The 205 meter long, 5400 dwt cruise ship Seven Seas Voyager suffered damage in severe storm while sailing between Australia and New Zealand. The passenger ship was struck by a large waves reaching 11 meters in height which broke glass and blew furniture off the balconies. A piece of furniture struck an electrical installation causing a small fire. The crew was able to extinguish the fire quickly. No reports of injuries or pollution being released.
The 18 meter long fishing vessel Rebecca May sank in the Bay of Plenty off the coast of Tauranga, New Zealand. The vessel was heading to tuna fishing grounds when the vessel began to take on water quickly. The three crew on board abandoned ship to the life raft. The RCCNZ, Rescue Coordination Center New Zealand, received a beacon signal and dispatched aircraft to the area. The fishing vessel Lady Columbo was nearby and rescued all three crew from the Rebecca May. No reports of injuries. Maritime New Zealand reported that there was large amount of debris where the fishing vessel sank. The cause of the sinking was not known and authorities are conducting an investigation into the incident.
Photos by Maritime New Zealand
Salvage
The latest reports on the salvage of the Rena still continues as there are over 350 containers remaining on the bow section. To remove containers has become more difficult for the salvage teams. The bow section sits in area which makes it difficult for the crane ship Smit Borneo to get close enough to pull some containers off the vessel. So, tugs have been employed to pull containers overboard with the crane recovers them from the water.
Still More Oil
An oil slick is still visible coming from the submerged section of the stern. Reports state there might be at least ten tons of oil trapped in pockets in the stern. Oil continues to wash ashore around Tauranga and Motiti Island. The water around the wreck is also being checked for toxins. The decomposing contents of containers can make the water too toxic for divers in normal dive suits. No reports on how salvage teams will remove the containers still trapped in the stern.
