Big budget studio: Here watch this $100 million movie. Me: Nah I’m good. My friend Mike Brady from Oceanliner Designs: Here watch this low budget, well researched and presented video. Me: OH YEAH! HELL YEAH!!
This is one of my favorite marine casualties to discuss. Sure, they went into the compound ice when they should not have. But once the crew saw the ship was flooding they immediately sounded passengers and organized the escape, and saved no expense to try and assess and mitigate the damage. Imagine if the crew of the Costa Concordia had behaved this way, rather than cover their mistake and hope it goes away.
I was on a ship in Antartica a few weeks after the Explorer sank. We had three ice pilots on board. Our chief ice pilot was the chief ice pilot on the Explorer. He said the ship had come up on a “growler” . Instead of hitting it bow on the ship scraped its side. When we were there, if the weather got too bad and visibility dropped, our ship stopped dead until conditions improved. We reached the pack ice and turned away. The scenery is magnificent but the weather would suddenly turn horrible. There were ice miles long.
Just tell me the ship you were on had better lifeboats?! I’m so angry and shocked that this happened in 2007 and they were even allowed to have those open top ones. How could that even be legal in those conditions?! I ranted to my bf about it and told him pro life tip, never get on a ship that’s going into waters that can be lethal with crappy outdated open top lifeboats/safety systems/equipment that’s clearly outdated, not rated or appropriate for the environment, and or clearly not inspected and replaced in appropriate amount of time like this too. How he said the weather blankets and whatnot were even tearing and having rusted zippers!!
@@nixvstheworld My thoughts exactly. It is absurd that the Explorer was operating with such woefully antiquated and apparently unmaintained life boats. The owners are lucky they weren't sued for negligence.
We were on Azamara with real covered lifeboats and three certified ice pilots. There was always ice but they avoided any pack ice. The weather is very harsh. It goes from subzero to 40 degrees in minutes. You can have bright sun in five minutes later being fog or heavy snowstorm. Our ship would stop dead when visibility drop down and would not proceed. They were very cautious where they went and definitely avoided ice packs. Despite every effort to avoid the package, you were still times you could hear the ice scraping on the side of the ship. The journey was an adventure of a lifetime. If you’ve never seen the Antarctic firsthand, you can’t imagine his beauty and harsh environment. On the other hand, retrospectively it’s scary. You realize if there’s an incident help is unlikely
@warrenfeldman1572 that sounds fun but I have to admit I don't have the balls to go on a trip like that 😅 I'm glad you got to experience that trip though! And especially that you arrived back safe and sound.
Wife and I were on ms Expedition, the ship that followed the Explorer. Most of our crew had been on the ms Explorer, so there was comfort in that, but we never were exposed to the same hazards. I will say that one night, heading north through Drake, we did have a FORTY degree roll. THAT woke us up. But it was a good cruise and this video provided excellent information.
after hearing about so many recent-ish ship disasters where the command staff panicked and ran away, its refreshing to hear about a crew reacting appropriately and working the problem to the best of their ability
Seriously, not just staying aboard during the evacuation but also afterwards to continue efforts. He may not have been trained for the ice but he made up for it in responding properly (maybe less so on the maintenance of life-saving equipment... but then again, it's not the Captain buying the lifeboats).
@@MichaelSchnabel-i4n The language quoted from the report - "had he been trained for Antarctic ice" - suggests that while he was found at fault because of his decision to push through the ice, the writers of the report encouraged better training for captains in antarctic ice. I feel like there's a difference between "pilot error" and using him as a scapegoat, and it seems the writers leaned more toward the former - that this could have been avoided with further training, but he regardless made a mistake in the moment that a more experienced captain in these conditions would not have done.
I was on the MV Ushia in 2007 We got the call at night. Our Captained turned NNE. We were told that the MV Explorer was sinking. That November was considered to the a "Shackelton Summer". A lot of ice about. After a day heading north, we got the news that all crew and passengers were rescued by the Chilan Navy. This got us thinking about being in one of those lifeboats out there.
I dont know what 3d rendering system was used for this video, but it looks simply awesome, the water, the ship the lights, it all looks so real, sometimes i almost doubted if this was an actual video, just amazing !!
As a world traveled sailor and having a close friend who works every year on the National Geographic Explorer (Buenos Aires or Santiago through Ushuaia, Argentina to the Antarctic) this is hair raising. Thank you for an incredible video.
I was a passenger on that ship some years before this, in Antartica. It was an amazing little ship, and very capable. I remember hitting bergs that were car sized as we moved through the ice. Watching them roll under the keel was very impressive.
