Questions after second tanker incident at Whangarei harbour

6.00pm

Two potentially disastrous supertanker incidents at Whangarei Harbour within a few months of each other were very worrying, Maritime Safety Authority (MSA) director Russell Kilvington said today.

The Korean-flagged Eastern Honour oil tanker hit the seabed en route to the Marsden Pt oil refinery on Sunday despite new guidelines and checks being put in place after the Capella Voyager -- carrying 108,000 tonnes of crude oil -- split its hull on April 16.

Mr Kilvington said he could not speculate why the ship ran into trouble but said it was very worrying as it had the potential to tip more than 100,000 tonnes of oil into the environment.

"To have had a problem once is once too much," he told National Radio.

"And twice in three months is actually inexplicable, so the first question is how did this happen, with or without additional voluntary guidelines?"

Pilots board ships some way offshore to discuss how to go about coming into port.

Mr Kilvington said in the Capella Voyager case, which is still under investigation, the master had been reluctant to come into port but was persuaded to by the pilot's and port operator's good local knowledge.

"A whole raft of precautions and checks were introduced after the Capella Voyager (incident) which were designed to ensure this wouldn't happen again."

He said interviews with the pilot and port marine manager over the Eastern Honour could happen today or tomorrow. Initially there had been a "possibility" of non co-operation by management, he said.

After the talks Mr Kilvington hoped to have a clearer picture.

"We've got to get a situation where this cannot happen again, we cannot have a number three."

Northland Regional Council regional harbourmaster Ian Niblock said the latest incident was very worrying.

"The regional council is obviously very concerned that we have had a second incident so close on the heels of the first one," he told National Radio.

He said he, the MSA, refinery and the pilotage provider would meet to review interim measures in place.

Mr Kilvington said the entry was narrow with a rapid tidal stream but other ships had not had problems.

The Eastern Honour was scratched but its structure was sound and it sailed out last night. No oil leaked but the ship took thousands of tonnes of water.

- NZPA

Further reading: nzherald.co.nz/marine