ADVENTURE CRUISES

InnerSea Discoveries Purchases Two Vessels

InnerSea Discoveries LLC, the Seattle-based parent company of high-end American Safari Cruises, announced the purchase of two vessels for its new small-ship adventure cruising brand, marketed under the same name as the parent company. Designed to appeal to a broad spectrum of young-minded, adventurous and experiential travelers, InnerSea Discoveries will operate at a lower per diem cost and will debut in Alaska’s Inside Passage in May 2011. Formerly owned by Glacier Bay Cruise Line, the 157-ft, 66-guest Wilderness Adventurer was purchased for $201,240, and the 170-ft, 80-guest Wilderness Discoverer was sold for $314,760. Both boats are moored in Seattle, and InnerSea Discoveries will begin an extensive refurbishing program in Ballard boatyards next year using local marine vendors and specialized contractors. With the InnerSea Discoveries product, they’ll appeal to travelers seeking comfort while participating in physically challenging adventures in the wilderness of the Last Frontier. Among the included activities will be moderate-to-strenuous hiking, cave exploration, extended kayaking, rafting, stand-up paddle boarding and exploration by skiff; a la carte adventures on fully outfitted professional fishing boats and specialty programs such as heli-hiking and jet boat river tours will be at added cost

News: PWF Welcomes Ocean Voyager

Pacific Whale Foundation (PWF) of Wailuku, Hawaii recently welcomed the Ocean Voyager, to its fleet of excursion vessels. The all-aluminum catamaran, constructed by Kvichak Marine of Seattle, Washington, is the third catamaran constructed by Kvichak for PWF. Constructed to USCG regulations for 149 passengers, and based on Pacific Whale Foundation's 23 years of marine research and leading high quality marine ecotours, the Ocean Voyager is a Crowther Multihulls design

MV Northern Adventure to Undergo Refit

The MV Northern Adventure will undergo a refit from May 9 to 19 at the company’s Deas Pacific Marine facility in Richmond. The MV Northern Adventure has been experiencing some issues following its initial introduction to the BC Ferries’ fleet. BC Ferries wants to make sure these matters are fully addressed prior to the start of the busy summer season. The mid and north coast will be served by the Queen of Prince Rupert during this period

Cruise West Takes Delivery of Two Boats from Demaree

Demaree Inflatable Boats Inc. (DIB) has delivered two 19-ft. Ship-to-Shore boats to Cruise West, a small-ship cruise line based in Seattle, Wash. Cruise West purchased these USCG-approved, inflatable hull, rigid deck boats to transport passengers and equipment ashore during winter and spring excursions from California to Mexico. Each boat is powered by a single Yanmar 36 hp outboard diesel motor. Cruise West already owns four DIB boats purchased in 1998

Icebreaker Frees Trapped Cruise Ship

An Argentine Navy ice breaker battled to free a U.S.-operated cruise liner with 186 people aboard which is trapped in a field of ice off the coast of Antarctica on Jan. 31. The Clipper Adventurer, carrying 115 passengers and 71 crew, was sailing through the Straight of Matha west of the Antarctic Peninsula, about 900 miles south of Tierra del Fuego, when a change of wind unexpectedly dragged ice around it, the Argentine Navy said.

Image Marine To Build 'True North'

Image Marine has announced a contract for a live-aboard adventure vessel for North Star Cruises.The repeat contract demonstrates the confidence the client has in Image Marine’s expertise in this specialist field. North Star Cruises took delivery of its first live-aboard, the Image Marine-built ‘True North’, in January 1999. With capacity for 28 passengers in 14 cabins, the 34.5 metre vessel has proved hugely successful cruising the remote Kimberley region of North Western Australia and led

Deskbound Sailors Crew Clipper Race Yacht

Office staff of asset management company De Lage Landen make up crew for 'De Lage Landen Clipper' in Round the World Race With 37,000 nautical miles of a unique corporate adventure under their belts, the corporate staff of De Lage Landen, a global provider of asset-based financial products, is about to set off on the final New York to Southampton, England leg of the Clipper Round the World Race.  DLL staff members from U.S. headquarters in Wayne, and from offices in Duluth, Ga

G.A.P Adventures Signs SpecTec Contract

The M/S Expedition was purchased in June 2008 by G.A.P Adventures to be re-launched with a polar expedition program. The vessel was built in Denmark in 1972, and has been operating in coastal waters around Scandinavia for 15 years. She is planned to be re-launched by the end of January 2009. Installations of SpecTec’s AMOS Maintenance & Purchase program will begin as soon as the vessel has been rebuilt in the beginning of 2009.

Malaysia Gets Tough on Ships in Prohibited Anchorages

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) recently seized 7 ships, detained 82 crew members During a special operation against ship owners who anchored in undesignated and prohibited areas, 40 officers on MMEA's ship and five boats,  conducted operations in Pengerang, Malaysia waters.
 Ships arrested included the Erwan Adventure tugboat, MT Krysper Singa and MT Titan Wisdon, which are registered in Singapore, Atami Maru (San Lorenzo) and MT Ruyi (Tarawa, Kiribati).

Thai Speedboat Plan to Beat Resort's Traffic Congestion

Thai authorities seek new ways to get people from Phuket International Airport to their destinations on the Andaman Sea island.
 One possibilty discussed at a recent meeting would be to build a quay pier next to the airport in order to carry passengers by speedboat or hydrofoil the 13 miles to Patong, reports The Phuket News. Phuripat Theerakulpisut, Director of Marine, Phuket Branch, explained, that they had drawn up a plan and were were waiting for approval and budget for the project