Stricken cargo vessel the Shiling is likely returning to Wellington after a high-seas breakdown and rescue.
A mayday was sent from the 294-metre vessel on Friday when it lost all power and steering in rough seas off Farewell Spit at the top of the South Island, triggering a large emergency response from air and sea as the captain considered ordering all 24 crew to abandon ship.
As luck had it, open water vessel Skandi Emerald was working at Taranaki for the petrochemical industry and was able to divert to the ship and haul it to safety in Tasman Bay, where the 66,000-tonne Shiling remained on Sunday morning still attached to the Skandi Emerald.
A statement from Maritime NZ on Sunday said it was understood there was an agreement to tow the ship back to Wellington. The ship’s owner and insurer would pay for the tow.
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“While the decisions around passage, anchoring locations and towage are managed by the owners of the Shiling, Maritime NZ has oversight, and is liaising with CentrePort and the Wellington Harbour Master to ensure the process is managed safely,” incident controller Kenny Crawford said.
“The Skandi Emerald is a very capable towage vessel, and its crew are highly experienced in traversing conditions such as what could be experienced in the Cook Strait.”
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The container ship Shiling photographed off Farwell Spit on Friday by Carl Babe a crew member of the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter.
It was not yet decided when the ship would be towed to Wellington,
Nelson harbour master Stuart Whitehouse said the ship was too big to enter the port at Nelson so the current plan was to haul it back to Wellington.
The terms of this were being sorted out with the ship’s classification society – the organisation that maintains standards for the ship operations.
The Singaporean-flagged Shiling has already spent weeks in Wellington after losing power as it was leaving the capital in mid-April. The powerless ship drifted over the shallow Falcon Shoals near the harbour heads and could have easily hit the sea floor in a lower tide.
It was taken back to port in Wellington and Maritime NZ detained it in the capital.
It was last week given permission to leave but under strict orders to go directly to Singapore for repairs.
However, after leaving Wellington it hit 8-metre swells off the top of the Marlborough Sounds and, with very little cargo on board, got thrashed around in the waves and the captain took shelter.
It was finally on its way to Singapore on Friday – on a route that would take it near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – when it had the breakdown and a mayday was issued.
Greater Wellington Regional Council chairperson Daran Ponter confirmed that discussions started late on Saturday about the ship returning to Wellington and space had been found for it to dock in the capital.
But it would involve having to move it around regularly so other ships could dock, he said.
“It is a hassle for the port company.”
CentrePort marine operations manager Josh Rodgers said the Shiling would be moved around berths at the port as required.
“However, as the Shiling is a large vessel there may be some minor disruption, which we will do our very best to minimise.”