MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Cruise sent to collect passengers from stranded M/V Plancius docked in South Georgia
MV Plancius in South Georgia will have to be towed back for repairs 
MV Ushuaia is expected to arrive at Grytviken next Wednesday The Panama flagged cruise vessel M/V Ushuaia is expected to arrive early next week in South Georgia to pick up the stranded 114 passengers and crew of a similar small cruise M/V Plancius which after experiencing serious propulsion trouble took shelter at King Edward Point Research Station in Grytviken.
“The estimated time of arrival in South Georgia on 18 April, approx 12.00 hours local time and it is expected that the vessel can depart from South Georgia the same day with all passengers, including expedition and hotel staff. The vessel is scheduled to arrive in Montevideo, Uruguay on 24 April for disembarkation and connecting travel arrangements”, said Oceanwide Expeditions in a release.
In an earlier statement since the incident apparently occurred last 9 April the company said that “as a result of the propulsion failure the ship has only very limited sailing capabilities maximum 4-5 knots in calm conditions), which means the vessel will not be able maintain course in rough seas of the open ocean”.
The original ship ´s voyage was aimed at crossing the Atlantic (embarkation of passengers took place in Ushuaia on 29 March and disembarkation of passengers was planned at Praia/Cape Verde on 05 May.
“It is planned that all 73 passengers, some crew members (from 35 nautical and hotel), 6 expedition staff and 1 medical doctor will be repatriated onboard chartered passenger vessel m/v Ushuaia which will sail to Grytviken, from Mar del Plata, departing on Friday 13 April”, reported the company.
The Plancius will have to be towed with support of a tug boat from South Georgia if onboard repairs are not possible locally. IAATO (International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators), Class (Lloyds register), flag state (The Netherlands), South Georgia Government and National Authority in the Netherlands have received status reports respectively.
All passengers, crew and expedition’s staff on the Plancius are safe and there is no threat to life or the environment, the company says.
”The spirit on board is, given the circumstances, good and passengers indulge in local walks and excursion program (on South Georgia island) organized by expedition staff,” the statement says.
Built in 1976 as an oceanographic research vessel for the Royal Dutch Navy, the ship was rebuilt in 2009 as a passenger vessel after being acquired by Oceanwide Expeditions.
M/V Ushuaia was originally built for the United States agency NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration) and has been refurbished to accommodate a maximum of 84 passengers in 41 twin cabins and suites. Ushuaia is an ice-strengthened polar vessel with a full complement of inflatable landing craft.
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Read all comments17 Think
Apr 15th, 2012 - 03:39 pm +1You are a twat, you post like a twat, think like a twat and look like a twat now fuck off and play with yourself.
You pathetic nation is full of morons who are poorly educated, totally indoctrinated (with lies and propaganda) and come across as something akin to a cross between Trotskyist Revolutionaries and Nazi Sturm Abteilung stormtroops, but the big difference is they can't fight, they just type crap with the Cap lock on full auto all over the internet. They are a fucking clueless joke.
In my work I meet people from all over the world, I met North Koreans, Zimbabweans, Iranians, etc but they've always been reasonably well educated and know the difference between propaganda and reality. Where-as in Argentina a large section of the population are fanatical nationalists who make shit up and replicate it as facts and their government help stir them up. It's a fucking disgrace.
I got into a number of conversations with Nazi loving Argies. One Booso Tactico vet said he killed a lot of children during the Dirty War and he only wished he could have killed some of the Falklands population, he said their biggest mistake was not killing them all.
This is the kind of scum you support.
None of you arm chair fanatics would last 10 seconds in a real fight.
Last time I sailed on the Ushuaia I was somewhere much warmer. Good memories. Sadly the last ship I sailed to South Georgia on is no longer with us.
Apr 14th, 2012 - 09:08 pm 0Do you know why the Ushuaia uses a flag of convenience Think. Rather than that of her company's nation?
it would be wise to insist that M/V Plancius is removed from South Georgia as soon as possible; we don't want any 'scrap metal dealers' turning up,do we?
Apr 14th, 2012 - 09:39 pm 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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