Shipwreck !

For the next few days Australia's attention will be concentrated on efforts to refloat a huge ship stranded on a popular beach in the heart of a major city.
During last weekend's storm that lashed Newcastle and the northern coast the 70,000 tonne bulk carrier Pasha Bulker was slow to heed a warning to head out to sea. The storm caught her too close inshore - and she was driven hard aground on Nobby's beach.
The whole country watched as television recorded a dramatic rescue. Amid pounding waves and sheets of spray helicopters winched her twenty-two man crew to safety.
For the past few days events have unfolded with a salvage crew dropped from a helicopter to get her generators working - and with power restored water pumped into some cargo spaces to rebalance the ship. It was fortunate that the Pasha Bulker was empty, waiting to enter port and load coal for Japan. Had her holds been fully loaded the chances of retrieval would have been remote.
Television viewers are following the salvage plans with interest. There has been minor hull damage, but so far no leaking of the thousands of tonnes of oil in her bunkers. Booms are in place in case this happens.
A re-floating attempt will probably not take place until near the end of this month when abnormally high tides are predicted. It will be necessary to slightly turn the ship to avoid a reef between it and a safe passage to sea, and high pressure water hoses will be used to create a channel under her beam to break the suction with the sand.
When the time comes for the moving attempt there will be a small navy of tugs on hand. One large tug will trail lines to the ship as it heads out to sea and drops a huge array of anchors. This will establish it as a stationery point against which the Pasha Bulker's own winches will strive to move the ship off the beach. At the same time, several other tugs will lend their pull power to the attempt.
The salvage master has stated that this will be a risky operation - and heaps of good luck will be needed if it is to be successful. Many will remember a similar incident a decade or so earlier when another ship - the Sygnia - was driven aground on Stockton beach, also in Newcastle.
Rescue attempts failed - and now the rusting hulk of the Sygnia is a tourist attraction visited by many.
Extreme weather is again predicted for this weekend - and if huge seas and gale force winds cause the Pasha Bulker to start breaking up the rescue attempt will be abandoned - and Newcastle will have a new and permanent tourist attraction - right in the heart of the city !