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MV Explorer (1969)

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MS Explorer
The MS Explorer in 2005
History
Liberia
Namelist error: <br /> list (help)
1969–1985: MS Lindblad Explorer
1985–1992: MS Society Explorer[1]
1992–2007: MS Explorer
Ownerlist error: <br /> list (help)
1969-1972: K/S A/S Explorer & Co, Oslo, Norway
1972-1980: AB Svenska Amerika Linjen, Gothenburg, Sweden
1980-1982: Lindblad Swire Cruises, Panama
1982-1983: Salén AB, Stockholm, Sweden
1983-1985: Ferry Services Curacao NV, Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles
1985-1992: Discoverer Reederei GmbH, Germany
1992-2003: Explorer Shipping, Monrovia, Liberia
2003-2004: Kyris Shipping Ltd., Monaco
2004-2007: G.A.P. Shipping Co Ltd, Bahamas
BuilderNystads Varv Shipyard (Uudenkaupungin Telakka), Uusikaupunki, Finland
Laid down1969
LaunchedDecember 14 1969
Out of serviceNovember 23 2007, Sunk after hitting an underwater Iceberg near King George Island.
Homeportlist error: <br /> list (help)
1969–1972: Oslo, Norway
1972–1989: Panama City, Panama
1989–2007: Monrovia, Liberia
Fatelist error: <br /> list (help)
Sank after hitting underwater Iceberg on, November 23 2007,
at (62°24′S 57°16′W / 62.400°S 57.267°W / -62.400; -57.267)
NotesIMO Number 6924959
General characteristics
Tonnage2398
Length72.88 m
Beam14.08 m
Draught4.48 m
Ice classICE-A (DNV) [2]
Propulsion2 x MAK Diesel M452 AK each Template:Auto bhp , driving a single variable-pitch propeller, 4 blades
Speed12.5 kilotonnes ([convert: unit mismatch])
Capacity104 passengers
Crew54

The MS Explorer, formerly MS Lindblad Explorer (–1985) and MS Society Explorer (–1992),[1] was a Liberian-registered cruise ship designed for Arctic and Antarctic service. The MS Explorer was originally commissioned and operated by the Swedish explorer Lars-Eric Lindblad. Observers point to the Explorer’s 1969 expeditionary cruise to Antarctica as the frontrunner to today's sea-based tourism in there.[3][4] Ownership of the vessel changed several times since its commission, with its last owner being the Toronto-based travel company G.A.P Adventures, having acquired the Explorer in 2004.

In addition to being the first cruise ship ever built specifically to ply the frigid waters of the Antarctic Ocean, the Explorer became the first ever to sink there[5] when it struck submerged ice on November 23 2007 which was believed to have caused a 10 by 4 inch (25 × 10 cm) gash in the hull[6]. The Explorer was abandoned in the early hours of November 23 2007 after taking on water near the South Shetland Islands in the Southern Ocean, which is usually stormy but was calm at the time.[7] The Explorer was confirmed by the Chilean Navy to have sunk at approximately position: 62 degrees 24 minute South and 57 degrees 16 minutes west, between South Shetlands and Grahams Land, in the Bransfield Strait,[8] where the depth is about 2000 feet (600 m).[9]

History

Commissioned by Lars-Eric Lindblad, the Swedish-American pioneer of exotic expedition tours, the Explorer was built in 1969 at Nystads Varv shipyard[10] in Uusikaupunki, Finland. The ship was built to stay afloat with two of its compartments filled with water, and its ice class on the HELCOM scale was IC.[11]

The vessel was originally named the Lindblad Explorer in honor of Lars-Eric Lindblad and was the first custom built expeditionary cruise ship, and it navigated the Northwest Passage in 1984. On February 11, 1972, the Lindblad Explorer ran aground near La Plaza Point, Antarctica; its passengers, including Lars-Eric Lindblad, were rescued by the Chilean Navy.[12] It was towed to Buenos Aires, Argentina and then to Kristiansand, Norway for repairs.[13]

The Society Explorer was involved in the rescue of the crew of an Argentinian supply ship that had hit a rock ledge off Anvers Island, Antarctica in 1989.

