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Stricken cruise ship still afloat in Antarctic Ocean
5:00pm Friday 23rd November 2007
Comments (31)A STRICKEN cruise ship was tonight still afloat in the Antarctic Ocean.
Twenty four Britons and four people from Ireland were among 100 passengers forced to take to lifeboats today after their cruise liner hit ice and began taking on water.
Passengers abandoned the 2,400-tonne Liberian-flagged MV Explorer after a small hole was punched in the hull in the early hours of today.
After enduring temperatures of minus 5C, the passengers and the 54-strong crew were eventually transferred uninjured to Norwegian cruise ship the MV NordNorge, which had gone to the rescue.
Fourteen of the Britons were clients of adventure holiday company Explore which has its headquarters at Farnborough, Hampshire.
They were taking part in Explore's Spirit of Shackleton tour of 19 nights, starting from the port of Ushuaia on the southern tip of Argentina and including the Falkland Islands and South Georgia.
Pictures of the incident showed the Explorer listing violently to one side, so the deck was almost in the water.
Passengers abandoned the vessel near a huge iceberg, in a vast expanse of freezing polar water. They could be seen in red life-jackets, boarding shallow, rigid-hulled lifeboats.
They were seen making the crossing between the Explorer and the rescue vessels, which appear many hundred metres apart.
Explore's managing director Ashley Toft said: "While such incidents are very rare, they are nevertheless shocking when they occur."
Arnvid Hansen, the captain of the NordNorge, operated by Norwegian cruise company Hurtigruten, said the passengers were cold but not suffering from hypothermia.
He added: "It was no problem to get them on board. They were picked up from the lifeboats and this operation took around one hour.
"The passengers are in our premier lounge having warm food and drying their clothes on board. Some are cold but none has hypothermia. We are giving them as many clothes as we can."
Tonight the vessel was heading for King George Island where the passengers were expected to be taken off.
As the drama unfolded, it emerged that UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) inspectors had found five faults with the Explorer when it docked at Greenock in Scotland in May this year.
These included missing search and rescue plans and lifeboat maintenance problems. Watertight doors were described as "not as required", and the fire safety measures also attracted criticism.
MCA spokesman Mark Clarke said: "These were not huge problems and were all rectified before the vessel sailed. It would not have been allowed to depart if everything had not been sorted out."
It is understood that Chilean port state control inspectors also found six deficiencies during an inspection in Puerto Natales in March. These included two related to safety of navigation matters.
Classification society Det Norske Veritas issued a passenger safety certificate for the vessel on October 21, the MCA said.
A UK maritime expert said today: "Passengers had to wait in cold conditions in old-style open lifeboats.
"The vessel was not breaking any rules by having such lifeboats rather than the more-closed newer ones. But you have to question whether a vessel visiting icy waters with elderly passengers aboard was as equipped as it might have been."
The Explorer's owner G.A.P. Adventures, based in Toronto, said the M/S Explorer "hit ice" in the Bransfield Strait off King George Island, Antarctica, at 5.24am UK time.
It added that all passengers and crew were safe and uninjured.
The company went on: "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."
Your Say YourThis is Hampshire
Waiting, says...
8:47am Fri 23 Nov 07
An iceberg possibly?
robert, says...
8:49am Fri 23 Nov 07
Ride on a whale, anybody?
Hiram Hackenbacker, Tracey Island says...
8:51am Fri 23 Nov 07
I'm interested - why is Falmouth involved?
Robert, says...
8:53am Fri 23 Nov 07
That's why Hiram always greets people so frostily.
Hiram Hackenbacker, Tracey Island says...
8:53am Fri 23 Nov 07
Hiram Hackenbacker wrote:Ah, the Echo have changed the story to:-
"The emergency operation is being coordinated by coastguards based in Falmouth." I'm interested - why is Falmouth involved?
"is being monitored by coastguards based in Falmouth."
That's better.
Hiram Hackenbacker, Tracey Island says...
8:58am Fri 23 Nov 07
Robert wrote:We live at "an uncharted Pacific island" (source Wikipedia), but very near to this ship. John in Thundrebird 5 has been monitoring this incident, like the coastguard in Falmouth and the Echo.
Isn't Tracey Island somewhere down there? That's why Hiram always greets people so frostily.
oilyrag, says...
9:14am Fri 23 Nov 07
Because they hold the safety plan and evacuation plans for this vessel. All ships operating under the International Safety Management (ISM) code have to deposit these plans somewhere with organisations like the MCA. this then allows external assistance to view ships drawings and emergency procedures that are developed for just the case that the M/V Explorer finds itself in. Whether the Explorer hit iceberg or uncharted pinnacle or rock - or even a container washed off other shipping further north.
Hope that helps with some questions.
The Echo seems very up to date with this developing situation - why?
Derek, Dibden Purlieu says...
9:19am Fri 23 Nov 07
icey mark, London says...
9:22am Fri 23 Nov 07
Up to date isnt accurate though. The picture on the page is the Old Explorer which was retired from the Antarctic in 2003.
Hiram Hackenbacker, Tracey Island says...
9:51am Fri 23 Nov 07
oilyrag wrote:Thanks - very useful background.
Why are Falmouth MCA involved? Because they hold the safety plan and evacuation plans for this vessel. All ships operating under the International Safety Management (ISM) code have to deposit these plans somewhere with organisations like the MCA. this then allows external assistance to view ships drawings and emergency procedures that are developed for just the case that the M/V Explorer finds itself in. Whether the Explorer hit iceberg or uncharted pinnacle or rock - or even a container washed off other shipping further north. Hope that helps with some questions. The Echo seems very up to date with this developing situation - why?
