With the damaged Chinese cargo ship Tong Cheng safely berthed in a protected state harbor for repairs yesterday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials announced that word it was carrying ammunition resulted from an error in translation.

Since Tuesday, as state and federal officials worked to pump water from the ship while it floated about a mile off the reef runway, authorities grew concerned about an unspecified type of ammunition that was thought to be part of the ship's general cargo of plywood and steel.

But yesterday, authorities said there was confusion related to the translation of the manifest, said Lamar Witmer, port director for the federal customs agency. When U.S. authorities received the ship's manifest, they did not understand portions of it and follow-up discussions with the Tong Cheng captain led them to believe there was ammunition on board.

"Descriptions (on the manifest) were somewhat vague and as we have gone along through this process we've been working to clarify exactly what is on the manifest," Witmer said. "There are no explosives on the vessel. There is no hazardous waste and we feel fairly comfortable about going forward."

MOVE TO KALAELOA

The Tong Cheng was escorted by the U.S. Coast Guard into Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor about 1 p.m. yesterday. A Coast Guard helicopter hovered overhead to ensure, as it had for several days, that nothing was leaking from the ship. It tied up at Pier 7, where it will remain for a few days before being moved to Pier 6.

The ship was en route from Busan, South Korea, to several Caribbean countries, including possibly Cuba, when it hit something during a storm in late December. A crack 56 inches long and an eighth of an inch wide developed near the bottom of the hull on the port side, said Coast Guard Capt. Vincent Atkins.

Although temporary repairs were made this week by Navy divers, water had gotten into the No. 2 cargo hold. If nothing had been done, the pressure from the water on the bulkhead that separates the No. 2 and No. 1 cargo holds could have caused a dangerous breach, Atkins said. All it would have taken to submerge the bow of the ship and sink it would be 9 feet of water in the forward cargo hold, he said.

Atkins said authorities wanted to bring the Tong Cheng into the harbor's calm waters because that would put less pressure on the crack. Bigger problems could have been created because a ship at sea is exposed to the constant movement of the ocean.

"As you continue to move, the crack will grow," he said. "We could have lost it right on our doorstep and had a catastrophe."

Cargo in the leaking hold will have to be removed and authorities will screen it for radiation — a typical procedure that occurs daily with arriving ships, Witmer said. Special X-ray machines will be on hand if inspectors want a closer look, he said.

"We will be using that if we believe there is an anomaly," Witmer said. "We do believe the cargo is safe and the public has nothing to worry about, but we just want to be safe."

BUSINESS CLAIMS

Once repairs are completed, the ship will return to China. Harbor businesses financially affected by the work will be able to file a claim with the ship's insurance agency. Douglas Larsen, vice president and general manager for the Pacific Region of Hudson Marine Management Services, said those businesses can call (888) 509-8591 to file a claim.

Zhu Bao Jun, a representative of the ship's owner who flew in from Shanghai, said U.S. officials had acted appropriately in inspecting and aiding the leaking ship.

"We will do our very best to help the U.S. in repairing the vessel," he said through an interpreter. "And we will try as soon as possible to leave the port."

Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com.