Weather may spill containers from 'fragile' Rena

Containers could spill from the Rena tonight as bad weather continues to shake the already fragile cargo ship.

The container recovery company Braemar Howells has vessels and personnel on standby, ready to respond if any containers fall overboard.

There were 1368 containers on board the Rena when it struck the Astrolabe Reef, off the Tauranga coast, on October 5.

Eighty-seven containers fell off the cargo ship in the days that followed, some sinking to the ocean's floor and others washing ashore, spilling bizarre contents on to the coastline.

Salvors had exceeded expectations by removing 95 containers since November 16, but the weather took a turn for the worst yesterday, suspending removal efforts.

The 47,000 tonne cargo ship, which has been stuck on the reef on a precarious lean, has remained in one piece during two storms.

It is still in one piece, but remains in a "fragile condition", said Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) Salvage Unit Manager Arthur Jobard.

Electronic sensors on board continue to monitor the ship's condition and so far indicated that there has been no significant change overnight.

MNZ said earlier today that strong winds were expected to continue throughout the day.

The pull tug Go Canopus remained connected to the Rena and was monitoring its condition.

However, the crane barge Sea Tow 60 had returned to port last night due to the worsening weather conditions.

Maritime New Zealand Salvage Unit Manager Arthur Jobard said the weather was forecast to be poor for the next couple of days.

It would also take time for the Sea Tow to re-establish its position and mooring arrangements next to the Rena once the weather was calm enough to resume operations.

There were no reports of fresh oil overnight, however cleaning operations continued in various areas today.