Model Boat Mayhem

Mess Deck: General Section => Full Scale Ships => Topic started by: Martin (Admin) on November 30, 2007, 08:17:17 pm

Title: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: Martin (Admin) on November 30, 2007, 08:17:17 pm
Has anyone read any reports about what happened to the MV Explorer that sank in Antarctica last week (Nov 24 2007)?
Title: Re: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: Colin Bishop on November 30, 2007, 08:42:17 pm
Only what was on the news. It hit some ice which made a hole, the water came in and it sank, but everybody jumped off first although they got a bit cold as the ship had open lifeboats. Doesn't seem much else to tell.
Title: Re: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: Martin (Admin) on November 30, 2007, 09:13:20 pm
Well that was succinct Colin! ever thought of becoming a film critic??  ;)
Title: Re: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: Colin Bishop on November 30, 2007, 09:58:22 pm
Sure - TITANIC.

It hit some ice, the water came in and it sank, but not many people managed to jump off first although they still got cold in the lifeboats.

Oh yes, and there was some hanky panky and steamed up windows in a vintage car somewhere along the way - but that's Hollywood for you!
Title: Re: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: catengineman on November 30, 2007, 10:14:19 pm
True!

Tell it like it is!!

Must work for the Mirror Group
Title: Re: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: Colin Bishop on November 30, 2007, 10:24:39 pm
Quote
Must work for the Mirror Group

No way! far too many words.
Title: Re: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: norry on November 30, 2007, 10:44:26 pm
And there was me just going to sit down and watch "TITANIC" and you,ve gone & spoiled it for me by telling everybody that the boat sinks...

You are as bad as the guy who spoiled my last attempt at reading a book...

There was me sitting on the train, Long Journey  Ahead, I opened up THE BIBLE and started to read...

Then some smart Ar** sits down across the carraige & blurts out..."I,ve read that book...They kill in the end"...It was an even longer journey after that...
Title: Re: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: dougal99 on November 30, 2007, 10:46:46 pm
Sure - TITANIC.

It hit some ice, the water came in and it sank, but not many people managed to jump off first although they still got cold in the lifeboats.

Oh yes, and there was some hanky panky and steamed up windows in a vintage car somewhere along the way - but that's Hollywood for you!

Surely: TITANIC  film synopsis

Gorgeous girl in tight wet blouse  - oh and something about a boat sinking  O0
Title: Re: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: Colin Bishop on November 30, 2007, 11:06:14 pm
Still, could have been worse. If they'd built her on the Clyde she would have been named Tartanic.

Sorry Martin, but there's still nothing about it on the MAIB website.
Title: Re: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: westcoaster on November 30, 2007, 11:34:50 pm
Colin, if they'd built her on the Clyde she'd still be afloat !  Listing a bit maybe, but still afloat.
Title: Re: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: norry on December 01, 2007, 12:27:33 am
Aye and the Iceberg would have broke up & sank...
Title: Re: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: catengineman on December 01, 2007, 01:01:34 pm

Surely: TITANIC  film synopsis

Gorgeous girl in tight wet blouse  - oh and something about a boat sinking  O0

She has curvaceous lines and  beautifully presence.    but then the ship looked OK as well
Title: Re: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: tigertiger on December 01, 2007, 01:24:03 pm
I read, in the Telegraph on-line, that she hit two iceburgs.

Title: Re: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: cbr900 on December 01, 2007, 01:57:44 pm
The story over here is that it was supposed to be double hulled ship, but in fact it was only double on the underside not not on the actual sides where the iceberg hit...........


Roy
Title: Re: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: Martin (Admin) on December 01, 2007, 02:14:56 pm
I was wondering as the ship had been doing these types of voyages for 40 years. Surely she had ice radar or whatever they use and what happened this time?

Martin  
Title: Re: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: Ghost in the shell on December 01, 2007, 05:19:32 pm
martin, in ice, the radar only picks up the bits that are above the surface, and in pack ice, so called "growlers" dont always show up. 

striking a growler that may have been buried by sea-ice, added to possible temperature induced embrittlement, is what I think sunk her, and as she was almost 40 years old, her steel may have been thinner than she was originally built with due to corrosion etc.

Thats My theory
Title: Re: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: MikeK on December 01, 2007, 06:20:16 pm
With a bit of fiddling with the clutter you can pick up pressure ridges and prominent clumps of floating ice at fairly low ranges, but by no means everything. Also if you are in the middle of an ice field you cannot dodge everything - you would never get anywhere ! :(

Mike
Title: Re: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: tigertiger on December 02, 2007, 12:57:19 am
It is possible that if she is a 40yr old MV she would not be carrying the latest navigation/radar equipment.

The article here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/24/nship824.xml also highlights deficiencies in the vessel.
Title: Re: MV Explorer - Antarctica sinking?
Post by: Colin Bishop on December 02, 2007, 10:01:39 pm
There is an article in today's Sunday Times which refers to the 109,000 ton Star Princess visiting the Antarctic. Princess Cruises spokespersons claimed that the ship is ice strengthened but Lloyds and the Italian authorities (she was built in Italy) have confirmed that this is not the case at all.

An Antarctic expert has pointed out that if a ship of this size, which carries over 3,000 passengers and 1,100 crew, were to get into trouble the Antarctic serach and rescue infrastructure would be undable to cope and there could be significant loss of life.