Shipping News

Sailing Yacht ALEXIA

2010-07-19T04:13:00.000-07:00

Alexia visited Louisbourg for 4 or 5 days

A General Description of Sailing Yacht ALEXIA

This 30 metre (100 foot) luxury yacht was constructed by Wally in 2004. Sailing Yacht ALEXIA is a well proportioned superyacht. The naval architecture office which delivered her design details in respect of the yacht is Javier Soto Arcebal and Wally. This boat's interior is the work of the talented Wally. Luxury yacht ALEXIA is a well crafted yacht that can sleep a total of 6 people on board and has a total of 4 qualified crew.

ALEXIA is a unique design with new technology selected by designer Javier Soto Acebal. This 100ft performance sloop features water ballast combined with a fixed keel with trim tabs. ALEXIA offers a functional layout with twin helm stations aft and a larger social cockpit forward. This Wally 98 accommodates six guests in three cabins and funs with four crew.

Build & Designing of Luxury Yacht ALEXIA

Javier Soto Arcebal was the naval architecture company involved in the professional vessel design work for ALEXIA. Also the company Javier Soto Arcebal and Wally skillfully collaborated on this project. Interior designer Wally was employed for the overall internal styling. Italy is the country that Wally constructed their new build sailing yacht in. After official launch in 2004 in Fano the boat was then released to the proud new owner having completed sea trials and testing. A reasonable feeling is manifested with a widest beam (width) of 6.65 m / 21.82 ft. With a 4.5m (14.76ft) draught (maximum depth) she is deep. The material composite was used in the building of the hull of the sailing yacht. Her superstructure above deck is created from composite.

Engines & Speed On S/Y ALEXIA:

The 6LYA-UTE engine installed in the sailing yacht is made by YANMAR. Coupled to the ALEXIA engines are a single screw propeller. The main engine of the ship creates 315 horse power (or 235 kilowatts). She is equiped with 1 engines. The sum output for the boat is therefore 315 HP / 235 KW.

With Superyacht ALEXIA She has Accommodation Capacity For:

Providing cabins for a limit of 6 visiting passengers staying on board, the ALEXIA accommodates them in style. This ship uses approximately 4 professional qualified crew to run.

A List of the Specifications of the ALEXIA:

Superyacht Name: Sailing Yacht ALEXIA Ex: - Built By: Wally - Built in: Fano, Italian - Launched in: 2004 - Refitted in: - Length Overall: 30.48 metres / 100 feet - Waterline Length: 26.6 (87.27 ft)

Naval Architecture: Javier Soto Arcebal and Wally, Javier Soto Arcebal - Designers Involved in Yacht Design: Wally - Interior Designers: Wally - Gross Tonnes: - Nett Tonnes: - Displacement: 49 - Hull / Superstructure Construction Material: composite / composite - Owner of ALEXIA: - Cost To Build: - ALEXIA available for luxury yacht charters: - Is the yacht for sale: - Helicopter Landing Pad: No - Swimming Pool: - Jacuzzi Spa: - Material Used For Deck:

The Country the Yacht is Flagged in: - The official registry port is and her home port is , - Class society used: - Completed survey under Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) Large Yacht Code: - Max yacht charter guests 6 - Guest’s cabins: - Guests Cabin configuration: - Maximum Number of Guests Whilst Underway: - Number of Crew Members: 4

The propulsion comes from one 315 HP / 235 kW Yanmar. The Model type is 6LYA-UTE diesel. - Giving the combined power of 315 HP /235 KW. - Approximate Cruise Speed is 10 knots. - Her top Speed is around 12 nautical miles per hour. - Bunkering capacity: 2600 L. - Fresh water: 1900.00. - Area of Sail: 476 Metres Squared. - Yacht Beam: 6.65m/21.82ft. - Waterline Length (LWL): 26.6m/87.27ft. - Draught Maximum: 4.5m/14.76ft.

