Each year, more than 100 million containers are shipped across the globe on containerships that can now stretch the length of three soccer fields or more. Despite the large number of containers shipped, accidents are relatively rare, with the best estimates saying a that less than 1,500 containers are lost from ships each year on average. But accidents do … [Read more...]
MV Rena Wreck No Longer a Hazard to Navigation
The wreck of the MV Rena on Astrolabe Reef no longer poses a hazard to navigation nearly four and a half years after the containership ran aground resulting in New Zealand's worst maritime environmental disaster. The news comes as Director of Maritime NZ withdrew two statutory notices that declared the wreck a hazard to navigation (under section 100A of the Maritime … [Read more...]
MV Rena Owner Allowed to Abandon Wreck
The owners of the MV Rena will be able to abandon what remains of the shipwreck on New Zealand's Astrolabe Reef but will need to pay for ongoing costs under a strict court order. The ruling was handed down Friday by panel of Commissioners following a five-week hearing that ended last October to determine whether Rena's owner, Diana Shipping, could abandon the remains of the … [Read more...]
Rena Salvage Allowed ‘Temporary Pause’
Authorities in New Zealand have granted a "temporary pause" in the salvage of the MV Rena shipwreck on Astrolabe Reef pending a decision over the future of the wreckage and cleanup. The Rena’s owners, Daina Shipping, have lodged a resource consent application under New Zealand's Resource Management Act seeking permission abandon sections of the wreck and associated debris in … [Read more...]
Rena Grounding Final Report Reveals Errors, Lack of Oversight
A final report into causes and circumstances of the 2011 grounding of the MV Rena containership on New Zealand's Astrolabe Reef has found that it was the failure of the master and crew to follow proper voyage planning, navigation and watchkeeping practices and the ship manager's insufficient oversight of vessel's safety management system that led to the grounding and … [Read more...]