Antarctic cruise passengers transfer to sister ship

By Calvin Palmer

All the passengers aboard the cruise ship that ran aground yesterday close to the Argentine research base at San Martin, Antarctica, have been safely transferred to another vessel.

The 65 passengers, including 21 Americans and 17 Britons, are safely aboard the Ocean Nova’s sister ship, Clipper Adventurer.

The Argentine navy said the operation was carried out using semi-rigid boats.

Tour company Quark Expeditions, of Norwalk, Connecticut, said the Ocean Nova was still aground and awaiting this evening’s high tide in an attempt to refloat the ship.

Continuing high winds thwarted last night’s attempt to refloat the 240-foot Danish-built vessel, was on the eighth day of a two-week expedition that embarked from from Ushuaia, Argentina’s southernmost city.

A preliminary inspection by divers from the Spanish naval vessel Hespérides has found no visible damage or leaks.

Quark Expeditions anticipates there will be no negative impact on the environment due to this incident, the company said.

Another inspection by divers will be conducted once Ocean Nova is afloat. After that inspection, the vessel will return to Ushuaia.

[Based on a report by the Brisbane Times.]

Cruise ship runs aground in Antarctic

By Calvin Palmer

A cruise ship, with 21 Americans and 17 Britons on board, ran aground today near an Argentine base in Antarctica.

The Ocean Nova, registered in the Bahamas, ran aground about one mile from the San Martin base after being pushed by extremely high winds on to craggy rocks, said Quark Expeditions president Patrick Shaw.

The tour company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, specializes in cruises to the Arctic and Antarctic.

“An initial assessment of damage indicated that there was no imminent danger and no threat to lives,” the company said. “There is no sign of leakage of any kind from the vessel.”

The 240-foot Danish-built vessel was on the eighth day of a two-week expedition that embarked from from Ushuaia, Argentina’s southernmost city.

Among the passengers and crew were 21 Americans, 18 Filipinos, 17 Britons, seven Canadians, seven Australians, four Germans, five Irish, five South Africans, three Dutch, three New Zealanders, three Danish, two Argentines and one each from Switzerland, Romania, the Ukraine, Panama, Guatemala, Colombia, Russia, Indonesia and Honduras.

Ocean Nova officials informed the San Martin base that the ship should be able to break free on its own as the tide rises.

“We’re going to take all the passengers off to be extra safe,” Shaw said.

Inspections of the ship may take some time, and the company wants passengers to be able to continue on their expedition, he said.

The company has dispatched another of its ships Clipper Adventurer.  If Ocean Nova does not refloat on the high tide, all passengers will transferred to the Clipper Adventurer for the return to Ushuaia.

“The safety and comfort of our guests are forefront in all our decisions,” said Shaw.

[Based on a report by newsday.com.]