AUCKLAND - The navy supply ship, the tanker HMNZS Endeavour, drifted disabled for eight hours in the South China Sea in May, the navy has revealed.
The tanker was taking part in the Five Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA) exercises in May when a cylinder on its main engine failed.
In a report on the ship's activities published in the latest issue of the navy magazine Navy Today, it was reported that the ship came to a grinding halt when it was discovered number 16 cylinder was not firing and a loud knocking noise was coming from the engine.
The main engine was shut down and the ship drifted for eight hours while it was repaired.
The ship continued to participate in the exercise as it drifted and temporary repairs were made to the engine.
During the engine repairs a Royal Malaysian Navy frigate, KD Kasturi came alongside for supplies.
After temporary repairs were completed, Endeavour left the exercise a day early to return to Singapore for permanent repairs. The engine failure meant the ship missed the sea phase of a later exercise.
The FPDA is a military arrangement between New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Britain.
Endeavour is now at Lord Howe Island standing by as the crippled British warship HMS Nottingham is prepared to be towed to Australia for repairs after hitting rocks almost a fortnight ago.
The 3500-tonne guided missile destroyer began sinking bow first when it hit the rocks as it manoeuvred to land its helicopter, which had just flown a sick crew member ashore.
Endeavour and the Anzac frigate HMNZS Te Mana rushed to Lord Howe Island to deliver additional shoring and supplies to the stricken warship.
A New Zealand tug, the New Plymouth-based Pacific Chieftain, has been commissioned by the Royal Navy to tow Nottingham to Australia.
The warship will be towed stern-first to keep pressure off the badly damaged bow, which has been shored up with baulks of timber and steel patches.
The grounding knocked off the ship's underwater sonars dome, its starboard stabiliser and flooded several compartments including the Sea Dart missile magazine and several sleeping compartments.
A New Zealand sailor who helped with the salvage said the ship "by rights should be at the bottom of the sea" and was saved only by a superb damage control effort by its crew.
- NZPA
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