RCCNZ coordinates southern ocean rescue (7)

19 December 2011 - 8.30AM

There was no change to Sparta's condition overnight. Crew are continuing to keep up with water ingress using two pumps.

The ship’s agent is obtaining further equipment to assist the crew in repairing the hole in the vessel’s hull. RCCNZ will coordinate the delivery of this equipment over the next couple of days.

Sparta’s sister ship, Chiyo Maru no. 3, is now around 100 nautical miles (NM) away. It is expected to take several days to reach Sparta.

The Norwegian ship Seljevaer is around 18NM away but remains hemmed in by sea ice. Both vessels are still making efforts to reach Sparta.

The South Korean icebreaker Araon is now approximately 1600NM from Sparta and is expected to take about six days to reach the ship.

The long-range forecast is for increasing winds in the area, but this is not expected to have too much effect on Sparta. Sparta’s crew have attached mooring lines to the ice to give the vessel greater stability.