Cruise Ship “Clipper Pacific” Detained in NY Harbor

Some 1,200 passengers aboard the Clipper Pacific are enjoying an unexpected extended stay in NYC, while the cruise ship is being detained by Coast Guard for multiple safety issues in New York Harbor.

The 637-foot ship, en route from Greenland to Venezuela, was boarded by Coast Guard Sunday morning for a routine safety inspection, only to reveal significant hull damage and numerous other discrepancies.  Newsday.com reports:

The inspection of the Clipper Pacific, which began on Sunday and ended Tuesday, found that the ship’s hull was leaking, the Coast Guard said. The inspection found 66 safety problems on the ship, including damage to the lifeboats and life jacket issues.

A commercial diving company has made temporary repairs to the hull, but the Coast Guard ordered the 637-foot ship to remain in the harbor until further repairs were made.

Luckily for the passengers, they are able to come and go as they please while the repairs are being made.

UPDATE:

The NYTimes tells us:

The Coast Guard held the ship at Pier 92 on the West Side until most of the safety problems had been fixed.

After the ship’s operators agreed to have the hull repaired in dry dock in Tampa, the Coast Guard cleared it to leave, said the spokeswoman, Petty Officer Third Class Barbara Patton. The ship, which is affiliated with Peace Boat, a nonprofit group in Japan, had come from Greenland and was bound for Venezuela after a scheduled stop in New York.

“There was significant damage to the hull,” she said. “They need to go into dry dock, and their dock of choice was down in Tampa.” Continue Reading…

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