Initial attempts to re-float stricken vessel fails

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Attempts to refloat the stricken vessel, Kiani Satu, failed on Tuesday morning  because the sea swells were not big enough.

Samsa's captain Nigel Campbell says the operations began after 05:00am on Tuesday and pulled through the high water period to 08:00am when the tide started dropping.

He says they succeeded in swinging the vessel's bow about 10 degrees.

"Whats stopped her coming off this morning is that we don't have enough swell here, it's calm its less than than two metres. We need according to our calculations four metres of swell to lift her as we pulling. We are expecting the swell to increase and hoping if the forecasts are right that we could have a 4 metre swell when we start again at 17:00pm. " says Campbell

The 165-metre long bulk carrier ran aground at Walker Point at Buffels Bay near Knysna last Thursday after experiencing mechanical problems.

Oil leaking from the vessel is said to be dissipating out to sea but clean up operations on land are underway.

Meanwhile, the Knysna Municipality has lauded the efforts of parties involved in the management of the implications related to the stricken vessel.

Municipal manager, Lauren Waring, has appealed to the public to respect the boundaries set out for salvage and clean-up operations.

She says the Goukamma Nature Reserve is closed to the public and a kilometre exclusion zone applies, which is applicable to all land, air and water craft.

Waring says anyone or organisations who enter the restricted area without permission may be arrested.

She say the Goukamma Nature Reserve is a protected area, which now more than ever requires respect and care.