HINERANGI VAIMOSO
The load of Pan Pac timber lost from a ship en route from Napier to Japan is estimated to have been worth about $1 million.
Pan Pac managing director Doug Ducker said that though the load was still being discharged and the full extent of the loss was yet to
be established, it appeared about 40 per cent of the 5000m sq load had gone astray from the Olsen Ship because of rough sea between Portland Island and Gisborne at the weekend.
"That's yet to be verified because of the way the ship was presented back to us," Mr Ducker said.
"It wasn't easy because the boat was under stress and everything had been moved to one side.
"What we're doing at the moment is removing all product off the deck to also determine the damage to what was left."
An aircraft was sent out by Pan Pac yesterday to scan the area where the lumber is thought to have been lost but searchers were unable to find any sawn timber, a hopeful sign that it had already sunk.
"This is the first time this has happened to us in an excess of 300 odd sailings from here to Japan," Mr Ducker said.
"It is a little surprising but highlights the severity of what can happen out on the sea."
He said Pan Pac's main concern would be to replenish the load as efficiently as possible to make up for the delayed shipment. However, whether Pan Pac have the stock to do so could be an issue.
A representative from Olsen Shipping Ltd, Allan Germain, said it would be another day before staff could determine the official loss.
Port of Napier chief executive officer Garth Cowie said he had not seen a ship return with missing cargo for nine years.
"There's an awful lot of power in the sea," he said. "Whether it was a rogue wave and cut in on an angle shows that there are many thing that could have led to it.
"There are thorough checks done on the cargo to make sure it's properly stowed but the sea has a way of showing us otherwise."
Mr Cowie, Mr Ducker and Mr Germaine said they were confident no fines would be incurred for the accidental offload.
