Equipment and fuel has reached the crew of the stricken Russian fishing vessel Sparta in New Zealand's Southern Ocean.
A New Zealand Defence Force Hercules set off from Christchurch about 11am local time on Saturday with the supplies for the Sparta, which is taking on water next to the Antarctic ice shelf in the Ross Sea about 3700km southeast of New Zealand.
A Maritime New Zealand spokeswoman said the Hercules reached Sparta just before 7pm and completed the drop.
Sparta's crew of 32 has stopped the water entering the holds of the ship and will use some of the equipment dropped on Saturday to continue repairs to the hull.
The ship had been taking in water through a 30cm hole in the hull 1.5m below the water line.
Two ships - the Russian-flagged Chiyo Maru No.3 and the Norwegian vessel Sel Jevaer - are continuing towards Sparta but are expected to take several days to reach it.
However, the New Zealand vessel San Aspiring has been released from the rescue operation as it was considered it would take too long to reach it and it was potentially too dangerous to continue.
The South Korean icebreaker Araon will head to the ship from New Zealand on Saturday night after being commissioned by Sparta's owner, but it is expected to take eight days to get there.
'The vessel is certainly in a safer position than it was yesterday,' search and rescue mission coordinator Chris Wilson said.
The crew pumped water from the hold overnight and moved cargo to stabilise the vessel. They left the vessel on Friday as a precautionary measure but returned.
The crew are also working on patches which they will attach to the hole if they can lighten the vessel enough to correct its list.
'The second pump will provide greater capacity to the crew and will also provide back-up in the event one of Sparta's pumps fail. Pumps aren't designed to work 24/7, so it's important they have that security,' Ms Wilson said.
The weather in the area currently is calm.
The Hercules will spend the night at Pegasus Airstrip near McMurdo sound before heading back to New Zealand on Sunday.
