The Navy is unloading 200 tons of fuel and water and 15 more tons of sailors to try to refloat a guided missile cruiser that ran aground Thursday night.

Rear Adm. Joseph A. Walsh, deputy commander and chief of staff of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, today would not discuss what may have caused the USS Port Royal to get stuck in 17 to 22 feet of water half a mile off of Honolulu International Airport's reef runway — or any possible disciplinary action against its captain or crew.

Walsh did say that ships entering or leaving Pearl Harbor normally take a course through 32 feet of water.

"Clearly the ship is not where the ship should have been," Walsh said.

Hundreds of Navy, Coast Guard, state and private personnel have made two attempts to tow the Port Royal backward off of a sand and rock ledge.

They will make a third attempt at "high, high tide" at 3:24 tomorrow morning.

The Port Royal became lodged on the sand and rock bottom from its bow to stern and continues to list to its port side, clearly visible to airline passengers.

No oil has spilled from the Port Royal and the Coast Guard has set up a 500-foot safety zone around the ship.