Cabot Landed here

2010-06-18T04:14:00.000-07:00

Cape Breton Landfall Argument

Before 1949, when Newfoundland joined Canada, Canadian scholars tended to rely on cartography to argue for a landfall on Cape Breton Island. Although several maps indicate Cabot's landfall, all are very late except for the La Cosa map of about 1500. Found in 1832, it is the earliest map to represent any part of the North American continent. It is a large planisphere of the entire known world, in colour on oxhide, with the western, trans-Atlantic part depicted on a larger scale than the Old World. It was made by Juan de la Cosa, a skilled Basque navigator who sailed with Columbus, and shows the discoveries of both Columbus and Cabot. It is probable that Cabot's own chart of his voyage (later lost) was passed by the Spanish ambassador in London to the king in Spain, and it is also possible that La Cosa received information about Cabot's third voyage by the same channel (Nunn, 1943).

Both Biggar (1911) and Ganong (1929; in Ganong 1964) were convinced of the importance of La Cosa; they were supported by Williamson and Skelton (Williamson, 1962), who considered it 'the only map which unambiguously illustrates John Cabot's voyage of 1497 and - with less certainty - his voyage of 1498'. The most remarkable aspect of the north-eastern coast' on La Cosa is that it is marked by place names and a line of five English flags. These are the map-maker's flags, but some suggest that they are places where Cabot, like Gilbert at St. John's in 1583, and Cartier at Gaspe in 1534, claimed the land for the Crown. At one place, La Cosa locates 'Cauo de ynglaterra'(Cape of England) and over the sea he writes 'mar de descubierta por inglese'(sea discovered by the English).

Mappa Mundi by Juan de la Cosa, ca. 1500.

La Cosa, a Spanish Basque pilot and cosmographer, drew this map shortly after 1500. As owner of the Santa Maria, the vessel that Chrisopher Columbus took to America in 1492, la Cosa accompanied Columbus on his first two voyages. He then continued to survey the American coast until 1504.

From W. P. Cumming, R. A. Skelton and D. B. Quinn, The Discovery of North America (Montreal: McClelland and Stewart Limited, ©1971) 36. Courtesy of Museo Naval de Madrid, Madrid.

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Where is this coast, was it straight, and did it appear to Cabot to lie east-west? There is a range of answers in the literature. It has been identified as the north shore of the St. Lawrence, the south coast of Newfoundland from Cape Race westwards (including Cape Breton Island), and as the coast from Cape Breton to the Bay of Fundy. Still others thought that what was mapped east-west should really have been north-south, so that the line of flags stretched from Cape Chidley (near Hudson Strait), either to Cape Race or to Cape Breton. All these interpretations differ markedly from that of Jackson.

William Ganong (1864-1941), the great New Brunswick cartographic scholar, performed an analysis of the La Cosa map. Assuming the flagged area was constructed from Cabot information, the problem was to identify the true coastlines. Ganong realised that the La Cosa map might be a simplification of Cabot's own map, the result of successive re-drawings, and also believed that it was made with compasses corrected for the very different declination in Europe, the effect of which was to throw our coasts out of line in the way shown by Cosa. He concluded that the named coast was more consistent with Cape Race to Cape Breton than with any other interpretation.

Ganong thought that Cabot missed Newfoundland on the outward voyage, made a landfall on Cape Breton, and then returned along Newfoundland's south coast. Between the third and fourth flags is written 'Cauo Descubierto' ([the] cape [that was] discovered); to Ganong, this had to be the landfall. The cape to the east is (in translation) 'the Cape of St. George', while to the west is the 'mar descubierta por iglese'(sea discovered by the English). The islands shown beneath this phrase could be the way the mosaic of islands, peninsulas and broken country at the eastern end of Cape Breton Island looked from the sea. The fourth flag, Ganong thought, might mark the landing and the erection of marks of English possession at Louisbourg, a place called (in either English or French)'English Harbour' until the early 18th century. Was it here, then, that Cabot erected his large cross with a banner of England and one of St. Mark'?

Ganong suggested that the 'bight' between flags three and four represented the great entrance to the Gulf of St. Lawrence (called Cabot Strait only since 1888). Both he and G.R.F. Prowse, a Newfoundlander, considered that the La Cosa's reference to 'Co. de s:Jorge' survived as 'Cape St. George', projecting into the Gulf on the Port au Port Peninsula of western Newfoundland, and could be the oldest authenticated place name of European origin not only in Newfoundland, but also in the entire North American continent. By this interpretation, then, after examining the Cape Breton coast, Cabot crossed to Newfoundland, mistaking the Gulf of St. Lawrence for a great bight of the coast with shore hidden by mist or distance (precisely as did Cartier 37 years later). Alternatively, Cabot might have thought the Gulf to be open sea, in which case, we have good explanation why he described the discovery as 'two new very large and fertile islands'.

