Jody F safely in refuge

By ROSALEEN MacBRAYNE

The log carrier Jody F. Millennium has found refuge at the Port of Tauranga for the next week.

After a three-day voyage under tow from Gisborne, where it spent 18 days stranded on a sandbar off Waikanae Beach, the 150m vessel berthed safely on Saturday evening.

Hundreds of people packed every vantage point at Mt Maunganui to watch the ship leave choppy seas and enter the calm harbour at 6.30pm.

Pulled by the big orange Melbourne-based tug Keera, she was escorted by three port tugs - one on either shoulder and another at the stern.

"There were no problems whatsoever," said Tauranga harbourmaster John Dickinson, who is also Environment Bay of Plenty's maritime manager.

A 50m exclusion zone has been placed around the ship to protect divers repairing a ruptured water ballast tank.

The Jody's remaining cargo of 20,000 tonnes of logs is expected to be unloaded by mid-week.

About 4000 tonnes were removed by helicopters at Gisborne during the attempts to refloat the stuck ship.

The logs are being trucked to storage outside the port.

United Salvage director Ian Hoskison said they would be delivered to seven owners, some in New Zealand and others overseas.

The logs, which have deteriorated over the last few troubled weeks, could still be fit for export "if they are quick about it", Mr Hoskison said yesterday.

The ship's owners and the Maritime Safety Authority are still discussing what to do with 500 tonnes of heavy fuel oil still on board.

Mr Hoskison said once repairs to the hull were completed in Tauranga the Jody F. Millennium would be towed to dry dock "somewhere in Asia" for full restoration.

nzherald.co.nz/marine