Grounded New Zealand ship took short cuts
Crew trying to take short cuts in order to stay on schedule Latest incident photo: The stern section of MV Rena, still sitting on Astrolabe Reef ( photo: Maritime NZ)A report released Thursday by New Zealand investigators on how a cargo ship ran aground on a reef last year paints a picture of a crew trying to take short cuts in order to stay on schedule.On Oct. 5, the Rena smashed into the well-charted Astrolabe reef near the port of Tauranga, spilling 400 tons of fuel oil, fouling pristine beaches and killing thousands of seabirds in what has been called the country's worst maritime environmental disaster.The preliminary report by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission describes how the captain and navigating officer deviated from their planned route several times as they tried to make a 3 a.m. deadline to reach the port. They tried to plot a course that would have taken them much closer to the reef than recommended in navigational manuals.About two hours before the accident, the Tauranga port radioed the crew to say they needed to make "best speed" before tide changes would bring hours of delays getting into port. Soon after that, the captain and navigating officer ...
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