Ganong then took Cabot along the southern coast of Newfoundland, the flags and place names marking Cape Ray, the Burgeo area ('Pisques'), where Cabot found the fishery so abundant, Bear Head ('Co de Lisarte'), Cape La Hune ('Forte'), Hermitage Bay or Bay d'Espoir ('Ro.Longo'), St. Pierre and Miquelon ('lsla de la Trendar'), and the tip of the Burin Peninsula ('C. Fastanatre') where, also, the fifth flag records Cauo de ynglaterra ('Cape of England').

The routes proposed by Ganong and Quinn.

Illustration by Duleepa Wijayawardhana, 1997.

This cape is the closest to England on the La Cosa map. What, then, is the prominent island off the east coast? This, wrote Ganong, was the way the southern tip of the Avalon might appear through the mists as Cabot tracked across Placentia Bay. In going over the same evidence, this is also how Leslie Harris interpreted it (Harris, 1967). Indeed, Pasqualigo's statement that on the way back he saw two islands' would fit well as, perhaps, the fog closed in on the Matthew about Trepassey Bay. Short of provisions, Cabot would continue eastward, for home.

By Ganong's reconstruction, then, Cabot was unlikely to have seen any part of Newfoundland north of Cape St. George in the west and Cape Race in the east. A similar path was followed by D.B. Quinn, but he suggested a course from Cape Breton stretched out to reach Cape Bauld (Quinn, 1977), a place where many scholars bring Cabot in from the Atlantic on his outward voyage (Harrisse, 1896; Morison, 1971).

The Cape Breton landfall may also be supported by the so-called Sebastian Cabot' or Paris' map of 1544, found in Germany in 1856. The map is printed with Spanish legends, which apparently contain Sebastian Cabot's personal information (Skelton, in Williamson, 1962). They indicate that the landfall was made on 24 June and that an adjacent island was named St. John. They add that the discovery was made by John Cabot and his son Sebastian, and ascribe the authorship of the map to Sebastian. The position of the words Prima Tierra Vista indicates that Cape North, Cape Breton, was the approximate locality of the land first seen. The date of the landfall is corroborated by Toby's Chronicle of Bristol, but the maps reliability in other respects has been questioned (Williamson, 1962).

Sebastian Cabot's World map, ca. 1544.

From Henry Harrisse, Découverte et évolution cartographique de Terre Neuve et des pays circonvoisins 1497-1501-1769: essais de géographie historique et documentaire (London: Henry Stevens, Son & Stiles, 1900). Colorized by Duleepa Wijayawardhana.

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However, nearly all the proponents of a Cape Breton landfall - Markham, Tarducci, Thwaites, Bourinot, Dawson, Harvey, Biggar, Ganong, Burpee - regarded both the La Cosa and Sebastian Cabot/Paris maps as documentary evidence which supported their case. Even if the map is discounted, a case can still be made for a southern landfall, and the Day letter seems to have made little difference. Williamson, who wrote both before and after it was found, opted for Cape Breton in 1929 and for Maine (cautiously) in 1962, which is also favoured by Quinn (1993); and Vigneras, who found the Day letter, also argued for Cape Breton (Vigneras, 1957).

