“Everything looks positive for the operation at this point,” Finch said. “It has been a successful operation so far,thanks to the team and the tug crews ... Safety is paramount here,protecting the tug crews and the crew on the vessel.”
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The Port Authority of NSW said the ship would be towed out to a distance of 12 nautical miles from the coast,where the crew would attempt repairs overnight. It hoped to reach the 12 nautical mile line at around 10pm.
The turbo fan in the Portland Bay’s main engine blew up,causing the emergency,but the ship’s engineers had spare parts on board and would attempt repairs at sea,Mr Finch said.
If not,there was a possibility the ship could be towed to port in the morning for more demanding repairs.
It’s unclear why the engine failed,but Dr Reza Emad,a marine safety expert at the University of Tasmania,said such an event was very uncommon.
“It is very rare,but the crews do train for this,there is standardised training all around the world that they have to complete,” he said.
Bureau of Meteorology data and the ship’s own global positioning system paint a picture of fierce weather,with huge swells,driving rain and winds reaching 42 knots just as the engine cut out. The ship’s tracker then showed the vessel’s course as it veered sharply towards the rocky coast between 7am and 10am.
The bid to rescue the crew by helicopter had been aborted earlier because of wild conditions,said Shane Daw,a manager with the Westpac Rescue Helicopter team.
“The bow was bucking up and down like a bucking horse,a bronco,” Daw said. “The crew tried to get down,but the ship itself was moving up and down 10 to 15 feet in the water because it was powerless,drifting,and the swell was pretty large.
“There were also a series of cranes and structures on the deck and there was a risk of them catching a winch line,creating a bigger problem.”
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Dr Emad said the fuel load aboard the damaged ship was a huge concern,but it sounded like the risk had been managed well so far.
“It had just left port and normally it would be bearing a full fuel load,” Dr Emad said. “It’s a risk that has to be managed very,very carefully in that environment. But it sounds like they have done it.”
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