HONOLULU -- The Navy is flying in dredging pumps to help clear the area around the bow of the sunken Japanese fishing vessel Ehime Maru for its latest plan.

Capt. Bert Marsh, the Navy's salvage chief, says once the bow of the vessel is dredged, a temporary sling will be placed around it so the vessel can be moved a short distance to level ground, where a permanent sling will be attached to the bow.

A permanent sling is now being placed around the stern. The bow is stuck in mud.

"The whole idea of the plan is to lift the vessel level and keep her level thruout the lift," Marsh said.

The plan is to tow the fishing vessel to shallow water off the Honolulu Airport reef runway, where Navy divers will try to recover the bodies of the nine men and boys who went down with the ship after it was rammed by a Navy submarine -- the USS Greeneville -- last February.

The Navy will not say how long the latest plans will take or if it will cost more than the $40-million budget.

Marsh says those involved in the recovery remain committed to the job and are confident the ship can be raised.