick fix so we are here for the long haul," Mr Quinn says. "Until now we have had a light oiling of beaches – this will significantly increase as more oil washes ashore over the coming days.

“We are continuing our plans for getting people onto the beach for the massive cleanup task.”

Oil

There will be substantial oil on the beaches, in the water and on the foreshore. This is expected to result in around 10,000 tonnes of sandy waste. 

There are 20 teams on the beaches, comprising about 250 people, cleaning up the oil.

Four vessels are in the harbour to deal with any oil that may enter the area.

The ship's fuel tanks look intact and are sealed units. The released oil may have come from the duct keel or an aft tank. This will not be known till the vessel can be resurveyed.

Navy and Air Force helicopters are undertaking surveillance flights to monitor the movement of oil at sea.

There will be a drop of Personal Protective Equipment to iwi groups to allow monitoring of the foreshore in their areas. This has been arranged through the iwi liaison team.

Exclusion zone

Public health signs are put up along the beach warning people to stay away from the water and shoreline

The exclusion zone around the ship has been extended. The new area runs from Mount Manganui to Matata and extends out beyond Motiti to Astrolabe Reef to ensure that all vessels avoid areas affected by oil and containers. This is approximately 20 kilometres off shore. The situation is expected to continue for some time and the exclusion zone is being monitored. Anyone found breaching the exclusion zone could be fined.

Boat owners are reminded that fuel oil that has escaped from the Rena may stick to boat hulls and gear and will need to be cleaned off in a controlled environment.

Containers

A container that has toppled off the Rena washes up on the shoreline of Motiti island just off Tauranga

Any containers that wash ashore remain the property of the owners or insurers. Anyone found to be attempting to remove the containers or take goods from them will face prosecution.

Public health

Health warnings are being issued to prepare residents for worsening smells from the oil.

The oil spillage on the beaches, combined with the current weather conditions, has produced in a noticeable smell in some areas. This smell is likely to diminish over a period of one or two hours from the time the oil reaches the beach.

Some people in the vicinity may experience some physical discomfort. They are advised to shut windows and avoid the immediate vicinity of the beaches and all immediate or secondary contact with the oil spillage.

If anyone experiences any discomfort they should move away to an area of fresh air. 

Wildlife

Oiled penguins being treated at the wildlife rehabilitation facility set up at Tauranga

There are now 36 field teams currently out working on the wildlife response. From Matakana Island to Maketu, the teams are scouring the area for oiled wildlife.

In total, the Wildlife Response Centre has 41 birds in its care – a mixture of shags, petrels, dottrels and little blue penguins.

Three seals are also at the wildlife facility, with two more on their way to the centre.

A dead shag soaked in oil from the grounded container ship 'Rena' lies on Papamoa Beach near Tauranga on October 12. Up to 70 containers fell into rough seas and a black tide of oil washed up on beaches. 

200 dead birds have so far been collected.

The response team is currently setting traps for seals to check them for oil.

MNZ is also warning the public of scam callers after reports to the Wildlife team reporting people receiving phone calls asking for donations.

One of the pied shags at the wildlife restoration centre takes a swim to help restore its water proofing

Please do not pick up dead birds on the beach. Please call 0800 333 771 with the location of the birds and we will send trained teams to recover the birds. We need to keep counts of the birds to keep track of what species have perished so please report them to us.

Please DO NOT walk your dog on the beach. This can be harmful to your pet.

Volunteers

Volunteers collect the initial oil coming onto the Mount Maunganui shore on October 11, 2011 in Tauranga. Photograph by: Bradley Ambrose, Getty Images

We need volunteers to help with the beach cleanup. A volunteer beach clean up programme has been put in place.

Beach liaison volunteers will be on beaches tomorrow morning to advise potential volunteers and the public what the plan is.

Training of beach clean up supervisors will be carried out tomorrow morning.

If you have already registered by phone or email to be involved, the incident control centre will contact you sometime in the next three days to arrange rostering.

If you want to volunteer and haven’t done so yet, please call 0800 645 774 or email iccrena@gmail.com

Community briefings

There are 5 community briefings planned over the next three days in the following areas:

Maketu, Wednesday 12 October, 6pm, Maketu Fire Station

Mt Maunganui, Thursday 13 October, 6pm, Mt Maunganui College

Papamoa, Thursday 13 October, 1pm, Papamoa Sport and Recreation Centre

Mt Maunganui, Friday 14 October, 1pm, Mt Maunganui College

Papamoa, Friday 14 October, 6pm, Papamoa Sport and Recreation Centre

More community briefings are being planned. Visit www.maritimenz.govt.nz/ incident for more information.

Second officer of grounded vessel charged: 12 October 2011: 7.30pm

The second officer in charge of the navigational watch of the vessel Rena is facing one charge laid by Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) under section 65 of the Maritime Transport Act (MTA) 1994, "for operating a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk".

He will appear in the Tauranga District Court tomorrow morning (Thursday 13 October).

One s65 MTA charge has been laid.

This morning, the Master of the vessel appeared in the Tauranga District Court facing the same charge. He was remanded on bail until 19 October, on the condition he surrender his passport. His name is suppressed.

The s65 charge carries a maximum penalty of $10,000, or a maximum term of imprisonment of 12 months.

MNZ will make no further comment while the matter is before the courts.

Source: Maritime New Zealand

http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/incident/

http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/News/Media-releases-2011/20111013b.asp

http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/news/media-releases-2011/20111012c.asp

http://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/news/media-releases-2011/20111012d.asp