Rena report probe reveals short cut

An interim report on the Rena cargo ship grounding has revealed that the crew may have been taking a short cut which caused the incident.
The New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission's report into the grounding of Rena on the Astrolabe Reef in October last year has stated that the crew were desperately trying to meet the deadline to reach port.
Several course changes were made in order to do this which resulted in the vessel trying to pass the reef at just 2km, as opposed to the recommended 4.8km.

An interim report on the Rena cargo ship grounding has revealed that the crew may have been taking a short cut which caused the incident.
The New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission's report into the grounding of Rena on the Astrolabe Reef in October last year has stated that the crew were desperately trying to meet the deadline to reach port.
Several course changes were made in order to do this which resulted in the vessel trying to pass the reef at just 2km, as opposed to the recommended 4.8km.
After the grounding, the Rena leaked hundred of tonnes of fuel, in what has been called New Zealand’s worst maritime environmental disaster. New Zealand’s government has estimated the cost of the clean up at NZ$130m.
Both the captain and the navigating officer have pleaded guilty to mishandling the vessel and then doctoring documents after the crash – they’re due to be sentenced on 25 May.
The commission's final report is due out next year.
So far it has been difficult to ascertain what can be learnt from the Rena disaster and what, if any, changes need to be made to safety regulations to prevent a similar incident happening again.