Accommodation block by Motiti

Rena's accommodation block was lowered to the sea floor behind Motiti yesterday.

Rena's accommodation block was sitting in water behind Motiti Island this morning after bad weather and damaged salvage equipment stopped it from being brought into the Port of Tauranga.

The block was lowered to the sea floor behind Motiti four nautical miles from the initial wreck yesterday after difficulties with the suspension chains and shackles.

It had been dragged through the water on lifting chains on Monday after it was cut from the stern on Sunday but rough sea conditions had hampered the salvage effort since.

Hugo Shanahan, spokesman for Rena's owner and insurer, said lifting the section from its new location was slowed again on Tuesday because of a twisted shackle on the lifting chain.

Salvors then had to put the accommodation block on to the sea floor, he said.

"We had to take all the weight off the lifting gear and place it on the sea bed, but it has now been fixed and lifted up again."

There was "no quick-fix solution" and salvors were committed to trying and getting it done by today, he said.

Mr Shanahan said there was always a possibility the accommodation block would be taken behind Motiti Island as a "contingency plan".

"We always considered this would happen, circumstances change."

Mr Shanahan said nearly 30 people were working on getting the accommodation block removed from behind Motiti Island with 12 specialist divers in the water.

There were also five vessels, including two monitoring vessels, in the water around the wreck.

Mr Shanahan said work was "incredibly slow moving" and frustrating for salvors working on the shackle.

"We've been working on it all day and looking at the different options."

Iwi spokesman Buddy Mikaere said he hoped the trip was the first of many to remove the rest of the Rena from Astrolabe Reef.

"As long as it's on its way - but we want them to take the whole bloody thing."

Mr Mikaere said the move already was testament that the rest of the ship could be moved as well. "It shows us it is technically possible to take big chunks away from the reef. Just keep going."

The Rena ran aground on Astrolabe Reef on October 5, 2011, while sailing, in clear weather, from Napier to Tauranga.

It had been suggested removing the entire wreck could take a decade.