In 1998 Explorer was the first ship to circumnavigate James Ross Island;[14] and the same year, it is claimed to have been the first ship to sail 80 miles (130 km) above Iquitos, Peru to the point where the Marañón and Ucayali rivers meet to become the Amazon River.[15]. The Explorer was depicted on at least two postage stamps issued by South Georgia. [16]. The Explorer was nicknamed the Little Red Ship.

Deficiencies

An inspection at Puerto Natales, Chile in March 2007 revealed six deficiencies, including two that were related to navigation. An inspection at Greenock in May 2007 revealed five deficiencies including problems with watertight doors, lifeboats not maintained correctly, and search and rescue plans missing.

It was reported that all the deficiencies found were rectified before the ship left port in each case.[14]

Sinking

Location of King George Island
File:MS Explorer Sinking.jpg
The MS Explorer after hitting an iceberg on the 23rd Nov 2007
File:M.S. Explorer Escape2.jpg
Passengers escape the sinking MS Explorer

The ship departed its port in Ushuaia, Argentina on November 11th, 2007, on a 19-day cruise intended to trace the route of 20th century explorer Ernest Shackleton through the Drake Passage (an area typically stormy with rough seas). After visiting the Falkland Islands and South Georgia Island the Explorer apparently hit an unidentified submerged object in the Bransfield Strait close to King George Island in the Antarctic Ocean, near the South Shetland Islands on November 23, 2007, which was believed to cause a 10 by 4 inch (25 × 10 cm) gash in the hull.[17]

A mayday call was put out by the ship, and rescue operations were quickly coordinated by the Prefectura naval (Coast Guard Corps) of the Argentine Republic, and the Chilean Navy Center for Search and Rescue. Chile dispatched the icebreaker Almirante Viel, and nearby commercial ships including the MN Ushuaia, the National Geographic Endeavor, and the Norwegian Coastal Express ship MS Nordnorge, acting as a cruiseship in the winter season.[18] At approximately 3 a.m., 91 passengers, 9 guides and 54 crew[19], from over 14 countries[20] [21], were evacuated from the ship and took to the liferafts, where they drifted for three to four hours, until they were picked up by the Norwegian ship MS Nordnorge [22].[14] Coincidentally, earlier in 2007, the MS Nordnorge was involved in another Antarctic rescue when it evacuated 294 passengers from a sister ship, the MS Nordkapp, when the Nordkapp ran aground on Deception Island, a part of these same remote South Shetland Islands archipelago.

Some of those rescued by the Nordnorge were taken to the Chilean Eduardo Frei Montalva Station on King George Island, from which they were subsequently airlifted by C-130 Hercules transport aircraft of the Chilean Air Force which departed from, and returned the stranded passengers to, Punta Arenas, Chile[14], in two separate flights on Saturday, November 24th, and Sunday, November 25th. Approximately 70 of the survivors were taken to Uruguay's Artigas Base. The Explorer sank within 15 hours of apparently striking the ice.[23]

Company statements

On the morning of Friday, November 23rd, G.A.P. Adventures issued the following statement:

GAP Adventures, owners of the expedition ship, the M/S Explorer, have confirmed that all 100 passengers and crew who were onboard the M/S Explorer when it hit ice in the Bransfield Strait off King George Island, Antarctica, earlier today are safe and uninjured.


Standard procedures were followed by the crew with passengers calmly evacuated to the ship's life rafts and then transferred to the NordNorge, which was in the area.
The M/S Explorer's crew are also now on the NordNorge.
Onboard the M/S Explorer were two Argentines, 10 Australians, two Belgians, 24 British nationals, 12 Canadians, one Chinese national, three Danes, 17 Dutch, one French, one German, two from Hong Kong, four Irish, one Japanese, four Swiss, 14 Americans, one Colombian and one Swede.
The families of those passengers are now being telephoned by GAP Adventures to advise them of the safety of their loved ones.
Families who have questions about their relatives and friends should contact GAP Adventures on +1 800 465 5600 ext 101.

