Heavy seas are preventing attempts to assess the damage to a French trawler which has been driven on to rocks near Daingean Uí Chúis.
The 27-metre vessel remains wedged at the base of a cliff near Binn Bán lighthouse at the mouth of the harbour in Co Kerry.
Salvage contractors have been forced to postpone attempts to pull the boat off the rocks due to approaching weather. Force 8 gales are expected later today along with a sea-swell of up to eight metres.
The 'Fastnet' was driven aground in high winds last Sunday afternoon when the vessel experienced engine difficulties on exiting the mouth of the harbour. Fourteen crew members were airlifted to safety by helicopter in a rescue operation, co-ordinated by the Irish Coast Guard.
Marine pollution and salvage teams have been attempting to board the vessel since early Monday morning to allow an assessment of the damage. A 33-tonne tugboat was forced to return to west Cork on Tuesday evening due to deteriorating sea conditions.
A strong smell of diesel has filled the air in recent days and what appears to be a fuel slick could seen surrounding the boat yesterday evening. Concerns for the ecological impact the leakage of fuel and oil is a matter of concern for the authorities.
The trawler is believed to have been carrying an estimated 40,000 tonnes of fuel. While fuel may have already escaped from the vessel, experts say diesel tanks situated higher in the hull may still be intact.
Daingean Uí Chúis Harbour Master Nigel Collins said every effort is being made to limit ecological damage and to re-float the vessel.
"As soon as we can get on board we will be able to assess the situation. Then we can dewater and depollute her.
"Very poor weather and high swells has so far prevented salvage operators from boarding her.
"We estimate that there could be at least 17,000 litres of fuel left in the upper diesel tanks and you are looking at about 3 tonnes of oil. It’s also important to remove the nets from the vessel as they also pose a threat to marine life," said Mr Collins.
Seán Harrington of Atlantic Towage and Marine Salvage said the situation will be reassessed as soon as the weather has settled, possibly early next week. In terms of damage to the vessel, there is nothing that they can conclusively at this stage, he said.
Salvage experts say the double-base hull design in the vessel could help in efforts to free the trawler from the rocks. However, the vessel is showing reduced signs of buoyancy on rolling waves today, an indication that the hull may have been breached and filled with water.
The Fastnet is resting within 400 metres of Binn Bán beach. The area is a well-known beauty spot with picturesque views of the mouth of the harbour at Daingean Uí Chúis and Binn Bán lighthouse.
The area was a also popular destination for tourists as it overlooks the area of the harbour frequented by Fungie the dolphin, before his disappearance in October 2020.
Built in 2001, the Fastnet is a French registered trawler based in the French Basque city of Bayonne. The trawler was previously fishing out of Castletownbere before being sold to French owners.