Thats my thought too. Yes he is partly to blame but it seems the company was biggest contributor. The maintenance issues with boats and water tight doors are likely due to company policy issues as well.
True, but I have to wonder how anyone thought they could be sure that all the ice in the their path was definitely the first year ice that the ship could handle. This seems like a dangerous assumption even in the daytime, let alone at night. However, this seems to be the assumption that all ships that travel arctic waters operate under, which points back to the company and it's training.
The company is clearly at fault- didn't train the guy, didn't keep up maintenance, didn't have the right equipment on board... Gotta wonder how the captain got blamed at all.
From the report: "One of the Zodiac drivers was called to the Bridge to assist with the emergency communications. he spoke Spanish and made calls to the Argentine and Chilean rescue centers. He said after a number of calls to the Argentine MRCC, he was unsuccesful in communicating the seriousness of the emergency. Each time he called he provided details of the vessel and the emergency. he was told to call back and each time he did, he had to repeat the previously provided information."
The passengers were totally ripped off !!! They didn't get to spend their days at sea before being trapped on an island after their ship was crushed in the ice...
These videos just keep getting better and better! I am not an engineer but to me 13mm of sheet steel does not seem very thick when you are talking about the sorts of forces involved with such tremendous kinetic energy as a ship.
You might have seen a picture of a large tanker being scrapped on the beach. Once the outer hull from deck level down near the waterline has been burnt away you can see a mesh of squares supporting insulation fibres. Below that is another metal wall. Unfortunately I have no idea what distance the structure which comprises the squares holds the hull away from the inner wall. And there might be another wall behind that. (The WW2 Battleship New Jersey has a triple bottom and more layers in the anti-torpedo bulges.)
Watched this with interest as I'd seen MV Explorer docked at Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina in 2002. I went to Ushuaia again in 2005 to visit the Antarctic Peninsula on another ship, MV Polar Star, which was a true icebreaker and, dare I say it, better equipped for Antarctic expeditions. Within minutes of sailing there was mandatory lifejacket and lifeboat drill for all on board, in which we were required to muster at and board our pre-assigned lifeboats. These, sensibly, were fully enclosed by a hard top. As a footnote, I'd previously been on the Nordnorge for a 4 hour stretch of the Norwegian coast in 2000 and saw the Nordnorge again in Antarctica in 2005. Thanks for posting this gem. You certainly know your subject.
I’m going on the MS expedition, the ship the owners of MX explorer replaced her with. Never been a nervous sailor but learning about Explorer really shows me the inherent risk of ocean travel…
This was actually the third time the ship ran aground in Antarctica. The first time was in 1972 when the ship was called Lindblad Explorer. The passengers and part of the crew, including an acquaintance, were rescued by the Chilean navy. The ship was towed to Buenos Aires and then to Kristiansand in Norway. There I was allowed to come on board in connection with the Norwegian crew being able to collect their belongings or what was left. The water had been above the floor in the lower cabins where the crew lived. There was oil everywhere and of course not much personal belongings left for the crew to retrieve. The second time the ship ran aground in Antarctica was in 1979.
Mike Brady you are peerless. Your videos are so well done and your information so interesting, it is a true pleasure to to watch your videos. Also your delivery, your voice, your delivery is an amazing skill! Well done!
The level of fear i had just listening to this story was insane. I don’t remember hearing of this when it happened and I’m grateful for now being aware of it. The whole story is wild. Also on an editing note Mike, i love the models you have been using for the ships. They are top quality and must take forever to create!
I find it astounding that this ship carried open-top, Titanic-style lifeboats. This is 2007. These are Antarctic waters! What the heck?! Those boats would have been a death sentence had the waters been choppy. I would not have sailed on that thing.
From the photos of the actual lifeboats and RIBs it would appear no one had immersion suits on, surly with open-top boats this would have been required at minimum. I sailed for many years on a ship built in the early 60s (registered in New York) with this style of lifeboat and because of the waiver system still had them when she was scrapped in 2003.
I think I saw another analysis of this sinking (Sea Disasters). 1) Explorer was NOT designed for iceberg courses, especially Antarctic, only arctic (North Pole) mainly for North Atlantic/Baltic travel. 2) The Capt was not rated for polar, just artic (North), as well. Finally, I believe this was the first or second cruise after relocating from North Atlantic to the Antarctic. And, FYI, Artic and Antarctic oceans (and bergs) are evidently radically different environments (and not what The Explorer was designed for).
