A Depressing M/V Polar Star Update
WC has written earlier about the sad fate of the M/V Polar Star, the expedition-class cruise ship that carried WC to Antarctica in 2010.
Now comes word that what ever value the ship had may have been lost through neglect. Ted Cheeseman, of frequent Polar Star charterer Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris reports that the ship has not been well-maintained in Las Palmas, where she is in dry dock, and may now be headed for the scrap heap.
He said some potential partners in a [proposed] purchase of the Polar Star recently had to do a walk-through with flashlights and concluded the 86.5-metre cruise ship could be relegated to the scrap heap.
Seriously depressing news.
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Whoa, is this one of the old West Tours ships? Polar Star and West Star are the only two names that I remember. The size is about right.
I remember them coming into Juneau etc. in 1970 and 1971, before Southeast became cruisified. I worked as naturalist for some of their tour groups. Vessels were old fashioned and had been use heavily.
sisuanna
November 28, 2011 at 6:41 pm
Must have been a different Polar Star, Sisuanna. The Polar Star was launched October 1, 1969 as a Danish icebreaker. She was completely refurbished and converted to a passenger ship November 1, 2000.
/WC
Wickersham's Conscience
November 28, 2011 at 7:05 pm
Bummer!
Dave Dorsey
November 28, 2011 at 6:46 pm