©1997, Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Web Site Project

stationhouse.avi

2010-06-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

2010-05-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

May 27th, 2010

MV CLELIA II 08:30 - 4:30

MV Amadea

2010-03-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

Sept. 28th

Career
Name:	1991—2006: Asuka 2006 onwards: Amadea^[1]
Owner:	1991—2006: Nippon Yusen Kaisha 2006 onwards: Amadea Shipping Company^[1]
Operator:	1991—2006: Nippon Yusen Kaisha 2006 onwards: Phoenix Reisen^[1]
Port of registry:	1991—2006: Tokyo, Japan 2006 onwards: Nassau, Bahamas^[1]
Builder:	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nagasaki, Japan^[1]
Cost:	$150 million^[2]
Yard number:	2050^[1]
Launched:	6 April 1991^[1]
Acquired:	December 1991^[1]
Maiden voyage:	24 December 1991^[1]
In service:	24 December 1991^[1]
Identification:	IMO number 8913162
Status:	In service
General characteristics
Type:	cruise ship
Tonnage:	28,856 GT (gross tonnage)^[2] 2,248 metric tons deadweight (DWT)^[1]
Length:	192.82 m (632 ft 7 in)^[1]
Beam:	24.70 m (81 ft 0 in)^[1]
Draught:	6.20 m (20 ft 4 in)^[1]
Installed power:	2 × MAN-Mitsubishi 7L58/64 diesels, combined 17,300 kW^[1]
Propulsion:	2 propellers^[2]
Speed:	21 knots (38.89 km/h; 24.17 mph)^[1]
Capacity:	604 passengers (as Asuka)^[3] 624 passengers (as Amadea)^[2]
Crew:	292^[2]

sinking of Concordia

2010-03-04T04:18:00.000-08:00

The Concordia visited many times over the years. and we are very sad at her loss and grateful that there was no loss of life.

Transportation board to probe sinking of Concordia
By BEVERLEY WARE Shore Shore Bureau

Thu. Mar 4 - 4:53 AM

BRIDGEWATER — Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigators are expected in Lunenburg this morning to delve into the sinking of SV Concordia off Brazil two weeks ago.
Ken Potter, the manager of marine investigation operations, said the board decided late Tuesday to conduct its own independent investigation into the capsizing and sinking of the Lunenburg-based sail training vessel.
He said no parents of students aboard the ship had contacted the board to pressure for an independent investigation.
RELATED
» Rescue response questioned

The Concordia was a floating classroom of West Island College’s Class Afloat, owned by a Canadian company and operating out of Lunenburg. It capsized and sank off the coast of Brazil on Feb. 17. All 64 students, teachers and crew were rescued after spending 40 hours in life-rafts.
The Barbados Maritime Ship Registry was carrying out the official investigation because that’s where the ship is registered. But Potter said the Canadian board had been collecting information and conducting interviews with staff since the ship sank and that information convinced the board that it needs to carry out its own review.
"An independent TSB investigation is warranted, particularly given the large number of Canadian students and staff," Potter said.
The board has put together a team of investigators that includes a naval architect and a specialist in sail training vessels. They will begin today by interviewing the captain, Bill Curry, and any officers on board at the time.
The investigation will then spread out to include students and staff.
Nigel McCarthy, president and chief executive officer of Class Afloat, said Wednesday afternoon the school had not been formally notified of the parallel investigation.
"That said, it is not unexpected that TSB might want to pursue this course of action," he said.

McCarthy said the school simply hopes investigators will continue to respect the students’ and parents’ need to prepare for resumption of classes next week.
"We are certain they will."
The board said in a news release one of the reasons it has decided to take on its own investigation is "because the scope and methodology used to uncover causes and contributing factors will likely be different than that of the Barbados authority."
The rules of the International Maritime Organization allow the board to be involved in the Barbadians’ investigation, which was happening, but the Barbados Maritime Ship Registry also allows for a parallel investigation by both the country where the ship is registered as well as where the sinking occurred.
The last time the board was involved in an investigation of this type was when Laura Gainey was swept overboard from the Picton Castle in December 2006. That ship is registered in the Cook Islands, which investigated, but the Canadian board made its own inquiries and forwarded its findings and recommendations to the owner of the Picton Castle and the Cook Islands.
As the board begins its investigation "we are casting our net fairly wide," Potter said, looking at such factors as the weather, the ship’s stability, crew training, Class Afloat and the search and rescue effort launched in Brazil.
"We will look at every facet."
That should determine whether there were safety deficiencies, what factors contributed to the sinking and why the ship sank.
"It will be a thorough report," Potter said.

