Salvors will return to the Rena this morning after bad weather forced them off the stricken container ship last night.
The Rena grounded on Astrolabe Reef, off Tauranga, on October 5 and, since then, the race has been on to get oil off the ship before it breaks up.
A Maritime New Zealand spokeswoman said the weather had improved this morning, with winds of 15-20 knots and 1.5-2m swells.
"An observation flight this morning confirmed no change to the vessel overnight,'' the spokeswoman said.
"The salvage teams came off the vessel overnight (but) they will be returning to the ship this morning to resume work begun yesterday.''
MNZ salvage unit manager Bruce Anderson yesterday said salvage company Svitzer was working to re-establish onboard systems for fuel removal.
"One team is focusing on re-establishing the dive station, so a team can recommence work on accessing the starboard tank. A second team is pumping the residual lubricants and oils in the engine room to a centralised tank _ this will make it easier to pump those oils onto the Awanuia once that vessel is back on site,'' Mr Anderson said.'
The barge Awanuia would return to the Rena when weather conditions allow.
National On Scene Commander Mick Courtnell said there was a plan to return to peak operating level and they were ready to respond as needed.
Shoreline assessment teams would today examine beaches after reports of oil in the water at Mount Maunganui beach yesterday.
It was likely it was "remobilise'' - oil that had previously been buried in sand or submerged, and had been washed out by the storm, Mr Courtnell said.
Meanwhile, fresh charges were laid yesterday against the captain and navigational watch officer in relation to the Rena oil spill disaster.
Both men, who have name suppression, each faced one charge under section 338 (1B) of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) relating to the discharge of harmful substances from the ship.
They had been charged earlier by Maritime New Zealand under section 65 of the Maritime Transport Act 1994 for operating a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk.
The pair were back in Tauranga District Court yesterday facing a further charge under the RMA.
Court documents reveal that the captain has been charged with being the master of a ship from which harmful substances and/or contaminants were discharged into a coastal marine area.
The second officer is charged with being responsible for the watch of a ship from which the same offence occurred.
Judge Wolff further remanded the two defendants on bail until December 21, and confirmed the suppression orders in place would continue until further notice.
