NSW floods crisis: Stricken ship ‘slow to notify officials’

The crew of a cargo ship holding 1000 tonnes of fuel stranded without power near the coast of Sydney delayed contacting marine authorities.

The Portland Bay ship rescue. Picture: Westpac Rescue Lifesaver Helicopters

The crew of a cargo ship holding 1000 tonnes of fuel and stranded without power near the coast of Sydney delayed contacting marine authorities after its engines failed.

The MV Portland Bay on Tuesday was due to spend its second night without power after suffering engine malfunctions, hampering repairs to the engine amid severe weather and swells of up to 11m.

Port Authority chief executive Philip Holliday said rescue crews, including privately owned tug boats, were deployed as quickly as possible and the incident would be investigated.

“I think if I was going to be more critical, I would say it took a little while before the ship let us know how close to the shore they were,” he said.

“It’s always nice to know about these things and we can activate sooner.”

Captain Holliday said the vessel’s owner, the Hong Kong-based Pacific Basin, would foot the bill for the rescue effort.

The vessel, understood to have been heading to Melbourne from Port Kembla and carrying no cargo, is holding about 1000 tonnes of heavy fuel and marine gas oil.

Port authorities feared the vessel could crash into rocks near the shore, potentially spilling fuel into the waters next to the Royal National Park in Sydney’s south and creating an ecological disaster.

Captain Holliday said this was no longer an active concern as the ship was anchored ­securely off Port Botany near Cronulla and was intact. “She’s carrying a reasonable amount of fuel for the journey she’s on and of course that’s a concern we’re managing,” he said.

The ship’s turbo blower, which cools the engine, malfunctioned and the crew was unable to repair it.

Footage taken by Marine Towage, one of the private tug boat companies engaged in the rescue effort, shows a tug passing through choppy waters to reach the MV Portland Bay.

An attempt on Monday to tow the 170m bulk carrier to deep water failed after a tow line­ ­snapped.

If weather conditions ease, rescue crews will try to tow the MV Portland into Port Botany on Wednesday and further ­attempts will be made to repair the engine.