MS Arctic Explorer

MS Arctic Explorer was a ship which sank off St Anthony, Newfoundland, in the Strait of Belle Isle, on 3 July 1981.

MS Arctic Explorer in port
History
Canada
Name:	Arctic Explorer
Route:	Port of St Anthony, heading for Frobisher Bay
Builder:	Høivolds Mek. Verksted A/S., Kristiansand (Christianssand)
Yard number:	48
Launched:	1974
Out of service:	July 1981
Identification:	IMO number: 7369065
Fate:	Sank on 3 July 1981
General characteristics
Class and type:	Icebreaker
Tonnage:	499 GRT
Length:	48.2 metres (158 ft)
Beam:	11.3 metres (37 ft)
Draught:	8.5 metres (28 ft)
Speed:	12.5 kn (23 km/h; 14 mph)

The 165 foot, 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.

Arctic Explorer had just left the port of Saint Anthony, heading for Frobisher Bay, when she took on a list to starboard and sank three hours into her voyage. Following two days without any communication to the shore base, the vessel was reported missing to the Canadian Coast Guard, who mounted an air search and found the survivors within six hours.

References

• Plaskin, Robert (July 7, 1982), The inquiry into the sinking of the Arctic Explorer..., United Press International