Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks

Subject: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Charley Noble
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 08:43 PM

This will be an excercise in extremely poor taste. Yesterday, it was reported that the Antarctic adventure cruise ship the Lindblad Explorer had hit a submerged iceberg and had slowly sank. Fortunately all aboard were saved. For more details: Click at Your Own Risk!

Here's an attrocious first verse:

It was sad,
It was sad,
It was sad when the Lindblad Explorer went down,
Hit the bottom!
There was no more time to snooze
On this eco-cruise;
It was sad when the Lindblad Explorer went down.

Surely you can do better!

Charley Ignoble

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 11:31 PM

This page (click) will show you pictures of the M.S. Explorer in happier days.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Brendy
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 11:35 PM

The old pond,
A ship jumps in:
Plop!

B.

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: bankley
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 11:53 PM

"she was the pride of the southern side
but they could not steer nor sail her
she paid the price on a chunk of ice
it's a pity she wasn't a whaler"

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Peace
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 12:14 AM

I wonder what Lightfoot will have to write about this . . . .

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: MartinRyan
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 04:55 AM

"They built the ship Explorer for to sail the Southern Seas
And the one thing they were sure of - the passengers wouldn't freeze!
But a little fist of ice punched a hole into her side
And she sank to the bottom -it's a wonder no-one died!"

I'll take me lifejacket and run.....

Regards

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: MartinRyan
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 04:57 AM

p.s. the point being,of couirse, that reports initially suggested no more than a fist-sized breach in the single-skin hull.

Regards

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: bankley
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 08:13 AM

" Lightfoot, Mowat, and Suzuki* all groaned
   (* not the violin teacher)..
   They should have left her in the western waters of home
   B.C. Ferries could have beached her "

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Flash Company
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 09:56 AM

My thoughts are running around 'Reuben James', I'll be back!

FC

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 10:04 AM

And I suppose someone will come up with a version of "Rise Again!"

I'm still puzzled that such a sturdily designed ship, which survived traversing the Northwest Passage, could be sunk by a single hole caused by a submerged iceberg.

I wonder if we could recycle "For just one more time I would take the Northwest Passage...", the captain's thoughts as his ship went down.

Cheerily,
Charley Ignoble

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Big Phil
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 10:08 AM

Perhaps ships of this kind should be advised NOT to take passengers to icy dangerous waters.

Only ships designed to cope with thick ice allowed a passenger license to visit this kind of water would make more sense.

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Brendy
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 11:07 AM

There's a hole in our bucket, dear Captain dear Captain
There's a hole in our bucket, dear Captain, a hole.

Well mend it dear Welder, dear Welder dear Welder
Well mend it dear Welder, dear Welder, mend it.

With what shall I mend it, dear Captain dear Captain?
With what shall I mend it, dear Captain, with what?

With metal, dear Welder dear Welder dear Welder
With metal, dear Welder dear Welder, me-tal.

But the sheet is too large, dear Captain dear Captain
But the sheet is too large, dear Captain, too large.

Well cut it dear Welder, dear Welder dear Welder
Well cut it dear Welder, dear Welder, cut it.....

... you get the drift...
... so did the passengers...

B.

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Rowan
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 04:47 PM

More grist for the music mills and the songwainers among us; this is at least the second time the Lindblad Explorer has sunk in Antarctic waters. Contrary to one of the posts above the ship was not built to cruise in Antarctic waters; until 1969 it cruised Alaskan coasts in the northern summer and the Amazon in the southern summer. It could cruise at least 2000 miles up the Amazon because it had a draught of only 2'; it had extendible stabilisers to minimise roll in more open waters.

Towards the end of 1969 it changed its southern summer cruise to the Antarctic and was close inshore when at least on of the stabilisers was damaged, allowing water to pour in through the hole. Its pumps couldn't cope and it sank. In 6' of water. There were no casualties and it was repaired and went on its way. As I was at Mawson at the time we were privy to a lot of short wave traffic around the Antarctic station radio network and I was fascinated to learn that a month's cruise to the Antarctic on the ship cost as much as I was going to earn for a year as a scientist at Mawson.

