Section of Rena docks at last

The first half of Rena's 700 tonne accommodation block arrived in the Port of Tauranga yesterday evening after salvors were able to secure it on board the RMG 100. Photo / John Borren

The first half of Rena's accommodation block will sit in the Port of Tauranga until the second block has been cut and lifted from Astrolabe Reef.

The first 350 tonne section was brought into the port yesterday afternoon after it was lifted from behind Motiti Island Wednesday evening.

Spokesman for Rena's owner and insurer Hugo Shanahan said after the second block was lifted from Astrolabe Reef the internals of both blocks would be stripped out.

"We have specialists coming down from Belgium who specialise in stripping, cutting down and recycling parts of structures," he said.

Cutting and lifting operations for the lower section of the accommodation block would begin after divers had clear weather and seven working days to set the lifting chains in place on the block, he said.

Mr Shanahan said after the lifting chains had been set in place cutting on the block would begin on the second section, which would take about 18 hours to complete.

Once this section was ready to be lifted the RMG 1000, along with the first accommodation block, would go back out to sea to retrieve it.

The cut and lift operation to remove the first 350 tonne metal block ended up taking 12 days to complete, after an initial estimate of four days.

Mr Shanahan said during the first lift attempt last week - the lifting chains tore through the starboard section.

"It was never going to be easy, in salvage anything can happen, there is a really high degree of problem solving, for example the fact that weather conditions deteriorated on site and we had to bring it in behind Motiti to finish it off just highlights the reality of trying to conduct an operation on Astrolabe Reef."

Mr Shanahan said they hoped they would be able to lift the second piece of the accommodation block straight off the Astrolabe Reef.

"It would be quite difficult to say if the second move would take 12 days again or just four.

"In theory you can do it in up to four days, but you have to have everything go your way with no margin for error during the operation, one little thing can cause significant delays."

Mr Shanahan said he did not know the proper break down of the accommodation block cost, but it would be "definitely in the millions per month."

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.