MS World Discoverer
Wreck of MS World Discoverer as of July 2007
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| History | |
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| Name: | World Discoverer (1975–2000) |
| Owner: |
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| Port of registry: | |
| Yard number: | 2250 |
| Launched: | 8 December 1973 |
| Acquired: | 19 October 1975 |
| Refit: | 1996 |
| Identification: |
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| Fate: | Wrecked April 30, 2000 after striking an uncharted reef in the Sandfly Passage |
| Status: | Lying on its side with a 46° list |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | cruise ship |
| Displacement: | 3724 gross tons |
| Length: | 87.51 m (287.1 ft) |
| Beam: | 15.12 m (49.6 ft) |
| Draft: | 4.4 m (14 ft) |
| Depth: | 8.72 m |
| Decks: | 7 |
| Installed power: | 2 x 1760 kW |
| Propulsion: | Twin MAK 8M452AK Diesel engines driving a single propeller |
| Speed: | 16.50 knots (30.5 km/h) |
| Capacity: | 137 passengers |
| Crew: | 75 to 80 crew members |
| Wreck site | |
| Coordinates: 9°01′23.17″S 160°07′22.91″E / 9.0231028°S 160.1230306°E | |
The MS World Discoverer was a cruise ship designed for and built by Schichau Unterweser, Germany in 1974. During construction called BEWA Discoverer, the ship was completed in Bremerhaven, Germany.
The vessel was originally built as the BEWA Discoverer in 1974. The ship was sold to BEWA Cruises out of Denmark. In July 1976, the vessel was sold to Adventure Cruises, Inc. and was renamed the World Discoverer. The ship also became a long-term charter to Society Expeditions. In 1976, the ship was registered in Singapore. In 1987, Society Expedition came under new ownership and was renamed Society Expedition Cruises, with offices in Seattle and Germany. The new owner of the ship was Discoverer Reederei who also has ownership of other vessels, such as MV Explorer. In 1990, she was registered in Liberia under the name World Discoverer. The vessel had a double hull construction, allowing for periodic voyages to the Antarctic polar regions to allow its passengers to observe ice floe movements and providing protection for minor impacts. In 1996, the ship was refurbished under the new name, World Discoverer. The ship carried a fleet of inflatable dinghies, allowing passengers to move closer to ice floes for observation.
During the period from November through February (Austral summer), the ship conducted cruises in the Southern Hemisphere and visited places like Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, Chile and Argentina. From March to May and August to October, the ship cruised the South Pacific Islands. Between the months of June and August, the ship cruised around the Alaskan region and also the Russian border around the Bering Sea. The World Discoverer was classified as a Swedish/Finnish 1A Ice Class, allowing the ship to withstand minor floe impacts. The World Discoverer also had a 13,000 km (8,100 mi) cruising range, allowing the ship to travel the Northwest Passage.
The ship was captained by Oliver Kruess, who had previously crewed as Chief Mate. Society Expeditions also hired a small team of experienced expedition leaders to answer tourist questions concerning the region, ice floes, their movements, and the ship's destinations. A small fleet of dinghies landed passengers on various shorelines for observation of local wildlife in the area. Each day comprised typically two to three shore expeditions, led by geologists, historians, naturalists, and marine biologists. The ship was equipped with an observation lounge, medical center with an active physician, library, sun deck with a small swimming pool, small fitness center, and a lecture hall.
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