I was in Dili (then, Portuguese East Timor) in 1973, around June, when I noticed a ship at the wharf. This was an unusual occurrrence so I went closer for a look; it was the Lindblad Explorer. I engaged the third mate in conversation and, while he was surprised at being reminded, confirmed my understandings.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 06:24 PM

Rowan-

Evidently the news report that is linked to my initial post is incorrect:

"Built in 1969 and specifically designed for polar travel, the 250-foot Explorer was the first passenger ship to traverse the Northwest Passage, the normally ice-locked route from the Atlantic to Pacific oceans through the northern islands of Canada."

Maybe they mixed it up with a Canadian ship of the same name.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Rowan
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 07:32 PM

Greetings Charley,

When I discussed things with the third mate, I opened the conversation with my recollection that the ship had sunk in the Antarctic as a bit of a stir and he mentioned the (to me) extraordinarily shallow draught had been designed for it to cope with cruising up the Amazon which, he said the ship already had done. Its sinking in the Antarctic, from memory, would have been late in 1969, which might have allowed enough time for it to have gone over the Atlantic and up the Amazon and then over the Northwest Passage. I know he commented that they intended spending the northern summers around the Alaskan coast and that 1969 trip to the Antarctic had been its first to that region. The gossip on the radio network, at the time of the sinking, was that the Lindblad Explorer was the first ship to take tourist cruises to the Antarctic.

This would mean that the news report and my information are not necessarily contradictory, as Scandinavians would, I suspect, regard anything that merely went a bit north of Svalbad or Jan Mayen as engaging in "polar travel". The Roaring Forties, Furious Fifties and icebound sixties of the southern hemisphere are, I warrant, a bit more taxing on ship construction and their version of "design for polar travel" may have been a tad inadequate. I gather your recent travels exposed you to some aspects of how the Roaring Forties can affect southern latitudes in the high thirties.

All of which should make for a good maritime ballad.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Brendy
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 07:33 PM

The BBC News Website gives a little information about this ship.

B.

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 07:47 PM

Brandy-

Your link confirms that the Explorer "Became the first passenger vessel to navigate the North West passage in 1984."

A couple of my good friends work one of the Russian eco-tourist ships that tours the Antarctic waters. I may contact them and see if they have time to comment. They've both been around Cape Horn more than 50 times. They're hired as guides for the tourists, run the zodiac boats and answer questions about what they encounter.

My experience with the "Roarin' Forties" was much more benign than I was led to expect; they paid for the first round. They also saved me from being dragged off to the "quod" for refusing to remove my Greek sailor hat when entering the pub; they patiently explained that there is a current fear in Oz that terrorists are targeting bars, concealing explosives under their caps!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Rowan
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 07:57 PM

Thanks Brendy.
The stats and claims on your link are interesting.

"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

Most Australians would regard the Nella Dan as the original "Little Red Ship" as it was the main resupply ship to Australian antarctic stations until a fire ended its time, at Macquarie Island. The Nella's tonnage was 2200 and it had a similar cruising speed and, with 51 passenger scientists/techos etc, was crowded. Built at least 10 years before the Lindblad Explorer and designed specifically for use in the Greenland run in the northern summer and the ANARE runs in the southern summer (it replaced the Kista Dan) I'd challenge the claim that the Finnish ship was the "First custom-built expedition ship".

The Nella was designed to be able to withstand pressure ice and being icebound; it had a rounded cross-section hull that pressure ice would force upwards so that the hull would just lay on top of the ice. Moreover, it was designed to recover from a roll of 87 degrees from vertical so that, when the ice melted from under it, the Nella would still right itself.

Steering at 45 degrees to the huge swells (from Melbourne to Mawson) rolling in from the west gave a savagely corkscrew motion to the Nella's behaviour, in no way diminshed by the hull's shape. And I experienced (the hard way) its ability to recover from a heavy roll; 57 degrees from vertical on my way down south and the then record according to the recorder on the bridge.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Brendy
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 08:07 PM

Greek sailor-terrorists...., what next?

My connection is at the other Pole; I go to Svalbard/Spitzbergen from time to time, and I've heard a few horror stories come out of there.

