Village Voice News - National - Newcastle salvage operation to resume

A salvage operation to rescue a stranded bulk carrier at Newcastle will resume as a four-metre swell continues to bear down on the stricken 40,000-tonne vessel.

Water was being pumped into the cargo hold of the stranded bulk carrier Pasha Bulker to stabilise the vessel until it can be towed off Nobbys Beach.

The team working to salvage the 225-metre coal carrier is continuing to transfer fuel oil from lower tanks to the upper part of the vessel, a NSW Maritime spokesman Neil Patchett said.

The team hopes to move the ship's fuel out of harm's way by the end of Tuesday.

The salvage team reported a hole in the ship's outer hull but the team was confident the inner hull remained intact.

Mr Patchett said water was being pumped from the ocean into cargo holds as ballast to ensure it sits more firmly on the shifting sands.

"It could be finished overnight with the intention of settling the ship down and holding it more firmly on the sandy bottom," Mr Patchett said.

The strategy will assist any refloating operation.

A specialised Sydney salvage tug, the Leona, arrived at Nobbys Beach on Monday.

A second salvage tug from Melbourne, the Cara, is expected to arrive by Wednesday morning.

Mr Patchett said the "massive" salvage tugs would eventually help drag the Pasha Bulker off the sandbar where it has been stranded since Friday.

"It's quite an involved operation and whatever is attempted in terms of the tow clear, it needs to be done in counter balance with concerns for the safety of the salvage people, the crews and the people involved, and also the impact on the environment."

He said improved weather would assist the salvage this week.

"Just when they are going to be able to tow is unclear, but they are working as hard as they can, given the conditions and what's before them, to get to that point.

A draft salvage plan should be completed by the end of Tuesday but no attempt to move the Pasha Bulker will be made until at least Wednesday.

The head of a marine assistance company says up to three tugs could be required to haul the vessel back to sea.

Sea Tow's Matt Cummings, who is not involved in the rescue, said the tugs would probably run ropes to the Pasha Bulker "and try and steer the ship through a small break where there's no rocks, where there's some sand".

NSW Ports Minister Joe Tripodi said the salvage team's main priority was to contain the ship's 700 tonnes of oil and fuel.

He said the ship's owners would pay for the operation and faced a hefty bill.