‘Drifting in rolling seas’: Ocean-going tug reaches ship to tow it to safe location

The tug, Skandi Emerald, has taken the ship under tow.

”The tow vessel turned up and we were extremely impressed how quickly they had the vessel bow to weather, eliminating any risk of loss of cargo, contamination or crew,” said Conrad Adams who was passed the Shiling while it was being taken under tow.

Adams, from Toitu Fishing Ltd, passed the Shiling while heading to Australia on board FV Crusader.

“Weather conditions were challenging but they made it look easy.”

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Maritime New Zealand continued to monitor the situation, including the actions being taken by the vessel’s owner to get the ship under tow to a safe location.

Rescue Coordination Centre operations manager Mike Clulow eaerlier said rescue helicopters and several rescue vessels were on stand-by

“This still has the potential to become a rescue situation, so we remain poised to respond,” said Clulow.

The crew aboard the stricken Shiling had been prepared to abandon ship as it drifted powerless on Friday.

The ship, with a crew of 24 on board, put an initial request through at 8.27am then issued a mayday at 11am. It was 22 nautical miles northwest of Farewell Spit.

The Defence Force, which has a plane above the 66,000-tonne MV Shiling, described the stricken vessel “drifting in rolling seas” after issuing a mayday and triggering a large emergency response. The ship had lost all power and steering.

A C-130 Hercules was diverted to the ship on Friday at the request of Maritime NZ’s Rescue Coordination Centre, a Defence Force statement said. An Air Force NH90 helicopter was also on standby.

The tug, Skandi Emerald, was earlier on its way to help from Taranaki and had since reached the MV Shiling on Friday evening.

It happened to be in New Zealand doing work for the petro-chemical industry.

“We also have a NZDF’s P-8A Poseidon in the air above the ship to coordinate assistance, and other response assets are available should they be required,” Clulow said.

Feedback from the master of the ship said the cargo was still secure, Maritime NZ’s Incident Controller Kenny Crawford said.

A rescue helicopter from Nelson earlier raced to the scene at the same time as Wellington police launch Lady Elizabeth dashed across Cook Strait to Tasman Bay, via French Pass.

The Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter was returning to base on Friday afternoon to refuel and await further instructions after assessing the scene off Farewell Spit.

Swells of 5 metres around Farewell Spit were easing and would drop to two metres swells easing on Saturday, MetService meteorologist Gerard Bellam said.

South-west winds of 15 knots, which was “fairly moderate by coastal standards” would continue on Saturday, he said.

There would be “fair visibility” with a few showers on Saturday.

The Shiling had only recently been repaired after breaking down near the Wellington harbour heads in April. It was then cleared to leave the capital on Thursday before striking severe weather and 8-metre waves and having to take shelter.

The Shiling had been stranded in the capital since April 15 when it lost power over a main engine issue and drifted over the shallow Falcon Shoals.

That close call led Greater Wellington Regional Council chairperson Daran Ponter to reissue calls for the capital to have a harbour tug able to haul stricken vessels in big seas.

The ship left Wellington on Thursday after some trials for its home port in Singapore to conduct more repairs, but it hit rough weather near the Kāpiti Coast and had to stay in shelter with a series of movements of drifting and slow motoring.