It would make an excellent subject for a song, however, if the full circumstances ever became known.

I'll ask around and see if anybody knows anything else about the ship, also. I've been watching the Norwegian Television News' reportage on the sinking, and there certainly are some unanswered questions.

B.

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: GUEST,DonD
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 09:22 PM

I'm puzzled by the repeated references to the Lindblad Explorer. None of the news items I have read or seen on line, on TV or in the press refer to Lindblad as being connected to this vessel, which is owned by GAP in Toronto. Was it once a Lindblad property? Was it when it cruised the Northwest Passage? When it had previous problems? What's the story here?

A lyric with a rhyme for Lindblad might be meaningless!

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Brendy
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 09:25 PM

Lindblad The Sailor...

B.

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Brendy
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 09:28 PM

... sorry about that....
Lloyds List might have more. I haven't read through it yet, but it's a decent enough place to start....

B.

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Barry Finn
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 12:21 AM

"It previously sunk in 6' of water"?
Any ship that sunk in 6' of water is not what one would call an ocean going vessel.
I'd be afraid of drowning in the galley sink onboard of anything that seaworthy.

There is a song here but it's not gonna be flatering

Barry

Subject: RE: Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 12:36 AM

Oh the Lindblad Explorer, she was built, to sail the northern sea
The Northwest passage ice her hull could pound
But a northern ship so far down south was handicapped, you see
'Cause then she would be sailing upside down.

                :-}       Sandy

Subject: RE: Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Rowan
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 12:42 AM

Oh, Sandy, how antipodean! I like it.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 11:03 AM

Don-

The link in the first post goes to an article with this information:

At 2:50 a.m., the Explorer reported that it had lost propulsion and was drifting toward ice, Kruess wrote in an incident report filed Friday to Lindblad Expeditions, which owns the Endeavour..."It's very sad — I was hoping she'd be retired and become a museum somewhere," said Sven-Olaf Lindblad, whose late father built the Explorer and founded the company that became Lindblad Expeditions, a partner with the National Geographic Society.

Where did you get the information that the Explorer was owned by GAP in Toronto? There is a reference in one story I've read that the ship was "operated by GAP Adventures," not necessarily owned by that company.

It is confusing. Shall we call for a vote or harvest more info?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Flash Company
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 11:31 AM

If one accepts the idea of man-made global warming, what is sailing round Antarctica looking at the ice cap melting doing to help?
Having asked myself that question, this sprang to mind almost complete. With thanks to George Formby:-

Explorer was a cruising ship that sailed Antarctica,
To show you global warming had all gone a bit too far,
It went down in the pack ice just the other day,
'Twas then that I remembered what my Granny used to say.

It serves you right, you shouldn't have gone,
It jolly well serves you righr,
It serves you right , you shouldn't have gone,
You might have been dry and tight,
You might be safe at home in bed, instead of in this plight,
It serves you right, you shouldn't have gone,
It jolly well serves you right,
And it's no use kicking up a row, 'cos you're stuck in a lifeboat now,
In the wide antarctic ocean without any help in sight,
You've got icicles on your binnacle and it ruddy well serves you right!

FC

Subject: RE: Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 12:00 PM

Titanic redux? There is something prophetic in the story of a ship "especially reinforced for travel in ice-choked waters" having a hole punched in the hull, causing its demise. What it truly reinforces is that "unsinkable" is still a crock, 95 years or so later, no matter how much we think our technology can overcome the natural world. Therein lies a story worth re-telling.

Subject: RE: Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 03:38 PM

I've just heard from friend Jennifer, a nature-guide who is currently aboard Explorer 2. She and her husband who also works on these cruises have these brief remarks to say about this sinking:

We're all very sad about the passing of our dear old ship. We're presently on the Explorer 2
([e-mail]), and it seems the South American news had photos of this ship in its newscasts, which brought about great cries of panic from ashore. Anyway, we're now in Stanley FI, hoping for further news about Exp 1. We've seen the photos of her sinking. In talking w/ her Captain last year, he said her hull had become very thin & wasted. It had an ice classification, but only that her frames were closer together than most ships her size. Dennis & Pete (Jennifer's father and brother) were aboard for that '84 traverse of the NWP (Northwest Passage). We saw her off in St John's Newfoundland.