At 10:00 EST, Saturday, November 24th, 2007, G.A.P. Adventures issued the following updated statement:


All passengers and crew, including the captain of M/S Explorer, are completely safe, uninjured and in good spirits. The passengers spent the night at King George Island in Antarctica. There are plans for passengers to board flights today and tomorrow to Punta Arenas, Chile. Accommodations have been arranged in Punta Arenas and flights home from there are currently being scheduled.
The passengers include 2 Argentines, 10 Australians, 2 Belgians, 24 British nationals, 12 Canadians, 1 Chinese national, 3 Danes, 17 Dutch, 1 French, 1 German, 2 from Hong Kong, 4 Irish, 1 Japanese, 4 Swiss, 14 Americans, 1 Colombian and 1 Swede. The captain of the ship is Swedish and the majority of the crew are understood to be from the Philippines. The crew onboard M/S Explorer consist of 45 Filipinos, 4 Swedes, 2 Bulgarians, 2 New Zealanders, and 1 Pole.
We can now confirm that at 19:00 GMT, Friday, 23 November, M/S Explorer sank.
Further updates will be posted as they become available.

References

  1. ^ a b Possibly also named MS World Explorer after 1985
  2. ^ DNV Exchange Vessel Info
  3. ^ Mar 28 - Hump Day, British Antarctic Survey.
  4. ^ Scope of Antarctic Tourism — A Background Presentation, IAATO official website.
  5. ^ "Cruise Ship Sinks Off Antarctica". The Washington Post. November 24, 2007.
  6. ^ "154 Rescued From Sinking Ship In Antarctic: Passengers, Crew Boarding Another Ship After Wait In Lifeboats; No Injuries Reported". CBS News. November 23 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ [1]
  8. ^ "MS Explorer — situation report". The Falkland Islands News. November 23, 2007.
  9. ^ MV EXPLORER Cruise Ship Sinking In South Atlantic, The Shipping Times, November 23, 2007
  10. ^ Finnish: Uudenkaupungin telakka
  11. ^ "Explorer syntyi talvisodan hengessä [[:Template:Fi icon]]". Aamulehti. 2007-11-23. Retrieved 2007-11-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  12. ^ Lars-Eric Lindblad, 67, Pioneer Of Tours to Exotic Destinations, The New York Times, July 13, 1994.
  13. ^ Erik Langeland
  14. ^ a b c d "Cruise boat sinking off Argentina". BBC News. 2007-11-23. Retrieved 2007-11-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ M/S Explorer
  16. ^ Philatelie Polaire
  17. ^ "154 Rescued From Sinking Ship In Antarctic: Passengers, Crew Boarding Another Ship After Wait In Lifeboats; No Injuries Reported". CBS News. November 23 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ "Armada apoya labores de rescate de buque de pasajeros Explorer" (in SP). Chilean Navy. 23 November 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  19. ^ The crew of 54 was made up largely of Filipinos, 45 of whom were aboard.
  20. ^ G.A.P. Adventures listed: 24 Britons, 17 Dutch, 14 Americans, 12 Canadians and 10 Australians, 4 Swedes, 4 Irish, 3 Danes, 2 Argentines, 2 Belgians, 2 Chinese (Hong Kong), and single passengers from China, France, Germany, Japan, Columbia, Sweden. Not clarified, are earlier reports of 2 New Zealanders, 2 Bulgarians, and 1 Pole.
  21. ^ Reel, Monte (November, 25), "Passengers of Doomed Cruise Ship Reach Chile With Vivid Accounts", The Washington Post, pp. A18 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  22. ^ "Passengers are being rescued from the M/S Explorer". 2007-11-23. Retrieved 2007-11-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Text "publisherDagbladet" ignored (help)
  23. ^ "Passengers unhurt after Antarctic ship hits ice". Reuters UK. November 24 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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62°14′S 57°10′W / 62.24°S 57.16°W / -62.24; -57.16

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