An attempt to refloat the stranded Safmarine Agulhas at East London has been postponed, the salvors said on Wednesday.
Salvors started putting cables in place for the reflotation on Wednesday afternoon.
However, they put off the planned reflotation to ensure connections between the salvage tug Smit Amandla and the container ship were made in daylight, said Smit Amandla marine spokesperson Clare Gomes.
The attempt will now go ahead at high tide on Thursday.
Gomes said there was still a team of salvors on board and they would continue monitoring the structural integrity of the vessel overnight.
The Safmarine Agulhas’s crew of 22 had not left the ship because they were not in danger, she said.
The vessel ran aground in sand off the East London harbour’s western breakwater on Monday night.
East London National Port Authority spokesperson Terry Taylor said the Smit Amandla — a Department of Transport pollution standby tug managed by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) — arrived at the scene from Cape Town at 2.30pm on Wednesday.
Gomes said earlier on Wednesday that, should refloating efforts prove unsuccessful, the vessel’s structural integrity would be reassessed and an appropriate salvage plan determined.
This could include further refloating attempts or the removal of all fuel oil onboard.
Safety and protection of the marine environment were the priorities, she said.
Samsa’s general manager for operations, Captain Saleem Modak, said the Agulhas was carrying 662 metric tons of fuel oil, 88 metric tons of marine diesel and 37 metric tons of lube oils.
The Department Environmental Affairs’ patrol vessel Victoria Mxenge and its oil pollution patrol aircraft Kuswag VIII were monitoring any pollution threat.
Owned by FA Vinnen and Company of Germany, the Agulhas is on charter to Safmarine Container Lines and is deployed between Europe and South Africa. There are 469 loaded and 112 empty containers on board. — Sapa