"Little Red Ship" Explorer abandoned after collision
The cruise ship "Explorer", formerly known and famous as "Lindblad Explorer" or affectionately called "the little red ship" has today issued a maritime distress call after what appears to have been an iceberg collision near King George Island, South Shetlands, Antarctica. All passengers and crew have abandoned ship and have been transferred to the Norwegian Hurtigruten vessel M/S Nordnorge, which also serves as an Antarctic cruise ship during austral summer months.
The "Explorer" was built 1969 in Nystad, Finland for a Norwegian company, K/S A/S Explorer & Co, Oslo, Norway. It had been especially designed as ice-strengthened cruise ship and is one of the pioneering vessels of polar expedition cruising.
In 1972 the ship was already involved in a shipping desaster in the very same area in Antarctica, namely King George Island, when it ran aground at Punta la Plaza/Plaza Point (62°05'S 58°22'W). It was abandoned by its crew and could be salvaged only about two weeks later, by the German tug boat "Arctic". Following that incident, it was sold to new owners, United Cruising Co Ltd (also known as "Svenska Amerika Linien") who repaired her and put her back into traffic.
The vessel changed owners, names, flags and homeports repeatedly during the 80's and received a major overhaul in 1985 in Singapore as well as another overhaul in 1993. In 1989 it was also in the headlines as it assisted in the "Bahia Paradiso" shipping disaster where the Argentine supply vessel sank near the USAP base Palmer Station on Anvers Island.
It became quite famous as "Lindblad Explorer", named after the Swedish polar tourism pioneer Lars Eric Lindblad who together with his son Sven Olof Lindblad pioneered in expedition travel, both shipborne and overland. Their company has since developed into a partnership with National Geographic and currently operates a fleet of 6 National Geographic vessels. Ironically, the newest addition to their fleet, the National Geographic Explorer, is going to be a refitted Hurtigruten ship, the former Lyngen.
In 2004, the original Explorer/Lindblad Explorer was purchased by GAP Adventures, Toronto and received yet another major overhaul in Genoa, Italy. Already the 2004/05 Antarctic season it was back in traffic again. Since then it has resumed cruising the Antarctic Peninsula, the Amazonas, the European and Canadian Arctic.
It seems as if this vessel has finally been forced to end its long and adventurous career.
P.S.: Another ironic coincidence about the role of the Hurtigruten ships in Antarctic expedition cruising: in February this year (2007) the sister ship of M/S Nordnorge, the M/S Nordkapp, ran aground near Deception Island and had to transfer her passengers to M/S Nordnorge.
P.P.S.: During the initial rescue and relief effort for the "Explorer", she also received assistance by her replacement of Lindblad Expeditions, the National Geographic Endeavour.
UPDATE: Explorer has sunk
The "Explorer" was built 1969 in Nystad, Finland for a Norwegian company, K/S A/S Explorer & Co, Oslo, Norway. It had been especially designed as ice-strengthened cruise ship and is one of the pioneering vessels of polar expedition cruising.
In 1972 the ship was already involved in a shipping desaster in the very same area in Antarctica, namely King George Island, when it ran aground at Punta la Plaza/Plaza Point (62°05'S 58°22'W). It was abandoned by its crew and could be salvaged only about two weeks later, by the German tug boat "Arctic". Following that incident, it was sold to new owners, United Cruising Co Ltd (also known as "Svenska Amerika Linien") who repaired her and put her back into traffic.
The vessel changed owners, names, flags and homeports repeatedly during the 80's and received a major overhaul in 1985 in Singapore as well as another overhaul in 1993. In 1989 it was also in the headlines as it assisted in the "Bahia Paradiso" shipping disaster where the Argentine supply vessel sank near the USAP base Palmer Station on Anvers Island.
It became quite famous as "Lindblad Explorer", named after the Swedish polar tourism pioneer Lars Eric Lindblad who together with his son Sven Olof Lindblad pioneered in expedition travel, both shipborne and overland. Their company has since developed into a partnership with National Geographic and currently operates a fleet of 6 National Geographic vessels. Ironically, the newest addition to their fleet, the National Geographic Explorer, is going to be a refitted Hurtigruten ship, the former Lyngen.
In 2004, the original Explorer/Lindblad Explorer was purchased by GAP Adventures, Toronto and received yet another major overhaul in Genoa, Italy. Already the 2004/05 Antarctic season it was back in traffic again. Since then it has resumed cruising the Antarctic Peninsula, the Amazonas, the European and Canadian Arctic.
It seems as if this vessel has finally been forced to end its long and adventurous career.
P.S.: Another ironic coincidence about the role of the Hurtigruten ships in Antarctic expedition cruising: in February this year (2007) the sister ship of M/S Nordnorge, the M/S Nordkapp, ran aground near Deception Island and had to transfer her passengers to M/S Nordnorge.
P.P.S.: During the initial rescue and relief effort for the "Explorer", she also received assistance by her replacement of Lindblad Expeditions, the National Geographic Endeavour.
UPDATE: Explorer has sunk
Labels: Antarctic Stuff, Expedition cruise, News
posted by leptonyx at 15:03
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