A Singaporean cargo ship that issued a mayday call earlier this week is likely to return to Wellington.
It comes after a large emergency response was triggered as Maritime New Zealand responded to the mayday request from the Singaporean cargo vessel the Shiling, which had 24 crew on board.
Maritime NZ said in a statement on Sunday an agreement has been made for the Shiling to be towed to Wellington after it was safely anchored at Tasman Bay overnight.
The owner of the ship has been working to confirm a suitable location for it to safely anchor or berth. The ship's owner and insurer will pay for the towing fee.
"Due to its size, and current location, the owner's agent contacted Wellington's CentrePort," Maritime New Zealand said.
Maritime NZ's incident controller Kenny Crawford said the Maritime Incident Response Team is actively monitoring the situation.
"While the decisions around passage, anchoring locations and towage are managed by the owners of the Shiling, Maritime NZ has oversight and is liaising with CentrePort and the Wellington Harbour Master to ensure the process is managed safely," Crawford said.
"The Skandi Emerald is a very capable towage vessel, and its crew are highly experienced in traversing conditions such as what could be experienced in the Cook Strait."
As the passage plan is developed, a risk assessment will be undertaken and the Maritime Incident Response Team will have oversight to ensure it is done correctly.
A formal decision has not yet been made on when the vessel will leave Tasman Bay or when it is likely to arrive in Wellington, Maritime NZ said.
"The Wellington Harbourmaster and CentrePort management are in regular contact with Maritime NZ about the Shiling's passage to Wellington," Maritime NZ said.