Once it has gathered, assessed and analyzed all the information, the board will compile a draft report that will go to authorities in Barbados and to Class Afloat. They will be given a chance to comment and once that’s done, the board will issue its final report.
Potter stressed the board is not a regulator and can’t impose penalties if there were deficiencies. Its role is to advance safety, he said.

This is strictly for safety purposes; to determine the cause, contributing factors and develop recommendations or safety actions."

If the board concludes there were deficiencies, it will not wait for its final report to notify Class Afloat.
"If we do find any safety deficiencies, we will immediately communicate that to the person, the company or those in the best position to act," Potter said.
( bware@herald.ca)

Danish-flagged shrimp fishing ships banned

2010-02-26T07:21:00.000-08:00

Canadian ports closed to vessels from Greenland and Faroe Islands who are ignoring catch quotas

BY RANDY BOSWELL, CANWEST NEWS SERVICEFEBRUARY 16, 2010

Canada followed through Monday on a threat to close East Coast ports to fishing vessels from Greenland and the Faroe Islands after the Danish territories failed to agree to a 334-tonne shrimp quota in international waters off the Newfoundland coast.

The Danish-flagged fleets, objecting to the strict catch limits imposed last fall by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization for the "3L" zone just beyond Canadian waters, had unilaterally set a 3,100-tonne Danish quota for northern shrimp.

Last month, Fisheries Minister Gail Shea set a Feb. 15 deadline for the Danish territories to accept the NAFO quota and warned Canada would otherwise bar Greenlandic and Faroese boats from this country's ports, forcing them to return home to process their shrimp catches.

"We have acted in good faith for several years to try to resolve this issue, to no avail," Shea said in a statement Sunday announcing the port closure. "It has become clear to Canada that attempts to come to a multilateral agreement regarding the 3L shrimp quota for Denmark (in respect of the Faroe Islands and Greenland) are at an impasse."

While inviting Danish fisheries officials to "come back to the NAFO table" to resolve the dispute, Shea added: "Our government will continue to do whatever is necessary, under the law, to protect Canadian fishermen and the sustainability of the industry."

Newfoundland MP Gerry Byrne, the Liberal fisheries critic, has accused the Conservative government of mishandling the Danish dispute and slammed as "useless" the dispute-settling mechanisms available under the NAFO convention.
He issued a statement suggesting Shea's decision to close Canadian ports to the Danishflagged fleets is "more for show than for substance" and that the Greenlandic and Faroese shrimp boats may have "already caught the bulk of their unilaterally set quota" since the season began Jan. 1.
"How much remaining Danish fishing activity are we actually closing Canadian ports to?" he said.
Shea has called the Danish flouting of the NAFO quota on northern shrimp a "dangerous precedent that could impact conservation of the species."
And even though Denmark's shrimp haul amounts to just one per cent of the total quota in the 3L area -- of which Canada controls about 80 per cent -- the dispute raises the spectre of future struggles between the two countries at a time when warming Arctic waters and retreating sea ice are expected to dramatically expand fishing activity in the coming decades between Nunavut and Greenland.
Canadian ports had been closed to ships from Greenland and the Faroe Islands between December 2004 and March 2008, when signs of an emerging compromise on the shrimp dispute prompted Canada to allow Danish-flagged fleets to again off-load their catches in this country.
But the hoped-for resolution didn't come to pass, federal Fisheries spokesman Alain Belle-Isle told Canwest News Service last month, prompting Canada to threaten the new closure.

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Cruise Ships Coming 2010

2009-11-07T03:44:00.000-08:00

May 27th, 2010

MV CLELIA II 08:30 - 4:30

June 6, 2010
MV Hanseatic    0900 - 1500

September 23, 2010
MV Spirit of the Oceans    Time: TBA

October 7th, 2010
MV CLELIA II     8:30 - 4:30

Tallships

2009-07-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

Lady Ann McGee

2009-07-06T05:05:00.000-07:00

Super Yacht "Lady ann McGee" loomed out of the fog Sunday morning as well.

Sheltering from a gigantic Thunderstorm. I see she has been for sale just 17 million Canadian.

We don't get many thunderstorms here. this is my sixth year "backhome' and we have had maybe 5 or 6 thunderstorms in all that time.

