Little Red Ship has sunk

According to Chilean Navy reports, the M/V Explorer has disappeared from view and is assumed to have sunk.

Following reports of the maritime distress call and subsequent rescue by the Norwegian M/S Nordnorge, the media picked up reports related to inspections this May by the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) at Greenock, Scotland, as well as by Chilean port authorities in Puerto Natales in March.



The MCA found that the MS Explorer had five deficiencies, including missing search and rescue plans and lifeboat maintenance problems. However, according to MCA spokesman Mark Clarke, they had all been rectified by the time the ship set sail again. Earlier this year, Chilean port state control inspectors had found six deficiencies during an inspection of the ship. These included two related to safety of navigation matters. However, since this inspection preceded the MCA inspection, one can assume that they had been dealt with by the time the ship commenced its 2007 Antarctic season. Classification society Det Norske Veritas issued a passenger safety certificate for the vessel on October 21.



Although the vessel had older, open-type lifeboats rather than the more modern closed lifeboats, this was not in violation of any current maritime regulation and as this event showed, even open inflatables were used successfully in this abandon ship operation.