An expert team is ready to spring into action should the Turkish ship stranded near Blouberg start breaking up.

Clare Gomes, spokesperson for salvage company Smit Amandla, says the first thing they will have to do is remove all oil from the ship, to reduce the chances of a serious leak.

"Should anything happen, a team is standing by," Gomes said.

Divers for Cape Town's disaster risk management have confirmed that the craft sustained structural damage when it hit a solid object. With the hull cracked, water is streaming into the engine room. At present, there is only a minor oil leak.

Panama-registered Seli 1 has 30 000 tons of coal, 660 tons of oil and 60 tons diesel on board.

The ship has not yet been moved because poor weather conditions have so far prevented safety tests from being carried out.