Yacht" Southern Flower" Fleur Australe

2009-07-05T05:53:00.000-07:00

The French Yacht Fleur Australe stopped into Louisbourg last night in a huge thunder storm
they are on the way to Northwest Passage.
I will try to get some photos when the fog lifts.
It is a shame the Lobster fishermen have taken all the visitor berths at the Guy Hiltz wharf.

Translation: French » English

4 juillet.12h00. ! Temps orageux, avec de violents grains de pluie. Des rafales de vent sud/sud est nous font avancer à 9nds, sous génois et grand voile. Malheureusement, entre les grains, pas un brin d’air. Brume épaisse. Latitude 45° N et longitude 62° W. Nous sommes toujours au large de la Nouvelle Ecosse. Nous ne ferons à priori pas d’arrêt sur l’île du Cap Breton. La météo, prévoit un vent contraire vers le détroit de Belle Ile. Nous avons donc intérêt à monter le plus au nord possible. Nous nous arrêterons lorsque le vent tournera. Philou étudie les différentes escales possibles, consulte les instructions nautique et affinera les prévisions météo dès que possible. La nouvelle arrivée Claudine, s’amarine tranquillement, elle dort dans sa bannette, le mal de mer ne l’épargne pas.  17h00.   À la montagne, on appelle cela un jour blanc. Ce n’est pas une franche gaieté. marchons à 6nds. Il en faut plus pour atteindre le moral des troupes. Déjeuner sympathique, au menu : lasagne, salade, fromage puis jeux de société pour les enfants et lecture pour les grands.

4 juillet.12h00. ! Storm with heavy rain grains. Gusts of wind south / south east us forward to 9nds under genoa and main sail.
Unfortunately, between the grains, not a blade of air. Thick fog. Latitude 45° N et longitude 62° W. We are always off New Scotland. There will be a priori no stop on the island of Cape Breton. Weather, provides a headwind to the Strait of Belle Isle. We have an interest to climb the north possible. We will stop when the wind turns. Philou analyzes various stopovers possible, consult the instructions Boating and refine the forecast as soon as possible. The new arrival Claudine, s'amarine peacefully, she sleeps in her Bannettes, seasickness does not savings.

17.00. In the mountains, this is called a white days. This is not a frank gaiety. 6nds walking. It takes more to reach the morale of troops. Nice breakfast, the menu: lasagna, salad, cheese and games for children and reading for adults.

Schooner Mistral stops by.

2009-06-24T12:08:00.000-07:00

MISTRAL
Dieter Krügel discovered the 1936 L Francis Herreshoff schooner
Mistral in California in 1995. In worse condition than he thought when
he bought her, she was patched up and moved to Lunenburg,
Canada for extensive remedial treatment under Dennis Greenwood,
from 1996 to 1999. On relaunch, racing quickly showed up further
inherent faults in the light construction, and in 2006 Mistral was taken
to Matthias Paulsen at Arnis on the German Baltic, where new ring
frames were fi tted (right), the hull reskinned and the deck renewed.
Mistral was relaunched in May and took part in the Transat Classique.

Mistral
Length 63ft 6in (19.4m)
Beam 15ft (4.6m)
Draught 8ft 3in (2.5m)

Prince albert II

2009-05-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

Prince Albert II
Owner/Operator:	Silversea Cruises
Year built:	1989
Rebuilt:	2008
Builder:	Rauma-Repola, Rauma, Finland
Former names:	Delphin Clipper, Sally Clipper, Baltic Clipper, Delfin Star, World Discoverer
Gross Tonnage	6,072
Length:	108.1 m (354.6 ft)
Beam:	15.56 m (52.0 ft)
Passengers (normal):	132
Passengers (maximum):	158
Crew:	111
Service speed:	17.0 knots
Sister Ship:	-

Prince Albert returns September 12 at 7:20 am

The Clelia II

2009-05-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

The Clelia II

Arrive September 27th on a Golf Cruise

Prince Albert II

2008-08-18T10:58:00.000-07:00

AUGUST 20TH 2008

With an intimate capacity of 132 passengers, the Prince Albert II, formerly the World Discoverer II, focuses on the exploration of unique wildlife and local cultures of the world’s most remote regions. The ship is equipped with eight Zodiac boats, permitting guests to get a closer look at extraordinary landscapes. Onboard, guests will enjoy luxurious accommodations, all of which provide stunning ocean views. Passengers can relax at the spa, shop in the boutique or mingle with other guests in one of the lounges around the ship. Prince Albert II was refurbished in 2008 and, like every member of the Silversea fleet, this vessel provides matchless service and all-inclusive amenities.