Seems as if her hull condition had deteriorated considerably since her construction back in 1969. All very sad but I guess it could have been worse.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Carol
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 04:24 PM

Perhaps Les Barker will compose 'Have You Had Any News of The Other Iceberg?'

Subject: RE: Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 04:48 PM

"Stanley FI" in the above post refers to Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands.

Carol-

So true!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Greg B
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 05:49 PM

On the CNN report I saw, they noted that at the last inspection
at least one water-tight door had been found wanting.

That would explain why a 'fist size' hole could sink a ship
of that size.

Not good, not good at all, especially considering the survivability
of the Antarctic.

Subject: RE: Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 08:34 PM

I was in the same waters, in a much smaller ship, the "Alexey Maryshev" (49 passengers, 22 crew)earlier this year: fantastic trip. Great pics, Joe, too. But wasn't that the self-same ship that got hit by an iceberg calving up near Svalbard later in the year? Seem to have been more reported incidents this year!
WE also did the Chile "add-on" including Torres del Paine National park, so here's the song I wrote after the trip;

TRAVELLING FREE

Chorus
        I'm on the road,
        Travelling free, by land, air and sea,
        I'm on the road,
        Travelling makes me feel fine.

1.        Riding overland,
        Through pot-holes we're bumping,
        The gearbox is jumping,
        Riding overland,
        See mountain-tops sprinkled with snow.
        Towering to the sky,
        Where condors are gliding,
        On thermals they're riding,
        Towering to the sky,
        While dust-clouds are swirling below.                                Chorus

2.        Flying oh so high,
        The wing lights are winking,
        The stars are all blinking,
        Flying oh so high,
        I feel I could reach for the moon.
        Eating up the miles,
        Watching the screen
        As it shows where I've been,
        Eating up the miles,
        I hope we'll be landing quite soon.                                Chorus

3.        Sailing on the sea,
        Where humpbacks are diving,
        And big seals are sliding,
        Sailing on the sea,
        We're ploughing the surf and the gale.
        Easing round the floes,
        Where penguins are reeling,
        And albatross wheeling,
        Easing round the floes,
        While the pink after-glow has turned pale.                        Chorus

Finale        But now I'm coming home,
        Where I hope you will greet me with hugs when you meet me,
        Now I'm coming home, and I'll travel no more for a while.

Oh, and while I was away, the "Napoli" was cught in a storm off the English coast and ended up being grounded off Branscombe in Devon, so here's the maritime disater song I wrote for that (to the tune of "Come back to Sorrento" or Vedi il mare, qu'e bello" (how the sea is beautiful!)
LAST DAYS OF THE NAPOLI
Stormy night in January,                                                
Winds and waves were really scary,
Napoli was ta'en unwary,
Sailing off the Cornwall shore.
Napoli must be abandoned,
Get her men all back on land – and
Gallant Sea King crews were scrambled,
All got safely back to shore.

Listing heavily and leaking
Stricken Napoli was creaking,
Sheltered harbour she was seeking,
Maritime advisers speaking,
Cornwall, France or England,
Destination should be Portland,
But in further storms was caught – and
Grounded near the Branscombe shore.

Napoli was heavy laden,
With containers she was weighed down,
Soon her contents were displayed around
On the beach on Branscombe's shore.
There the people soon were flocking,
Narrow lanes with trailers blocking,
Came to fill their Christmas stocking
With the loot from Branscombe's shore.

Sorry if your goods you're losing,
Crowbars, bolt-cutters I'm using,
As the scene I am perusing,
Wreckers, who are you accusing?
Motorbike would make me happy,
Better take a gross of nappies,
But avoid those TV chappies
Filming on Branscombe's shore.

Rubbish and contamination,
Threat to seabird population,
Then the salvage operation,
On and off the Branscombe shore.
Following deliberations,
Shifting blame, recriminations,
Took three mighty detonations
To separate her stern from bows.

On a sunny August Wednesday
Saw her long bows section towed away
Now in Belfast breaker's yard she'll stay
While her stern still lies here in Lyme Bay.
Red-sailed dinghies on the water,
Pipes lamenting her departure,
Thus ends the Napoli,
Napoli, Addio.


