The damage from a 'sail-by' sequence shows the hatch covers lost or being dislodged from below by the containers in the hold. This could either be as a consequence of the natural buoyancy of the containers in the flooded hold or the container stack being set up by damage to the ship's double bottom on the reef.
The starboard hatch pontoon on Bay 5 is missing, Bay 8 pontoon set up
Closeup of the set up Bay 8 hatch pontoon.
Comments to the blog have questioned whether Rena can be salvaged. If the aft part can be successfully lightened and refloated, the Antipodean Mariner speculates that no Port Company in New Zealand would risk having their channel (or a berth) blocked by the hulk and will refuse to permit entry.
If the hulk can be made safe for towing to China or the Indian sub-continent for demolition, at a scrap price of about $450 per tonne and maybe 10,000 tonnes of steel in the aft end there is maybe $4.0-$4.5M on offer. However, this has been factored against the cost and risk of a 30+ day tow past highly risk averse maritime neighbours. The AM's punt is that Rena's remains, if refloated, will be towed out past the Continental Shelf and scuttled.
The Antipodean Mariner
Huh! Thanks for answering our comments, AM - had no idea about the idea of the ports refusing entry for the hulk, or the scrap price.
ReplyDelete"Highly risk averse maritime neighbours?" I guess I don't know the area - can you elaborate a little on that? It's not important, just curiosity.
I'm a Yank, but I have always loved these stories ever since growing up with Farley Mowat and "Grey Seas Under" - stories of salvage in the North Atlantic. And seeing the Rena situation in real time, with so many pictures, is very neat and sobering as well.
Yes, there'll be a lot of "nimby" actions if they want to move part of her anywhere. I suspect Australia won't want any part of her near the Barrier Reef.
ReplyDeleteThe hatch covers lifting is probably related to the widened split on the port side, isn't it? Bay 4 looks to be higher than Bay 5.
The containers in Bay 5 look to be on their sides and may take a lot of "untangling".
How are the hatch covers normally moved, ship based or shore based gear?
Is there a rule of thumb as to whether containers float or sink, or is that more dependent upon the relative buoyancy of their contents?
Please keep up the great coverage, it's definitely more interesting that what the press are fed or choose to print.
I wonder when the authorities will allow us mere mortals to to have a closer look? It's starting to look like the red zone in Christchurch all over again. I'd have thought by now that there'd have been the chance of charter operators being able to offer trips out there. But like Christchurch, they'll risk manage all the celebs and ignore the locals.