EXPLORING THE EARTH: TOP TO BOTTOM
Silversea’s expedition ship will set sail June 12 from London on an Inaugural Season of voyages of 10 to 21 days focusing on polar adventures. Sailing first to the Arctic Circle, Svalbard, Iceland and Greenland for the summer, the ship will then reposition to South America and Antarctica for autumn and winter voyages. From mid-August to November 2008, HSH Prince Albert II will journey from the east coast of North America through the Panama Canal to Los Angeles before heading south to Ushuaia. Along this special repositioning route are opportunities to explore the Sea of Cortez (with an extension to Copper Canyon), Falklands and South Georgia Island. Pricing starts at $3,867, per person, double occupancy, and includes shore excursions as well as Silversea’s signature all-inclusive amenities.

Minerva Enters Louisbourg Harbour

2008-05-09T05:24:00.000-07:00

Minerva Louisbourg Visit

M.S. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER

2008-03-20T02:10:00.000-07:00

SEPTEMBER 21ST 2008

M.S. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER

VESSEL PARTICULARS

NAME: M.S. National Geographic Explorer

OWNER: LEX Explorer LLC

MANAGERS: Lindblad Maritime Enterprises, Ltd

CALL SIGN: C6WR2

FLAG: Bahamas

DATE OF BUILD: 1982

SHIP BUILDER: Ylstein Hatlø AS

HULL NUMBER: 176

TYPE OF VESSEL: Passenger

CLASSIFICATION SOCIETY: Det Norske Veritas

DnV REGISTER NUMBER: 13087

LLOYD'S/IMO NUMBER: 8019356

CLASSIFICATION NOTATION: + 1A1 Ice-C Passenger Ship

REGISTERED TONNAGE: SUMMER DEADWEIGHT : 1301 tons
GROSS : 6167 tons
NET : 2210 tons

DIMENSIONS: L.O.A. : 108.55 m / 356 ft
BREADTH : 16.52 m / 54 ft
DRAFT : 4.60 m / 15 ft

TOTAL CAPACITY: GUESTS: 150 CREW: 70 STAFF: 10

The newest addition to its fleet is the National Geographic Explorer, an ice-class polar expedition vessel that will hold 148 guests in 81 outside cabins and will set sail in the summer of 2008. The ship, the Lyngen, purchased from the Norwegian company Hurtigruten, will be renamed the National Geographic Explorer and will be redesigned to provide travelers with the most innovative tools for exploring the undersea, the polar regions and key destinations around the globe. The ship will be the seventh in the Lindblad fleet.Built in 1982, Lindblad’s new ship will undergo extensive renovations to become a state-of-the-art vessel, offering guests an intimate, educational environment. The new ship, like all Lindblad vessels, will carry the name of National Geographic, showcasing the deepening relationship between the two organizations. In addition, the ship’s new name reflects the National Geographic Society’s century of exploration and the name of Lindblad Travel’s first ship, the Lindblad Explorer, which was commissioned in 1969 by Lars-Eric Lindblad, known to many as the ‘father of eco-tourism,’ as the world’s first purpose-built expedition ship. “Adding the National Geographic Explorer to our fleet of ships enables us to bring to life, in the fullest sense, the name of my father’s first ship, but with all of the best tools for exploring and the comfort of a 21st-century expedition ship,” said Sven Lindblad, founder and president of Lindblad Expeditions. “This vessel will not only explore the remote corners of the world, but with our partners at NGS, we hope to positively impact these regions through guest involvement in scientific research and conservation”. The National Geographic Explorer will be a state-of-the-art expedition ship accommodating 148 guests in 81 outside cabins. It is fully stabilized, enabling it to navigate polar passages while providing comfort. Building upon Lindblad Expedition’s spirit of exploration and discovery, the National Geographic Explorer will house technology for sea exploration, such as Zodiacs, kayaks, hydro-phones, underwater HD cameras and a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV). Additional ship-enhancement plans include the development of multiple dining venues, a lounge area designed specifically for educational presentations and a luxury wellness spa.
Public areas include two restaurants, a lounge and bar, library, observation lounge, spa, fitness center, and sauna. A mud room with lockers provides storage for guests’ expedition gear. Meals: Served in single seatings with unassigned tables for an informal atmosphere and easy mingling. Menu is international with local flair.
Cabins: All cabins face outside with windows or portholes. Each has private facilities and climate controls.
Expedition Equipment: Hydrophone, kayaks, remotely operated vehicle (R.O.V.), snorkeling gear, Splash-Cam, underwater video camera, video microscope, and Zodiac landing craft.
Services include a full-time doctor, Undersea Specialist, Wellness Specialist, LEXspa Therapist, and Video Chronicler. There is internet access for guests, a business center, and laundry. Our "Open Bridge" policy allows guests to learn about the art of navigation and state-of-the-art navigational equipment from our Captain and Officers. View Photos

