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[Kelvin Davies]

Well, that was quick!
The Captain and the navigating officer of the Rena have been sentenced to 7 months prison for the disaster off New Zealand last year. 7 months from disaster to prison.
If this had happened in the UK, there would have been 2 years of inquiries followed by a lengthy trial and nothing would have happened for 3 or 4 years!
Kelvin

[Dmitry Rostopshin]

Is there any official report of the reasons of this accident?

[Robbie]

http://www.taic.org.nz/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=1O0%2bnlsp%2fBQ%3d&tabid=87&language=en-US

Today the 2 officers got prison sentences

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/6984980/Rena-captain-and-officer-sent-to-jail

[Dmitry Rostopshin]

Thanks for links, Robbie! Strange that this is interim report - how they could judge them without final one?

I heard that they have well equipped harbour control there, i think they should also watch around a bit, to avoid such accident.

[Robbie]

Latest news:

Svitzer and Smit have completed container removal and the Smit Borneo and Singapore heading off soon. A tender has been issued for the next stage which is removal of the wreck. this will be done in sections the forward section which is above the waterline and then after that has been removed a new tender for the sunken section will be issued.

At this stage there is 12 companies that are expected to put offer forward including 2 Japanese companies. Smit and Svitzer have put through an offer already. the cut off date is 3 weeks away then another 2 weeks after that to come to a decision so Tauranga will get some new salvage shipping in about 8 weeks time.

[Timsen]

What a waste of money this would be, and I hope this will be realized by the responsible authorities. The Rena would make a good diving spot instead.

[Robbie]

The NZ Government want the wreck and all rubbish removed. The government isn't paying for the salvage it is all being covered by the Swedish P&I Club. The only thing the Government paid for was the removal of the HFO.

[Timsen]

However. It would cost a tremendous sum of money, and who would benefit from that. It's just a wreck on a reef. Simply leave it there. It's the best one can do.

[Robbie]

Resolve Marine Services has won the bid to remove the forward section of the Rena which is still perch above water on Astrolabe reef. The Resolve Commander and RMG 280 are due to arrive in Tauranga tomorrow afternoon from Singapore. There is still no time frame for how long it is expected to take to remove the forward section from the reef. Once done another offer will be put out for the removal of the stern section which is sitting under water on the reef.

[Timsen]

That's a little bit outdated - work has already commenced on the foreship, and some days ago a 25-m-section simply broke off with lots of salvage equipment. Have a look at this:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1209/S00141/rena-update-234-rough-seas-hit-wreck.htm
I think they will do a hell and work on the sunken aft which has already become a habitate for itself. Who would be willing to waste that money and risk lives?

[Robbie]

Up to this point Resolve Marine have been cutting plates and a helicopter has been flying it back to shore for the scrapping but there is the first of a couple of dedicated crane barges due to arrive to assist with removing larger pieces of the wreck.

[Clyde Dickens]

Thanks for your updates Robbie

Has the wreck and associated work helped, or adversely affected, the local economy?  And have environmental problems been resolved?

[Robbie]

Hello Clyde,

The whole situation has become old news now, unless you specifically go looking on the internet for the latest information you will not hear about it. Everything is back to normal here, the local hotels are doing a great trade with all the salvage experts coming into Tauranga. I have heard there is no more oil onboard the vessel and all the containers that have sunk are not going anywhere. Braemer Howells brought a underwater vessel a few months back that is capable of recovering containers that have reached the bottom of the seafloor. The forward section of the wreck has nearly all of it's containers removed with only the very damaged ones still left in there. I know as the stern section slow gets cut away they will look at ways of recovering those containers but at this stage it is too dangerous.
Although the Rena was the worst maritime accident to happen to NZ the media were constantly rehashing the same news which did put the situation alittle out of proportion. Now that they don't report on it, no one talks about it or really even cares.

Regards Robbie

[Clyde Dickens]

Hi Robbie

Thanks again.  It reminds me of the business that flowed to Lord Howe Island (in its off season) when HMS Nottingham hit Wolf Rock.

I agree with the praise for your maritime administration and legal systems that dealt with the responsible persons quickly and appropriately.

Best regards
Clyde

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