Vintagemalt, Southampton says...
10:06am Fri 23 Nov 07
My Father served on this ship for many tears and my thoughts and prayers go out to the people on board. It must be a truly frightening experience.
I am shocked but not surprised at the comments on here from a few people which is indicative of the dreadful break down of social. conscience.
George, says...
10:15am Fri 23 Nov 07
Derek wrote:No, that's considered an environmental 'no-no' these days. She's been switched off at the wall
Has Kate Winslett been put on standby?
Hiram Hackenbacker, Tracey Island says...
10:37am Fri 23 Nov 07
Vintagemalt wrote:This is an unmoderated forum discussing a story the Echo has reported. According to that report there is no danger to life and it looks like a textbook disaster management exercise.
Why are some people posting here so flipant and childish. This is a cruise ship with more than 150 people on board that is in trouble in icy waters miles from anywhere. And some of you make fatuous iniotic comments. My Father served on this ship for many tears and my thoughts and prayers go out to the people on board. It must be a truly frightening experience. I am shocked but not surprised at the comments on here from a few people which is indicative of the dreadful break down of social. conscience.
Calm down, have a cup of tea and get over it.
Phil Burner, says...
10:40am Fri 23 Nov 07
Hope we've got the right one now...
Waiting, says...
10:42am Fri 23 Nov 07
Hiram Hackenbacker wrote:Well said.
Vintagemalt wrote: Why are some people posting here so flipant and childish. This is a cruise ship with more than 150 people on board that is in trouble in icy waters miles from anywhere. And some of you make fatuous iniotic comments. My Father served on this ship for many tears and my thoughts and prayers go out to the people on board. It must be a truly frightening experience. I am shocked but not surprised at the comments on here from a few people which is indicative of the dreadful break down of social. conscience.This is an unmoderated forum discussing a story the Echo has reported. According to that report there is no danger to life and it looks like a textbook disaster management exercise. Calm down, have a cup of tea and get over it.
Banker, says...
11:21am Fri 23 Nov 07
Vintagemalt wrote:Why does the fact that your father served on this ship give you any special rights to reprimand everyone else? As Hiram said, calm down and get over it
Why are some people posting here so flipant and childish. This is a
cruise ship with more than 150 people on board that is in trouble in
icy waters miles from anywhere. And some of you make fatuous iniotic
comments. My Father served on this ship for many tears and my thoughts
and prayers go out to the people on board. It must be a truly
frightening experience.
I am shocked but not surprised at the comments on here from a few
people which is indicative of the dreadful break down of social.
conscience.
King Mush, Woolston says...
12:17pm Fri 23 Nov 07
Every time we get a news story that involves some human disaster, injury, mortality we have to put up with these sanctimonious numpties getting all worked up just because of light hearted comments and gags?
Dont these idiots understand how any internet forum works?
PS Dont make any nasty comments about Agincourt - one of my ancestors was killed at this battle in 1415. Actually, he was camping in a field close by and went over to complain about the noise....
Christoff, says...
12:38pm Fri 23 Nov 07
Lord Rumsey, Rumsey says...
1:23pm Fri 23 Nov 07
Coincidence? I think not...
King Mush, Woolston says...
2:08pm Fri 23 Nov 07
Lord Rumsey wrote:lol @ His Lordship.
Hasn't Celine Dion just released a new album? Coincidence? I think not...
Good one Sir.....
justwondering, soton says...
3:47pm Fri 23 Nov 07
iblosted, says...
5:28pm Fri 23 Nov 07
Anon, Everywhere. says...
7:30pm Fri 23 Nov 07
wontee, soton says...
7:40pm Fri 23 Nov 07
My question is, why has the local media (and it's readers) decided that Southampton is involved ?
Robert, says...
6:26am Sat 24 Nov 07
>>My Father served on this ship for many tears<<
So it wasn't all a barrel of laughs then?
kernowmaz, cornwall says...
8:32pm Sat 24 Nov 07
Simon, Southampton says...
11:42am Sun 25 Nov 07
kernowmaz wrote:More professionally run?
Can see the humour in some of the comments, but nevertheless there are two of us here who worked on the Explorer a while ago, and who feel very sad and upset at her loss. It would be hard to find a more professionally-run vessel, as a result of which the Little Red Ship generated enormous affection and loyalty. The textbook disembarkation and rescue speaks volumes.
Hmm... how about one that isn't sinking? lol
I don't want tea.. can i have a coffee?
King Mush, Woolston says...
3:00pm Sun 25 Nov 07
Anon wrote:You need to go and read up on 'flags of convenience' Most Sotonians who are familiar with shipping know all about this.
I wonder if there is any particular reason that the ship is registered in Monrovia. Liberia surely has to be one of the least stable countries in Africa and doesn't seem to be a paragon of virtue for anything let alone shipping standards. Is it perhaps the low costs and low standards that make it worth flagging a ship out to this country.
It's unethical but a fact of maritime life
Jacob David, London says...
1:29pm Mon 17 Mar 08
.co.uk to find out more
David hernandez, www.thatzcool.co.uk says...
2:48pm Mon 31 Mar 08
Dramatic image from the bridge of rescue ship MV Nordnorge
MV Explorer
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Hiram Hackenbacker, Tracey Island says...
8:44am Fri 23 Nov 07