With fine weather looming, Rena salvors can start anticipating the next stage of the operation, removing the cargo from the wrecked container ship.

Pancaldo berthed at Port of Tauranga this morning.

Rena ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef with 1368 containers onboard when she struck on October 5. Since then 88 have gone over the side, with more than half of them accounted for – either washed up ashore or corralled at sea.

Winds offshore in the Bay of Plenty over the next few days are forecast to be 15-20 knot southwest to westerly winds, becoming calm Saturday and Sunday.

With the fuel pumping operation likely to continue over the next few days, the ship Pancaldo may be brought into play.

The Pancaldo is a multi purpose ship with its own cranes that has been hired by the salvors Svitzer to bring the containers ashore from the ship.

It has been alongside at the Port of Tauranga since it arrived from Wellington on Saturday.

The Pancaldo draws 5.5metres, and the water alongside the Rena's port side is about 60-70 metres. The starboard side near the stern is also over deep water.