Government will review ship's grounding

By JO-MARIE BROWN

The Government will hold a review of the grounding of the log carrier Jody F. Millennium, which was still stranded on a sandbar at Gisborne late last night.

As a storm blew into Poverty Bay yesterday, Maritime Safety Authority staff were preparing to deal with further oil pollution from the crippled vessel.

Salvors had hoped to refloat her on the swell last night but changed their plans when the storm arrived later than expected.

Two tugs will make an attempt this morning to pull the ship from the sandbar that has trapped her for more than a week.

The Government's announcement came amid Opposition claims that state agencies took too long to respond to the tanker's grounding.

Finance Minister Michael Cullen, answering questions in Parliament for Transport Minister Mark Gosche, said the Government was satisfied that oil was moved as soon as it was safe to do so.

Dr Cullen said that it appeared those salvaging the ship and the ship's insurers had acted appropriately.

But he expressed concern about how the vessel became grounded in the first place.

"Government authorities will be reviewing the operations being undertaken, once they have been completed.

"At this stage by international standards the operation seems to have gone reasonably successfully.

"I think the real questions might arise in terms of the initial effects which led to the ship being stranded," he said.

Last night tugs pulled the ship's bow around to a more favourable position facing the storm. It is hoped it will be pulled free today.

Pacific Chieftain - the biggest tug east of Singapore - and Seatow were to attempt to free the stricken log-carrier during high tide at 8 am.

Large swells thrown up by a southerly storm were expected to help this morning's attempt.

United Salvage director Ian Hoskison had earlier predicted an all-out attempt would be made to free the Jody last night on the high tide at 7 pm. But the southerly storm that salvors hoped would assist any refloating attempt arrived later than expected.

With 4m to 5m swells still expected to buffet the ship overnight, Mr Hoskison said the head salvor did not want to wrench the ship from her sand trench.

"He just wants to cajole it off rather than drag it off."

An attempt at refloating would be tried last night only if the ship "felt" as though she wanted to move.

The plan was also altered as a result of the ship being nudged a further 20 degrees left towards the ocean around 2 am yesterday.

Mr Hoskison said salvors wanted to try to repeat that process so that the ship was facing into the bad weather rather than sitting side-on to it.

There were also signs the sea was eroding the 4m sand trench that had built up on the landward side of the ship, after the 20 degree movement.

Preparations continued yesterday to lighten the ship's 20,000-tonne cargo before the storm hit.

Mr Hoskison said helicopters would try to remove 1000 tonnes of pine logs as calculations suggested that would be all that was required.

The ship's ballast tanks, which have helped weigh her down and stabilise her position over the past week, were also emptied yesterday to improve buoyancy.

About half the 690 tonnes of heavy fuel oil and diesel remain aboard with the rest having either been transferred to HMNZS Endeavour, which was now at sea, or into on-shore holding tanks.

The 300 tonnes still aboard was yesterday pumped into tanks above the waterline as a precaution in case any further damage occurred when the ship moved off.

Maritime Safety Authority director Russell Kilvington said staff involved in Operation Jody were to be on stand-by last night in case there was a further oil spill, or residual fuel washed ashore.

He said the chance of the ship breaking up was extremely low but booms would be in place to protect key wildlife areas.

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