“Right now, everything looks positive for the operation,” Finch said. “So far it has been a successful operation, thanks to the tugboat equipment and crews … Safety is paramount here, protecting the tugboat crews and the ship’s crew.”
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The NSW Port Authority said the ship would be towed up to a distance of 12 nautical miles from shore, where the crew would attempt to repair it overnight. I was hoping to reach the 12 nautical mile line around 10 p.m.
The Portland Bay’s main engine turbo fan exploded, causing the emergency, but the ship’s engineers had spare parts on board and would try to repair them at sea, Finch said.
Otherwise, there was a possibility that the ship could be towed to port in the morning for more demanding repairs.
It is unclear why the engine failed, but Dr. Reza Emad, a marine safety expert at Tasmania University, said the event was very rare.
“It’s very rare, but crews are trained for that, there’s standardized training around the world that they have to complete,” he said.
A map showing the drift of the affected cargo ship in Portland Bay off the south coast of NSW on Monday.
Data from the Bureau of Meteorology and the ship’s own global positioning system paints a picture of fierce weather, with big waves, rain and winds reaching 42 knots just as the engine shut down. The ship’s tracker then showed the ship’s course as it abruptly veered off the rocky shore between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.
The offer to rescue the helicopter crew had been aborted earlier due to the wild conditions, said Shane Daw, manager of Westpac’s helicopter rescue team.
“The bow was going up and down like a sinking horse, a bronco,” Daw said. “The crew tried to get down, but the boat itself was moving up and down 10 to 15 feet in the water because it was powerless, adrift and the waves were pretty big.
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“There were also a number of cranes and structures on the deck and there was a risk that they would get caught with a winch line, creating a bigger problem.”
Emad said loading fuel aboard the damaged ship was a major concern, but it appeared the risk had been well managed so far.
“I had just left the port and would normally carry a full load of fuel,” Dr. Emad said. “It is a risk that must be managed very carefully in this environment. But they seem to have done it. “
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