Hopes that the abandoned fishing trawler that was shipwrecked on the reef of Bali’s Padang Padang last Friday would be moved before the arrival of a solid incoming swell are quickly fading. A small group of local fishing boats failed on Thursday to pull the Taiwanese fishing boat off the Padang-Padang reef ahead of the expected big swell which was already showing pulses on Friday.

With the swell expected to reach 10 feet on Sunday, the fear that the ship will batter the reef and break apart could quickly become a reality. There is already a heavy amount of cable, knives, fish hooks, and all sorts of other waste that have found their way into the water at Padang Padang. None of that, however, will compare to the irreparable damage that could come from the ship being tossed around and breaking apart.

Aside from the obvious environmental issues this is causing, the heads at Rip Curl will have some interesting decisions to make as the upcoming Rip Curl Pro Search is scheduled to take place here July 30-Aug. 10. With the ASP having a choice between Uluwatu’s and Padang Padang for the contest, it’s looking more and more likely, barring some unforeseen miracle, that Uluwatu will be the call for this one.

A special thanks goes out to all those who have donated so much of their time, money , and hard work to minimize the damage at Padang Padang. Stay tuned for more info.

Tags: Rip Curl

Posted by Shaun on Thursday, July 17th, 2008 in Surfing.

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