Water getting into distressed Russian ship again - agency
MOSCOW. Dec 17 (Interfax) - Russian ship Sparta, which has been gashed at one side off Antarctica, found itself in bigger trouble when it moved off to pick up a powerful pump thrown down from a New Zealand aircraft, Rosrybolovstvo, Russia government agency for fisheries, said on Saturday.
The piece of plastic that closed the gash on the outside was torn off when the Sparta started moving. Water rushed in and blew off the metal sheet covering the hole on the inside, Rosrybolovstvo spokesman Alexander Savelyev told Interfax.
"The crew had to close the gash with a piece of tarpaulin impregnated with resin and to continue pumping out the water," he said.
The crew was unable to make use of the North Zealand pump as the latter didn't have the main hose. The crew asked for it but the hose would take time to deliver, Savelyev said.
In addition, the New Zealand Air Force, which has an aircraft posted at an American station in Antarctica, was asked for extra rescue equipment, such as including rafts, he said.
The spokesman also said ice was preventing a Norwegian fishing boat, which was sailing 15 miles from the Sparta, from getting across to the Russian ship. The Sparta would be able to pump over about 100 tonnes of fuel to the Norwegian vessel and thereby reduce its weight. The heavily listing Russian ship would then be able to straighten it up partially.
The Sparta needs to reduce its listing angle from the current 13 degrees to eight or less to have the gash rise above the water surface. The hole could then be welded over.
Savelyev said the main hopes were being pinned on a South Korean icebreaker that has heading for the Sparta. But as it had to break through solid ice, the South Korean ship would take eight to 10 days to reach the Russian vessel.
The Sparta's owner, Vladivostok-based company Antei is negotiating payment for being rescued by the South Korean ship, Savelyev said.