Stranded ship: Potential of dangerous fumes saw closure of Mauao Base Track

Mauao walkers could see the ship anchored at sunrise on Monday. Photo / Trent Sunderland

The possibility of dangerous fuel fumes wafting from a stranded ship in Tauranga Harbour towards the Mauao Base Track was the reason for its closure earlier this week.

The track was closed and shipping was put on hold after the Funing-9690913, a log carrier vessel, lost engine power at the entrance to the Port of Tauranga just after midnight on Monday.

Unable to steer after losing power, the ship was pushed by wind and tides to the edge of the channel at the base of Mauao and snagged a marker buoy.

Harbourmaster Peter Buell called for the Mauao Base Track to be closed when the alert that the ship was stranded was put out.

Buell told the Bay of Plenty Times that he made the call before they had reached the ship because if the fuel tanks had been punctured, it could have caused "massive problems".

The inspection of a ship stranded near Mount Maunganui was delayed yesterday by the weather. Photo / Trent Sunderland

"It could have been really dangerous. There was no point in running that risk."

It was all about keeping people clear of the part of the track the ship was near while they assessed the situation and then were able to move the vessel further away, Buell said.

He said there was no danger of the ship hitting the track itself, but the fumes could have been extremely bad in the area if it had been the case.

Any sort of catastrophe was quickly averted, he said.

The city had experienced devastating oil spills in the past and he said quick precautionary actions were vital.

The track was closed for a few hours and was reopened about midday on Monday.

He said quick actions taken meant they were able to mitigate many of the problems the stricken vessel could have caused.

Harbourmaster Peter Buell called for the Mauao Base Track to be closed when the alert that the ship was stranded was put out. Photo / File

The ship has since been towed away and is now anchored in deep water outside Tauranga Harbour.

The harbourmaster is working closely with officials to achieve the best outcome and monitoring the situation.

"The investigation is ongoing. But right now, we know it is safely on its anchor."

He said the decision was still being made whether it will need to be brought back into Port for repairs. Yesterday, it was announced that divers would be sent out to do an underwater inspection of the damage.

Weather conditions were a hindrance with Maritime New Zealand principal adviser communication Vincent Cholewa saying they were still making the call whether it could be done today. He said the inspection would only take "a few hours" but the next move for the ship would not be known until then.

There was unlikely to be any serious damage to the hull and no oil or other pollution had been seen in the water, he said.

Divers will inspect the hull to confirm this, as well as the propeller and rudders for any damage caused by snagging the buoy's chain, he said.

"If the vessel is safe to sail without repairs it will be able to continue its planned voyage to China."

He said the owners and authorities would establish a repair plan if needed.

He could not speculate what repairs may be needed, how long they would take or whether they would be done in Tauranga.

He said the ship was anchored in a place where it had no impact on port trading.