Salvors remove more logs from ship beached off NZ
Date: 25-Feb-02
Country: NEW ZEALAND
The Panama-registered Jody F. Millennium spilt around 40 tonnes of thick fuel oil onto beaches around the popular holiday town of Gisborne, 350 km (210 miles) north of Wellington, after grounding on the sandbar in heavy seas on February 6.
Environmental damage so far has been limited. Around 30 cubic metres (39 cubic yards) of contaminated sand was removed and three seabirds died after being coated in oil.
"We've done a hydrographic survey today which shows we've got a little way to go on discharging logs before we can hope to get over the bar," Ian Hoskison of salvor United Salvage told Reuters from Gisborne.
Around 2,000 tonnes of the ship's cargo of logs were removed onto a barge on Tuesday after an earlier failed attempt and a similar amount of logs would be taken off the deck over the next two days, Hoskison said.
Around 300 tonnes of fuel oil still on board would also be unloaded over the next few days to lighten the ship so it floats higher in the water.
Attempts would then be made to dislodge the ship on the high tide on the weekend and Sunday, Hoskison said, adding he remained confident of freeing the vessel intact.
"We'll get it off - you've just got to get enough cargo out, it's just a matter of time."
The two-year old, 160 metre (525 foot) ship operated by Hyundai Merchant Marine Co was carrying around 20,000 tonnes of logs destined for South Korea when it was swept onto the sandbar on February 6. The 19 Korean crew remain on board.