A two-week salvage operation has begun to recover the wrecked Black Cat Cruises boat from Akaroa Harbour on Banks Peninsula.
More than 40 people were rescued from the catamaran when it ran into trouble at Nikau Palm Valley Bay in the Akaroa Marine Reserve on 31 January.
The Canterbury Regional Council said work to recover parts of the tourist boat from the beach and the sea could take two weeks, depending on the conditions.
The boat was carrying 2240 litres of marine diesel fuel and around 120 litres of other oils in sealed containers and engines combined.
The catamaran was stuck on rocks near the heads but swells last week dislodged part of the boat, leaving it broken up on shore.
Regional on-scene commander Emma Parr said safety was a top priority.
“Recovery activities will only be undertaken when conditions are safe for crews and any potential environmental impacts have been minimised. This includes pre and post wildlife surveys and hydrocarbon testing of water, sediment and shellfish,” she said.
The salvage team will first dismantle the top of the boat and remove debris from the beach.
The council said the work would involve cutting up and removing the wreckage using a barge and crane over about five days.
Sections of the submerged hull and other debris will then be removed from the sea.
Parr said a 200-metre exclusion zone remained in place about the boat.
“The exclusion area is critical to keeping people safe while complex recovery work is underway. We ask the public to please respect all signage, on-water restrictions and advice from response crews,” she said.
“Removing the vessel and debris from this sensitive area is a priority and all parties involved remain committed to completing the recovery as safely and efficiently as possible.”
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) is investigating the grounding.
Several agencies are working together on the recovery effort with the council, including the Department of Conservation, Maritime New Zealand, TAIC, Wildbase and NZ Defence Force.
The tour operator has previously said the grounding was the first incident of its kind in more than 40 years.
