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Adapted from BBC new Online and various other sources:  25 November 2007

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Sinking MS Explorer


Canadian expedition-cruise ship MS Explorer sinks after hitting an iceberg in Antarctic waters. More than 150 passengers and crew were rescued. MS Explorer is the first custom-built passenger cruiser that is also an expedition ship.

 

Some rescued passengers

In this photo released by Chile's Navy, passengers of the Canadian ship MS Explorer arrive at Fildes bay on King George Island, Antarctica on Friday, Nov. 23, 2007. (AP / Chile's Navy)

Sinking MS Explorer


Built:        1969, Finland
Capacity: 100 passengers
Tonnage: 2,400 Cruising speed: 11 knots
Engines:  3,800 hp diesels
Crew:       54

• First custom-built expedition ship
• Known as the 'Little Red Ship' to aficionados
• Became the first passenger vessel to navigate the North West passage in 1984
• Involved in rescue of crew from Argentine cargo vessel off Anvers Island, Antarctica, in 1989

 

Map of where MS Exporer sank

Location of MS Explorer's sinking

Coastguards. Picture courtesy Maritime and Coastguard Agency


Coastguards get distress calls from around the world. When Chilean coastguards got the first distress call from the Explorer, they called the coastguards at Falmouth in Cornwall.

Despite being more than 8,000 miles away, Falmouth was central to the operation because it holds the Search and Rescue (SAR) plans - including deck layouts and other safety details - for the Explorer.

Cruise ships like the Explorer have SAR plans which are held by one coastguard station that is used as a single point of contact if the ship is in trouble.

Falmouth coastguard HQ. Picture courtesy Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Falmouth keeps the plans for the Explorer because the ship regularly visits the Isles of Scilly.

It keeps similar plans for hundreds of UK-registered ships. The 24-hour team in Falmouth also get about six emergency beacon alerts a day and about the same number of direct satellite distress calls. There are four or five coastguards on duty at any time.