Clipper Runs Aground in Alaska!

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I received this press release from Clipper Cruise Line and thought it
would be of interest. If you have missed any of my news' postings,
they are available on my web site.

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Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com



CLIPPER ODYSSEY SUSTAINS DAMAGE IN ALASKA INCIDENT -
NO INJURIES TO PASSENGERS OR CREW

ST. LOUIS, August 1, 2004 - While traveling in 70-foot-deep waters off
the coast of Unalaska Island (20 miles outside the city of Dutch
Harbor, Alaska), at approximately 9:15 p.m. local time, July 31, 2004,
the passenger vessel Clipper Odyssey struck a previously unknown,
uncharted rock. The ship was moving at five to six knots at the time
of the incident and was carrying 126 passengers, 70 crew members, and
two certified Alaskan pilots.

No injuries were sustained by anyone onboard. All passengers and 31
non-essential crew were safely transported to Dutch Harbor by three
nearby local vessels who answered the ship’s call for assistance.
Damage to the ship was minimal. A freshwater tank, a gray-water tank
(shower-drain water), and the port-side fuel tank were damaged.
Veteran Clipper Captain Frank Allica immediately contacted the Coast
Guard, and cooperated fully in their investigation. After floating
free of the submerged rock at high tide and cleared to sail by the
Coast Guard, the ship made its way to Dutch Harbor under its own
power. Marine engineers are now onboard to further assess the damage.

Preliminary reports indicate that environmental impact is minimal. The
damaged fuel tank was carrying approximately 5,000 gallons, which is
about 20% of the tank's capacity, of marine gas oil (MGO) a
lightweight diesel fuel that dissipates into the atmosphere. (For
comparison, an average-sized backyard swimming pool holds about 25,000
gallons of water.) Reports from the Coast Guard indicate that there is
no fuel remaining at the site. A third-party oil-spill-response team
was dispatched from Seattle to ensure that there is no environmental
impact.

“Passenger safety and protection of the environment are always
priorities,” Clipper CEO David Drier said. “I’m happy to report
passengers were never in danger in this particular incident, which was
described on board as simply a loud scraping noise – passengers on
deck viewing wildlife were not disrupted at all, merely curious as to
the source of the noise. The crew immediately responded in a calm and
professional manner. We plan for the ship to be repaired in Alaska,
and we are very hopeful that it will be ready for our August 16
itinerary departing from Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Between the
local pilots onboard, our experienced captain and crew, the
outstanding services of our Coast Guard, and a heart-warming welcome
from the Dutch Harbor community, this situation has truly been handled
in the best possible way. The Clipper Odyssey is a beautiful ship and
this was a most unfortunate incident, but we’re looking forward to
getting her back on schedule,” he concluded.

The Clipper Odyssey was completing a 12-day cruise from Nome to Homer
and had nearly finished the seventh day of the voyage. Clipper has
cancelled its scheduled August 4 departure (August 5 embarkation) of
Alaska’s Glaciers, Fjords, and Wildlife.

Built in 1989, and acquired by Clipper in 1999, the Clipper Odyssey
measures 338 feet long by 51 feet wide and has a draft of 15 feet. It
is registered in the Bahamas. Throughout the year, the ship visits
Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Japan, Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula,
the Aleutian Islands, Alaska’s Inside Passage, and the islands of the
South Pacific.

Founded in 1982, award-winning Clipper Cruise Line, a subsidiary of
INTRAV, sails four small-ship vessels worldwide.

For more information, please contact your travel professional.