HONOLULU -- The 266-foot Ocean Hercules arrived in Hawaii Friday morning to begin recovery of the Japanese fishing vessel sunk by a U.S. submarine.
The maintenance vessel (pictured, right) contracted by the Navy for the recovery mission departed San Francisco July 5. It will stay in Honolulu Harbor for 24 to 48 hours before heading to the site where the Ehime Maru sank in 2,000 feet of water.
The Ehime Maru sank after it was struck by the surfacing USS Greeneville nine miles south of Waikiki on Feb. 9. The bodies of nine Japanese men and boys are believed still to be inside the Ehime Maru.
The Navy says that the Ocean Hercules will clear off loose material that might affect the marine environment, such as cargo nets, and remove two of the Ehime Maru's three masts.
It will be the first physical contact with the Ehime Maru since the collision.
Next month, the salvage vessel Rockwater Two will try to move the Ehime Maru to waters off the Honolulu Airport's reef runway. Divers will then search the ship to recover missing crewmembers and items that could be used for a possible memorial.
The cost for the unprecedented recovery effort is being estimated at $40 million.
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