Stranded ship safely anchored after losing power off Mt Maunganui
Monday, 6 July 2020
The log carrier which lost power at the entrance to Port of Tauranga on Monday morning has been safely moved to deeper water in the shipping channel away from land.
The Singaporean-registered log carrier, Funing-9690913, was departing the port bound for China when it lost power around 12.30am on Monday.
The Funing drifted to the edge of the channel at the base of Mauao after its engines failed and it is believed to have made contact with a marker buoy in the channel.
The ship is now anchored and tug boats were no longer required and the port is open.
“Divers will check the Funing's propeller and rudder before any attempt is made to restart its engines,” a Port of Tauranga spokesperson said.
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“The ship's hull is understood to be intact and there is no pollution.”
Two tugs supported the vessel and provided support to the ship while it was on the edge of the shipping channel.
Maritime NZ is investigating the incident and the Funing will not return to port until authorities give permission.
Tauranga port authorities have set up a response centre to manage the event and Maritime NZ has established a team to provide coordination and support.
The spokesperson confirmed shipping has been closed until further notice.
Twenty crew are on board, plus a maritime pilot from Port of Tauranga.
Weather and sea conditions at the time of the engine failure were fairly poor, with a 30 knot wind and significant swell, MNZ said.
Wind and swells are forecast to east throughout Monday with high tide at 7.40am.
Meanwhile, Tauranga City Council closed the Mauao base track as a “precautionary measure” following advice from the Harbour Master.
'We hope to open the track up again mid-late morning,” they posted on Facebook.
The reason the ship lost power will be investigated by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission.
It has appointed three investigators who were due to arrive in Tauranga on Monday afternoon.
They will be looking at such things as what the people involved were thinking and doing. The maintenance and design of the ship, the operators policies and procedures and the conditions of the weather and sea.