MS Prinsendam (1972)
 MS Prinsendam on fire off Alaska, 1980
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Netherlands | |
| Name | Prinsendam |
| Operator | Holland America Line |
| Builder | De Merwede in Hardinxveld-Giessendam, Netherlands |
| Cost | US$27 million |
| Launched | 7 July 1972 |
| Completed | 1973 |
| Maiden voyage | 1973 |
| In service | 1973 |
| Out of service | October 4, 1980 |
| Identification | IMO number: 7224734 |
| Fate | Sank 11 October 1980 |
| General characteristics | |
| Length | 427 ft (130 m) |
| Capacity | 350 passengers |
| Crew | 200 |
MS Prinsendam, was a
Holland-America Line cruise ship built at Shipyard de Merwede in the Netherlands
in 1973. She was 427 feet (130 m) long and typically carried about 350 passengers and 200 crew members.
Sinking
Prinsendam departed
Glacier Bay on 3 October, she set out into the Gulf of Alaska on the evening of 3 October bound for Japan. She was approximately 120 nautical miles (222 km; 138 mi) south of Yakutat, Alaska, at 12:40 a.m. on 4 October 1980 when a fire broke out in her engine room.[1] Her master, Cornelis Dirk Wabeke (13 April 1928 – 16 August 2011), declared the fire out of control one hour later and Prinsendam sent a radio call requesting immediate assistance. The United States Coast Guard at Communications Station Kodiak in Kodiak, Alaska, requested that Prinsendam send out an SOS to alert other vessels in the area, but Wabeke declined. Chief Radio Officer Jack van der Zee sent one out anyway about a half-hour later.[2]
U.S. Coast Guard,
CH-113
helicopters, which had greater range, rescued the passengers and crew. The rescue took place during a period of steadily deteriorating weather.
The U.S. Coast Guard
flare
from the boat and word of the sighting was relayed to the on-scene commander aboard Boutwell.
The rescue is particularly noteworthy because of the distance traveled by the rescuers, the coordination of independent organizations, and the fact that all 520 passengers and crew were rescued without loss of life or serious injury.[3]
Prinsendam finally
capsized
and sank on 11 October 1980.
References
- ^ Kiffer, Dave, "A Cruise Ship Goes Down," sitnews.us, October 10, 2015 Accessed 8 July 2023
- ^ "Manuscript log of supertanker Williamsburgh". 4 October 1980. Archived from the original on 1 December 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ^ "Top Ten Coast Guard Rescues". Coast Guard News. Jul 31, 2007. Archived from the original on May 27, 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
External links
- David J. Ring, Jr., N1EA, Radio Officer, "T/T WILLIAMSBURGH", "SOS from ms PRINSENDAM - Marine Radio History - Morse Code", August 17, 2018.
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1980 | |
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