A cargo ship that has been stuck off the coast of Sydney since Monday finally made it to shore after two failed rescue attempts.
The Port Authority of NSW confirmed the vessel made it into Port Botany around 2 pm this afternoon, after a rescue operation using four tug boats began this morning.
The MV Portland Bay left Port Kembla on Sunday afternoon and headed for Melbourne, but lost power on Monday in severe weather conditions.
It had been drifting towards cliffs in the Royal National Park, south of Sydney, before being towed into deeper waters.
The ship was towed away from the cliffs but plans to pull it into a port were aborted on Monday when the cable connecting the tug and the Portland Bay snapped in rough seas.
The vessel was anchored 1.2 nautical miles from Botany Bay, off the coast of Cronulla, as crews waited for conditions to relax.
The NSW Port AuthorityNSW Port Authority confirmed all 21 crew aboard the ship are safe after enduring two stormy nights at sea.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority AMSA will now assume responsibility for the vessel's safety and repairs, with the Port Authority of NSW thanking staff and agencies for their work.
The deputy secretary of the Sydney Branch of the Maritime Union, Paul Garrett, earlier this week praised the tugboat crews as heroes for braving the treacherous conditions on the water.
They've always been heroes, he said.
When most people go for shelter, our members are jumping on board the boat to go out to sea and do their best, according to the most impressive thing.
The seas were big, they went from five to nine metres, it is akin to being in a washing machine.
The work of personnel on board the tugboats overnight was described as heroic and incredibly impressive by NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet. He said the bulk carrier was in a stable and anchored position through the night.