By 3 News online staff with NZN
Salvors hope to continue a dive survey of the Rena wreck today, as swells ease and winds pick up near the Astrolabe Reef.
There has been no significant change to the wreck in Tauranga overnight and salvors are assessing the state of containers onboard, including preparing to remove a container of milk powder packets by helicopter. Helicopters have been used for surveillance work during the salvage operation but not for removing cargo.
"Milk powder has been unloaded from a container to just adjacent to it and will be moved off by helicopter in large quantities at a time and taken by a barge," Steve Jones of Maritime New Zealand told NZ Newswire.
"That way you end up with an empty container which is easier to remove."
Helicopters hadn't been used to remove cargo beforehand because it wasn't accessible, Mr Jones said.
Braemar Howells, the company responsible for container recovery, removed 52 containers from the water and Bay of Plenty beaches by Monday evening.
Maritime New Zealand says diving is difficult because of the sea state, but salvors have been completing assessments on the bow section of the vessel.
Divers hope to resume their examination of the wreck of the Rena amid increasing winds and a difficult sea.
The divers were dealing with water surges, torn steel and other debris on Monday as they continued their assessment of the general condition of the Rena and its stability on the Astrolabe Reef.
Meanwhile a survey by Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Teams (SCAT) is planned for today at Maketu Spit and Matakana Island. Maritime New Zealand says it is continuing to respond to reports of oil and a shoreline monitoring team will be on Motiti Island keeping an eye on wildlife over the next five days.
Four oiled penguins will be taken to Massey tomorrow, while between three and six others will be brought back from the wildlife centre, depending on their level of waterproofing.
3 News