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Name: CV Rena
Vessel type: cargo vessel
Length: 236 metres
Beam: 32 metres
Draught: 12 metres
Tonnage: 37,209 gross tonnes
Crew: 25 at time of grounding
Cargo: 1,368 containers at time of grounding, 32 containing dangerous goods
Fuel: 1,733 tonnes of oil on board at time of grounding
Year of construction: 1990
IMO no: 8806802
Flag: Liberia
Home port: Monrovia
Owners: Costamare Shipping
Charterer: Mediterranean Shipping Company
What type of vessel is it?
CV Rena is a 21-year-old 236 metre Liberian-flagged cargo vessel.
How much oil was on board?
Approximately 1,700 tonnes, of which at least 350 tonnes has escaped. Recovery of the rest of the oil is the priority of the salvors and MNZ.
How many crew are on board and what is their status?
There were no reported injuries to the 25 crew on board, who have all been removed from the vessel.
What has happened to the master and crew?
MNZ charged the Master and the ship’s Second Officer (Navigation) with a number of offences following the ship’s grounding.
On 12 October, MNZ charged both men under section 65 of the Maritime Transport Act (MTA) 1994, “for operating a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk”.
The MTA charge carries a maximum penalty of $10,000 or a maximum term of imprisonment of 12 months.
Further charges were laid by MNZ on 2 November, against each man under section 338 (1B) and (15B) of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) relating to the “discharge of harmful substances from ships or offshore installations”.
The RMA charge carries a maximum penalty of a fine of $300,000, or two years’ imprisonment, and $10,000 for every day the offending continues.
On 21 December, both men were also charged under S117(e) & 66 of the Crimes Act, alleging they “wilfully attempted to pervert the course of justice” by altering ship’s documents subsequent to the grounding.
The Master faces four charges under the Crimes Act, and the Second Officer three charges.
Each charge carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment.
On 29 February, the Master entered guilty pleas to all six charges laid against him
The Second Officer entered guilty pleas to the MTA charge and the Crimes Act charges, but entered no plea to the RMA charge. If necessary, a two day hearing will take place on the 22 and 23 May to hear legal argument regarding the RMA charge.
Sentencing for both men will take place in the Tauranga District Court on 25 May.
Note the names and identities of both men remain suppressed.
The other crew members have returned to the Philippines.
Was Rena inspected in Bluff?
The visit to Rena at Bluff on 28 September 2011 by an MNZ Maritime Safety Inspector was a follow-up visit to clear deficiencies issued to the ship by a Port State Control inspection undertaken in China on 5 July 2011.
There were 18 deficiencies issued against the ship in this inspection. Twelve of these deficiencies were “rectify before departure” which means they must be repaired before the ship leaves the port.
The other six deficiencies needed to be rectified before 19 July 2011. The 'chart' deficiency noted refers to a correction to Chart 4123 – a China South Coast Chart, and is not relevant to the current situation. The Chinese PSCO (Port State Control Officer) did not return to the ship to clear the deficiencies before the ship departed, but the ship signalled that the deficiencies had been rectified.
A subsequent Port State Control inspection in Fremantle WA on 21 July 2011 raised additional deficiencies and the vessel was detained. (Seventeen deficiencies were raised at this time.) On 22 July 2011, a follow-up inspection at Fremantle cleared 15 deficiencies raised the previous day. A further follow-up inspection at Port Botany NSW on 22 September 2011 cleared a further deficiency issued at the Fremantle inspection.
None of the deficiencies raised by the inspection conducted on 5 July 2011 were removed from the APCIS database, although according to the master of Rena, they had been checked, which is why an MNZ Maritime Safety Inspector attended the vessel. The inspector did not conduct an initial inspection of the vessel.
One deficiency remained against the ship after the MSI visit, with a three-month action date. This deficiency was being actioned, as the vessel was to have a survey/audit in Singapore.
More information on port state control
Was Rena involved in a previous close quarters incident?
On the afternoon of 10 October 2011, information was received through media which identified that a vessel had allegedly had a close-quarters situation with Rena in the days preceding the grounding. This vessel was later identified as Torea.
Enquiries were then made by MNZ with the master of Torea, who indicated that the vessel took a precautionary 360 degree turn between 12 and 4am on 2 October off the East Coast, near Napier, after Rena had overtaken their vessel in an overtaking manoeuvre.
This was a purely precautionary turn to give Rena more sea room. The master has advised MNZ of this information, and the MNZ investigations team has included this aspect in its ongoing investigation.
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