The salvors' new method of sliding containers into the water off the deck of the Rena's wrecked bow section and then retrieving them with a crane saw eight removed on Thursday.

These were empty containers and while six were lifted by crane onto the Smit Borneo barge, two sunk on the reef.

The Smit Borneo near the Rena on January 24. Photo: LOC.

These two have buoys attached to them and will be recovered once the weather conditions improve.

Today there are 30 knot winds and swells of up to 2m at the Astrolabe Reef, with weather forecast to remain unsettled over the weekend.

On Thursday the salvors also removed 39 bags of milk powder – emptying one complete container.

Salvors working onboard the wreck today are emptying more containers to enable the removal of the cargo faster.

The containers are also presenting challenges for Braemar Howells, the contractor charged with their onshore processing.

The contractor is attempting to cut up a container that's partly submerged at Bowentown, but the task is difficult owing to strong tidal currents.

These currents mean divers can only use special underwater cutting equipment at low tide.

The Braemar Howells recovery team has so far processed 497 containers.

This comprises 441 that have been lifted off the wreck by the salvors and 56 that have been collected at sea or from beaches by Braemar vessels.

These containers washed overboard from the Rena since it ran aground on the reef on October 5.