Divers and salvors are waiting for calmer sea conditions today to inspect the schooner Fernandes, which hit a reef off Bahar ic-Caghaq yesterday evening and was then beached to save her from sinking.

Conditions on board the 26m schooner deteriorated overnight. The vessel listed sharply to starboard to the extent that even its bridge is awash.

Divers will be inspecting the hull for underwater damage before all water is pumped out and emergency repairs are made so that the vessel could be pulled out before the sea gets any rougher.

Forty-six passengers were rescued from the vessel after yesterday's incident. Most were transferred to an AFM rescue launch while 10 were taken to shore on dinghies. No one was injured.

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