AND FOR THE CHALLENGE?
Oh for one last time, I would cross the wild Drake Passage
And see the fist come through the hull and leak relentlessly,
In the Bransfield strait we met times so cold and savage
Sent Explorer to the bottom of the sea.
I'll get my parka!
TB

Subject: RE: Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 08:47 PM

Tattie Bogle-

Thanks for the songs!

It's different, isn't it, when you realize it's real people involved with real ships in an extreme environment.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Rowan
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 09:17 PM

Charley, it depends on what you mean by "different". Having been there I'm well aware of the dangers to, and likely feelings of, the people on the Lindblad Explorer. The press reports keep referring to "10 Australians" in the total complement and a geologist colleague of mine routinely works on Antarctic cruise ships as a tour guide, so I keep a weather eye out for news.

Nobody appears to have become a casualty, thankfully, but they all lost everything but what they stood up in. A contemplation that has kept intruding on my thoughts as I read these posts is;

If I had been there, working as a tour guide (which I've often thought of doing when the offspring are fledged from the nest) I'd have taken my concertina. Would I have had the chance to retrieve it, or even been allowed to bring it into the lifeboat?" Shades of Frank Hurley and his films and photos of the Endurance. Most of the personnel rescued would probably have lost something they regarded as being as precious as any concertina.

Being a volunteer firefighter, I have similar contemplations during bushfire season, both ours and yours.

But I don't yet have the talent to put such things into songs. Haiku, perhaps but nothing that I could sing.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 10:07 PM

From what I heard you would have lost your concertina rowan. Some of the lifeboats were so crowded the passengers had to stand up...bit of a cold and wet.
I've heard a couple of interviews, one by the VP of GAP today. She did call it the "little red ship", and remarked that her company's boss had acquired (and majorly overhauled) the Explorer when it was under "ship arrest" for debts--in Italy I think she said--in the early 70's.

The other interview on CBC radio this evening was with a Japanese woman who was on the same ship when it grounded on a reef--or an ice shelf? (I'm confused now) in 1972--as in the current occurrence, ship evacuated, all saved. Perhaps this was the incident Rowan refers to--a few years later. All the reports I've heard were that it was launched in 69, specifically for Antarctic conditions, and indeed, it seems to have done well at that, until its age and an indifferent growler caught up with it this week.

W-O
it was sad when the little red ship went down...

Subject: RE: Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Rowan
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 11:31 PM

Interesting, Guest. I can assure you it was 1969 when I first heard about the first "sinking". I was at Mawson that year and I've never had such intimate exposure to shortwave radio traffic as when I was there; it was the talk of the town, so to speak.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: GUEST,Warwick Slade
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 02:17 PM

You all have worried me now as I will be in that exact spot in January as part of my world tour. Do you think I should take an extra pair of socks?
Watch out for 'Warwick Slade on Ice'

Subject: RE: Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: frogprince
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 04:51 PM

It was cold, it was cold,
it was cold where that gre - at ship went down...

Subject: RE: Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Charley Noble
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 05:39 PM

The Explorer was her name
And you may have heard her fame,
How she traversed the Northwest Passage in '84;
But that was years ago,
And the years did take their toll,
It was sad when that Little Red Ship went down!

I'll nominate that verse as a keep!

Now maybe a verse about the tourists meditating in the lifeboats...

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: MartinRyan
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 06:36 PM

They launched the lifeboats out on the calm, though frozen, sea
And the tourists they all cried "You can't do this to me!"
But the lawyers they just smiled and said "It's all the same, you see
You'll just drown in compensation - and there's ten percent for me!"

Regards

Subject: RE: Song Challenge-Antarctic Cruise Ship Sinks
From: Charley Noble
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 08:41 PM

MartinRyan-

Jusice en lieu some would say! But the lawyers certainly were not there on the scene and I doubt if anyone had the time to consult them via e-mail. That's not to say that a few lawyers might be involved now, assessing the liability issues of sending the Explorer out one more time while she was structurally unsound, which may well be the case.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble