New Zealand’s Astrolabe Reef Reclaiming the Rena — 2020 Shipwreck Survey

Almost a decade ago, the container ship MV Rena ran hard aground on Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga on New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty. The ship, carrying 2,100 containers and 1,700 tonnes of heavy fuel, would break up resulting in New Zealand’s … Continue reading

Update: Owners of Container Ship MV Rena Plead Guilty, Pay NZ$300K Fine

Daina Shipping, owner of the container ship MV Rena, has been fined NZ $300,000 (US $246,000) for discharging harmful substances after the Liberian flagged ship, ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga, New Zealand in early October of last year. The ship subsequently broke up … Continue reading

Update: MV Rena – Cover-up Revealed and Jail Time for Captain and Second Officer

On October 5, 2011, the containership MV Rena ran aground on Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga, resulting in one of the worst maritime environmental disasters in New Zealand history.  Yesterday, in a New Zealand court, the captain, Mauro Balomaga, and second officer, Leonil Relon, were … Continue reading

Update: MV Rena – Owners Charged, Officers Plead Guilty, Stern Sinks

In early October,  the container ship MV Rena ran hard aground on the Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga, New Zealand, resulting in an oil spill which the New Zealand Environment minister Nick Smith has referred to as the country’s most serious maritime environmental … Continue reading

Update: MV Rena – Unloading Containers & Little Blue Penguins Released

The clean-up continues on the MV Rena which ran  hard aground on Astrolabe Reef near Tauranga, New Zealand on October 5, 2011. The remaining oil has been pumped off and efforts are beginning to remove the container cargo from the stricken ship.  Roughly forty containers have been … Continue reading

Update: MV Rena Salvage Ongoing, A Second Container Ship Runs Aground, HMAS Broome Averts Disaster

Attempts to pump out the residual fuel of from the MV Rena, stranded on Astrolabe Reef off New Zealand continue with mixed results.  New focus for Rena salvagers Today, a second container ship, the Schelder Trader, lost power and drifted onto … Continue reading

MV Rena Cracking, Risking Breaking Up, Containers Washing Ashore

The Liberian flagged container ship, MV Rena, which ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga, New Zealand last week is continuing to suffer structural cracking and is continuing to spill bunker oil and losing containers overboard. Several beaches on the … Continue reading

Oil Spill from MV Rena – A Small Leak or Looming Environmental Disaster ?

Depending on what one reads, the oil spill associated with the grounding of the MV Rena on Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga, New Zealand is either a “small leak” or a “looming environmental disaster.”  Conceivably, depending on the integrity of the ship’s hull, both … Continue reading

MV Rena Aground on Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga, New Zealand

The Liberian flagged container ship, MV Rena, ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga, New Zealand yesterday, flooding two cargo holds.   The ship is loaded with approximately 2,100 containers and has around 1,700 tonnes of heavy fuel.  There has been no spillage of … Continue reading