Pacific Spirit Marine Institute
Friday, November 23, 2007
Lloyd’s List has discovered that the vessel had 5 deficiencies at its last inspection including missing search and rescue plans and lifeboat maintenance problems.
YIKES!
Watertight door described as ‘not required’, and fire safety measure also attracted criticism.
The M/S Explorer is said to be equipped with an ice hardened double hull. This ice hardened double hull has an ice rating of 1A1 ice A. This fact seems to be a safety selling point but, it didn’t do much good protecting her early this morning. The Explorer also brings along a large fleet of clean 4-stroke burning engined Zodiacs.
The Maritime Coastguard Agency is reporting 152 passengers and crew have been rescued by Endeavour, and the MS Nordnorge will collect passengers.
Quoting the GAP adventures website, “A voyage aboard the G.A.P. Adventures’ M/S Explorer is an expedition in the truest sense of the word.”
Indeed! An adventure to be sure, 100 + passengers being transferred to Norweigian Ship ‘Nordnorge’ may be thinking they have just escaped the expedition from hell. With water temperatures of 30 degrees F. and 23 degree air temps, being aboard a sinking ship, in one of the most remote locations of earth, isn’t an adventure for which any right thinking adventurer would want to pay.
It’s interesting to note that GAP Adventures is a member of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators, but the IAATO issues only safety ‘guidelines’. There are no legal requirements to adhere to the guidelines.
Susan Hayes, Gap Adventures is reporting that the Cruise Ship ‘Explorer’ is taking on water, it’s listing at 40 degrees, at the moment but, it isn’t sinking. Hayes was spinning a very loose weave when she told CNN news in a phone interview that the ship had not hit an iceberg.
Hayes said the ship started taking on water at 3:00 AM GMT., she also said that the Explorer did not hit an iceberg.
Ah, it’s a delicate balance trying to avoid looking just incompetent as opposed to just inadequate. The feeling that this top notch rating of 1A1 ice A double hulled ship could be adequate protection against ‘hole’s the size of a fist’ made by as Hayes says ‘a piece of ice’ is certainly what the GAP website seems to imply. Even the Titanic was not impervious to an Ice Berg, but remember the word coming from GAP is, the Explorer didn’t hit an iceberg, but a piece of ice.
So much for 1A1 ice A ratings.
The Explorer is said to be the first expedition ship ever constructed, and not converted from a freighter or research vessel, therefore she was specifically designed for challenging environments.
The orange spot is the current location of the Explorer.
Naturally it would be bad for business if the ship just actually ran into an iceberg, on the other hand how much confidence can be instilled in, adventurers if the ship sinks from a hole the size of a fist? As Hayes said the ship did not hit an iceberg.
Video clip shows the Explorer clearly in trouble. The environmental impact is not being discussed at this time. The Explorer may not sink. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Photo thanks www.bt.no
Labels: Antartic, Explorer, Lloyds List, Nordnorge, Sinking
© 2009, Pacific Spirit Marine Institute.
Ship Sinking In Antarctica has 1A1 ice A rating, and a double hull! Collision with ice creats GAP in Explorer!
