Christmas at Astrolabe Reef

Work goes on at Astrolabe Reef over Chritsmas without a break. Salvage sites are 'dry' sites so no Christmas cheer while the boats and barge are working. A nice sequence from the salvage, as Rena's decks are cleared of empty containers to Smit Borneo. The technique used is for the barge to tie up to the Rena and the wires to the anchor pattern tensioned to keep her in position just a few metres from the hull.


Anchor spread for Smit Borneo on the northern side of Rena









The container stackes connected with twistlocks are disassembled on the deck of Smit Borneo and then transferred to the smaller barges to be towed in to Tauranga.

Nice shot of Singapore standing by. She is primarly equiped for ocean towage and is not nimble enough to foot it up close to the Rena.



One of the AM's contributers observed that Nature abhors a vacuum. The waters around the Rena are teeming with fish and (smarter) birds.



Watch ex-Tropical Cyclone Fina as it moves eastwards towards the North Island.

Merry Christmas to everyone out at Astrolabe Reef and to the Readers.

The Antipodean Mariner