Broken-down container ship expected into Wellington on a glass-like sea about 11am

Beleaguered MV Shiling is on schedule to be towed into Wellington on a sea “like glass” about 11am on Tuesday morning.

The container ship had to send out a mayday on May 12 after it broke down on its way to Singapore. The Skandi Emerald tug, which was in Taranaki working for the petrochemical industry, towed the Shiling to safety in Tasman Bay.

Harbour master Grant Nalder on Tuesday morning said the conditions could not be better for the ship to be towed into the harbour on a sea that was “like glass”.

It was due about four or five nautical miles off the Wellington harbour entrance shortly before 11am, where pilots would board both the Shiling and Skandi Emerald to get them into the harbour.

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While it was less than ideal to be towing an almost-300m ship into the harbour not under its own power, everything was otherwise perfect with good conditions, the right crew and the right gear, Nalder said.

Incident controller David Billington said in a statement on Monday that the top priority was ensuring the operation was undertaken as safely as possible.

The tow started in Tasman Bay about 10.30am on Monday.

“The crew of the Skandi Emerald is very experienced in managing tows in a range of conditions, including what could be experienced in the Cook Strait.

“Weather conditions are reasonably stable for the journey too,” Billlington said.

Shiling’s crew remain on board the vessel.

A 500-metre exclusion zone has been put in place around the towage operation for the duration of the journey to Wellington.

“The exclusion zone is in there for a reason, and it is to keep both the towage operation and other people safe,” Billington said.

Since the mayday call on May 12, both vessels have been in Tasman Bay north of Nelson.

The Shiling was on its way back to Singapore for extensive repairs after an earlier breakdown at the mouth of Wellington Harbour. After that earlier breakdown, it was kept in port in Wellington for just over three weeks for repairs.

Maritime NZ has said the cost of the tow will be covered by the ship’s owner and insurer.