Posted on 08/02/2004 12:08:35 PM PDT by EUPHORIC
By MARY PEMBERTON
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A small cruise ship catering to eco-tourists was seriously damaged after running aground in the Aleutian Islands.
The accident Saturday night punctured the 340-foot Clipper Odyssey's forward fuel tank and forced 153 people to abandon ship, a Coast Guard official said Sunday. There were no reports of injuries.
Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Roddy Corr said about 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilled from the ruptured tank, as was some waste water. He said swift currents dispersed the spilled fluid before it could be cleaned up.
Fishing boats and a freighter in the area carried the Clipper Odyssey's 122 passengers and 31 crew members to safety at Unalaska, about 800 air miles west of Anchorage, according to Lt. Asheley Bodkin.
The small cruise ship was refloated with the tide early Sunday.
The Clipper Odyssey was headed west along the Aleutian chain when the accident occurred. The ship takes passengers on cruises lasting a week or more for tours of seal and bird rookeries in the islands, Corr said.
A preliminary investigation indicated that the ship was going about 5 knots when it hit uncharted rocks between two islands, said Doug Bolnick, a spokesman for Clipper Cruise Line, the St. Louis company that operates the tour.
It was on the 7th day of a 12-day tour, Bolnick said.
DONNER PARTY! DONNER PARTY! DONNER PARTY! :)
They should hang their dred heads in shame, and turn in their alpaca ponchos.
Doncha just love IRONY!!!!
Somebody 'splain to me why they weren't paddling man-made canoes, or hiking their way to Alaska instead of hitchin' a ride on a massive fuel-guzzler?
Other than that, all I got to say is, "Oh, Gilligan!"
Did I just read that correctly?
Greenies run aground, spill fuel oil and waste water into the 'enviwoonmet' they so worship, and some even abandon ship?
Talk about 'floating logs'...
If these eco-tourists were really as earth-friendly as they always claim to be, then why are they riding a cruise ship that runs on diesel fuel? With how environmentally conscious they are, I would assume they would ride a boat running on solar energy, hydrogen, or their own hot air.
Was the captain drunk, stoned, or sleeping?
In the Floriduh Keys, it is a serious offense to run aground in the sea grass or on the reefs resulting in fines of $100 to $1000 per foot of damage done. A few years back an envirowacko "research" ship ran aground one of the reefs and tried to cover up the fact that they had badly damaged the reef and caused a lot of damage to the sea grass trying to get off the reef. Final fine was in the order of $180,000 IIRC. I wonder why they didn't want to pay fines for violations of laws that they had written.
Don't forget cleaning the local birds with Dawn dish soap....
"Donner party! Your dinner is waiting!"
When you said "greenies" I thought you were talking about the dog treats.
Barkley would've been p!ssed if a whole boatload of greenies was lost!
"The Clipper Odyssey was headed west along the Aleutian chain when the accident occurred. The ship takes passengers on cruises lasting a week or more for tours of seal and bird rookeries in the islands, Corr said."
"A preliminary investigation indicated that the ship was going about 5 knots when it hit uncharted rocks between two islands, said Doug Bolnick, a spokesman for Clipper Cruise Line, the St. Louis company that operates the tour."
It would appear that this is something that is routinely done ... meaning ... the 'captain' decided to venture out of charted waters for ... whatever reason he thought appropriate.
So the cultic religionists disobeyed their god and look what happened.
Will they do penance?
Turn in their slickers for land-lubbers?
Damned hippies and their environment-destroying pleasure boats. There oughta be a law...
;0)
Ah, it's pungent irony!
bump
Sounds like a total snooze-fest to me - no wonder they hit the rocks.
The Captain of the cruise ship, Joseph Hazelwood could not be reached for comment.
Before these greenies put any other fragile life at risk, they should be restricted to cruising on galleys which they would row.
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