THE BREMAN

2008-03-20T02:03:00.001-07:00

JUNE 11TH 2008

0800 - 1800 HRS

Line:
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
Line Class:
Mainstream
Ship Type: Small Adventure
Built: 1990
Registration: Bahamas
Passengers: 164
Decks: 8
Crew: 100
Tonnage: 6,752
Other Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Ships: Columbus • Europa • Hanseatic

The "Bremen" is a specially built ice-strengthened eco-cruise ship which makes regular tours from South America to the Falklands and other South Atlantic islands as well as to the Antarctic Peninsula. She was launched in 1990 as the "Frontier Spirit" but renamed in the mid 1990's when she was purchased by a German company. She has a helicopter pad on her top deck and carries several zodiacs for landing tourists at remote locations.

MINERVA

2008-03-20T01:57:00.000-07:00

MAY 7TH 2008

1100 HRS - 1800 HRS

Refreshed and updated, Minerva has lost none of the charm that has made her such a firm favourite with our most loyal passengers. Inside, you'll warm to the congenial atmosphere, panelled rooms, the glint of brass, deep pile carpets and welcoming, buttoned leather sofas.
Tastefully decorated - impeccably finished
Soft, subtle lighting and carefully chosen fabrics also extend to our cabins, all recently refurbished. A wide range of accommodation choices includes suites with private balconies, deluxe and superior outside cabins with picture windows, comfortable inside cabins that don't miss out on essentials like ample storage space or on refinements such as bathrobes, binoculars and books.
Places you can hide away or stretch out
More informal is the Veranda that opens onto the Pool Deck, letting you dine alfresco. Other favourite daytime venues include the conservatory-style Shackleton's Bar with its cane chairs and potted palms. You can hide away in the Library where newspapers, an extensive collection of fiction, books on the destinations we visit, as well as games and assorted jigsaws are among the most popular diversions on our days at sea. There's also an internet facility to keep in touch with home.
Another is Minerva's expansive teak promenade deck, so reminiscent of the golden age of cruising. It's the perfect vantage point from which to spy new coastlines, to photograph bird life in Antarctica or gaze out at Mediterranean sunsets. Aft, the promenade leads to the sun deck where you can lie back and relax or take a cooling dip in the pool.
Travelling alone?
Many of our passengers travel unaccompanied and find the friendly Swan Hellenic style of cruising the perfect way to see the world. There's a wide choice of accommodation in Standard Inside or Outside cabins. These prove very popular and we strongly recommend you book early. Once our single occupancy cabins have been sold, twin cabins might be available for single use, but we may not be able to offer them at our special single occupancy rate.

Gross Tonnage - 12,500
Length - 133 metres
Beam - 20 metres
Draft - 5.75 metres
Cruising Speed - 15 knots
Passenger Decks - 6
Stabilisers - retractable fin
Registration - Bahamas
Passengers - 350
Crew - 160; mainly Filipino and Ukrainian
Officers - British and European
Entered Service - 29th April 1996

MV HSH Prince Albert II

2008-03-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

AUGUST 20TH 2008