MS Arctic Explorer
Encyclopedia
The MS Arctic Explorer was a ship which sank off St Anthony
, Newfoundland
, in the Strait of Belle Isle, on 3 July 1981.
The 900 tonne icebreaker
sank in calm seas in less than 20 minutes leaving 13 crew members dead and 19 survivors drifting in two inflatable liferafts for more than two days until rescued by the Canadian Coast Guard
. The ship was chartered to Geophysical Service Inc.
, a seismic exploration company, which was owned by Texas Instruments
at the time she sank. It was often incorrectly reported that the ship hit an iceberg. It appears that a ballast problem was the more likely cause.
St. Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador
-Attractions:* Is a popular tourist destination known for its whale watching.Dr. Wilfred Grenfell's work in St. Anthony is commemorated by several historic sites and museums, including:...
, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, in the Strait of Belle Isle, on 3 July 1981.
The 900 tonne icebreaker
Icebreaker
An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller vessels .For a ship to be considered an icebreaker, it requires three traits most...
sank in calm seas in less than 20 minutes leaving 13 crew members dead and 19 survivors drifting in two inflatable liferafts for more than two days until rescued by the Canadian Coast Guard
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
. The ship was chartered to Geophysical Service Inc.
Geophysical Service Incorporated
Geophysical Service Inc. was founded by John Clarence Karcher and Eugene McDermott in 1930 for the purpose of using refraction and reflection seismology to explore for petroleum deposits. It became one of the most successful seismic exploration contractors in the industry for many years...
, a seismic exploration company, which was owned by Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...
at the time she sank. It was often incorrectly reported that the ship hit an iceberg. It appears that a ballast problem was the more likely cause.