Stricken ship cracks as captain faces NZ courtTAURANGA, New Zealand (AP) A
cargo ship that has spilled hundreds of tons of oil since striking a reef off
New Zealand's coast appeared to be breaking up in heavy seas, as its captain
faced criminal charges in court Wednesday.A vertical crack was apparent from
the deck to the waterline of the Liberian-flagged Rena, which ran aground Oct.
5 on Astrolabe Reef, 14 miles (22 kilometers) from Tauranga Harbour on New
Zealand's North Island. About 70 containers have fallen off the deck of the
775-foot (236-meter) vessel as it has listed increasingly in the worsening
ocean conditions.Maritime New Zealand, which is managing the emergency
response, described the crack as a "substantial structural failure" and warned
that the stern may break away. Three tug boats were mobilized to hold the stern
on the reef while efforts are made to remove the oil from the ship, or to tow
the stern to shallow water, the agency said in a statement.Weather on the reef
was terrible Wednesday, with swells up to 16 feet (5 meters), Maritime New
Zealand spokesman Steve Jones told The Associated Press. The brutal conditions
were making it impossible for a salvage crew to board the ship, he said.
Without the salvage crew aboard, oil cannot be pumped out of the ship."It's
appalling," Jones said of the weather. "Everything is still in a holding
pattern."Forecasters were predicting the swells would ease to 6 feet (2 meters)
by Thursday, at which point salvage crews might be able to try to board the
ship, Jones said.The piles of containers that remain on deck have continued to
move, making it dangerous for salvage crews to work on board. Six vessels have
been mobilized to intercept the drifting containers and other debris in the
water.There were 1,368 containers on board, 11 of which contained hazardous
substances, the maritime agency said. The containers with hazardous materials
were not among the 70 that had fallen overboard, Jones said. Still, it is
highly likely that more containers will topple off because of the rough weather
and the ship's steep list, he said.The 44-year-old Filipino captain, whose name
has not been revealed publicly, was charged with operating a vessel in a manner
causing unnecessary danger or risk and was released on bail Wednesday at
Tauranga District Court. The ship's second officer is to face a similar charge
on Thursday.The captain's lawyer, Paul Mabey, requested that Judge Robert Wolff
withhold his client's name because, he said, "there is a real potential that
some persons may want to take matters into their own hands," the New Zealand
Herald reported on its website. It also said the grounding occurred on the
captain's birthday.If convicted, the captain could face a fine of up to 10,000
New Zealand dollars ($7,800) and 12 months in prison. His next court appearance
is Oct. 19, when authorities say more charges are likely.Maritime New Zealand
commander Nick Quinn said his priority remained cleaning up the oil."Until now,
we have had a light oiling of beaches," he said. "This will significantly
increase as more oil washes ashore over the coming days."The government has
demanded to know why the ship crashed into the well-charted reef in calm
weather, but the vessel's owner has given no explanation.Maritime New Zealand
estimates that between 220 and 330 tons (200 and 300 metric tons) of heavy fuel
oil have spilled from the hull, leading New Zealand's environment minister,
Nick Smith, to call it the country's biggest maritime environmental
disaster.Officials believe the ship had about 1,870 tons (1,700 metric tons) of
oil and 220 tons (200 metric tons) of diesel on board before it started
leaking.Clumps of oil have washed up on pristine beaches near Tauranga.
Maritime New Zealand spokeswoman Anne Coughlan said 200 oiled birds had been
found dead and 41 others were being cleaned at a wildlife emergency
center.Witnesses said dead fish were also washing ashore as local volunteers
with plastic gloves and buckets worked to clean the oily clots from the white
sand.In a statement, the owners of the vessel, Greece-based Costamare Inc.,
said they were "cooperating fully with local authorities" and were making every
effort to "control and minimize the environmental consequences of this
incident." The company did not offer any explanation for the grounding.
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