A Hong Kong cargo ship stranded in waters off Sydney will be towed into Port Botany by the end of Wednesday, after orders from the national maritime authority.

The 170-metre bulk carrier Portland Bay and its 21 crew members have been floating off the coast just south of the city since the ship’s engines failed on Monday.

After the Port Authority of NSW said a meeting would be held on Wednesday to determine the next steps, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority ordered that the ship be towed to port.

The authority issued a legal direction to the master of the Portland Bay and a salvage team, saying it “must” be moved to a berth in Botany Bay.

“It is vital that the vessel be moved into safe harbour before the next front of bad weather arrives,” AMSA executive director Mark Morrow said.

More severe weather is forecast for the NSW coast on Thursday after easing somewhat on Wednesday.

Tug boats have already been used to move the ship further up the coast from where it first lost power, off Garie Beach in the Royal National Park south of Sydney, on Monday.

However, plans to take the vessel out to sea were hampered by severe weather, including 11-metre swells.

“Tow lines broke in the extreme weather and ocean conditions … The ship was moved northwards towards a more sheltered location,” Port Authority of NSW CEO Philip Holliday said on Tuesday.

It’s believed a turbo fan on the ship is responsible for the debacle. It would take about half a day to fix – if the ship can dock.

Portland Bay is double anchored about 1.2 nautical miles off Port Botany near Cronulla in Sydney’s south.

The Port Authority said earlier on Wednesday that getting the vessel moving again would be a slow process.

-AAP

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