Refloating fails as Jody F hits second sandbank

3.00 pm

Things did not go well for salvors hoping to free the stranded log carrier Jody F Millennium today.

The stern of the 156-metre ship has been hard aground on a beach at Gisborne for almost two weeks. And now, her bow is also firmly stuck.

Using two deep-sea tugboats, salvors tried to swing the ship's bow seaward at high tide early this afternoon - but the bow lodged on a sand bar and could not be pulled free.

The operation was called off at 12.40 pm and it was likely more logs would be removed from the vessel before another attempt was made tomorrow.

The ship ran aground off Gisborne's Waikanae Beach last Wednesday while trying to escape a dangerous swell in the port.

Salvors worked through the night to unload 2000 tonnes of logs. The ship's cranes stopped unloading at 7.30 am today.

Today's refloating efforts were hampered when a towline to the 65-tonne Melbourne tug Keera parted. The line has since been reconnected.

The freighter was today turned seaward by 7 degrees but salvors said the ship needed to swing another 29 degrees to point due south toward open sea before she can be refloated.

Salvors estimate that 48-90 tonnes of oil could still be in Jody F's fuel tanks.

One of the tanks, leaked oil into the sea when it first ran aground.

When the Jody F is refloated, she will be towed to anchor in deeper water at the southern end of Poverty Bay while divers check for damage. Only then will she be allowed into the open sea.

nzherald.co.nz/marine

nzherald.co.nz/environment