The delicate and painstaking task of removing cargo containers from the stricken ship 'Rena' - grounded off the coast of New Zealand - enters its second day.
Workers must cut each of them free from the stack, then attach cables so the containers can be lifted by a crane onto a nearby barge.
Eighteen have so far been removed from the vessel but work is expected to slow once the salvors reach the full ones.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) SALVAGE MANAGER, MARITIME NEW ZEALAND, KENNY CRAWFORD, SAYING:
"These are empty containers. There's no real weight in them. The weather conditions are just about perfect for this operation."
And if wind speeds exceed 24 knots, the work must stop for safety reasons.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) SALVAGE MANAGER, MARITIME NEW ZEALAND, KENNY CRAWFORD, SAYING:
"Ultimately, the salvors' safety is paramount here as well. So they don't want to be underneath a container that's going to fall apart on them."
Of the 1,200 containers, about 800 are situated below deck.
Workers have said they may have to cut the ship open to reach them.
Travis Brecher, Reuters