Despite sailing into the ice field. The captain and the crew fought valiantly to keep the ship going. They made sure the passengers were safe. The signs of a good crew.
I think it's fair to criticize the captain and the company for not planning properly and being overly confident. It's also fair to credit them for their actions after the accident occurred. We've seen many accidents where the captain and crew did not react quickly enough.
I have a new appreciation for the passengers' situation, as I went on my first cruise, to Alaska, in May of this year. The voyage was wonderful and thankfully uneventful, but was through a cold-weather environment and I could easily imagine what it would be like to be in a lifeboat if something had gone wrong...
Outstanding! I am from Texas but would have loved to visit this part of the world but after watching your video, I think watching documentaries on UA-cam is much safer!
Since she sank in such cold water, it's eerie to think she's probably still underwater, perfectly preserved in the state she went down in. Has any big corporation thought about sending an ROV down? I wonder if they'd be able to bring her up.
In the beginning, I honestly couldn't tell if that was animation it was that good. Like how you make animations when you cover sinking ships. Also, cant imagine how scary it would have been, antarctica is a scary place. Anway, nice to watch mike brady on a sunday afternoon!
For me, the scary part would have been in the lifeboat, with basically NO light. Twenty five years in the U.S. Navy and it gets way beyond DARK without any power.
It's fascinating that I will never set foot on a cruise ship, I have intense sea sickness (and motion sickness in general) and I never had any interests in ships in general, and yet, I jump in joy whhenever I see a new video fromt his channel! Good job once again Mike!
Another banger of a video by my friend Mike. As tragic as Oceangate was, it introduced me to a subject/channel I didn't know I was interested in. Bet I'm not alone.
In the days of wooden ships, sails were dropped into the water and used to cover the hole or ruptured plank. Sometimes they wrapped cables around the hull to hold shattered planking and the patching sail, in place.
Thanks for a fascinating video of the right length, amount of content, etc. I just listened as working but I had enough to draw a picture in my mind. Again, thanks.
Let's be real - in ice field any lifeboats would be quickly crushed by ice with everyone inside, so having them wasn't really helping, even if they were of modern, covered models.
@ceu160193 Yeah but how about the wind or air temperature?At least in Titanic's day no tourists were in Antarctica,but by 2007 it's different+Enclosed lifeboats were already invented so why not add em?
Stache is lookin good, Mike! Shame to hear about a more modern iceberg disaster, really puts things into perspective the kind of danger and power that comes with the ocean. I think I'd like to go on an adventure cruise like that one day, minus the close call
Sorry, you just can't arrange these things! But consider the people who left Europe in the fifteenth and sixteenth century to go to America. THEY HAD BALLS!!! Bon voyage!!
I enjoy how well you (Mike) make the ship such a significant part of your stories and make them seem like a living being. I really felt sorry for Explorer. Just like I did when I read Shackleton and others accounts of the loss of the Endurance.
Incredible story. Well done the Capt for getting the passengers off early. Ive read about these variable pitch propellers in other shipping disasters, specifically a fishing vessel off Alaska. It flooded via the rudder shafts, the flooding shorted out the electrics which over rode the hydraulic system. Ie nil control on the bridge. It basically meant it went astern which sped up the flooding process dragging it down. This vessel had done this even in port! When I watch these, there always seems to be a common thread re safety equipment lacking maintenance too Finally, i have a fascination because a family member was on board HMS Terror and Eribus during the Ross exploration and we have cliffs named after us in Ross sound 😊.
Honestly the most baffling thing in this incident for me is someone building a purpose designed cruise ship, specifically for Antarctica... and using open top life boats.
Hello all the way from South Africa Mike. Can i just say, every time i see your face, i see you in the first class of the Titanic. I think everything about you, your dress code, little mustache, your voice and the way you speak. You definitely stayed in the Parlor Suite B52 on the Titanic 🥂🥂 Thank you for all the content and sharing your knowledge.
I appreciate all the work that you put in to this Mike. I'm glad there was no loss of life but there were certainly lessons learned. As you said mother nature is always in charge.
Very interesting. My stepdad was on board when this sank- I’m surprised this hasn’t been covered in a video before. Details seems to match up to what he’s told me as well, so well researched.
Another great video from Oceanliner Designs, something that I've come to expect from you. I either hadn't be aware of this disaster or had forgotten about it. It is now etched into my brain. Here's another ship that sank after hitting an iceberg that you should cover. On the night of June 2/3, 1977 the M.V. William Carson, an intercoastal Canadian ferry, on its first run of the season hit an iceberg off Labrador and sank. Fortunately all 129 passengers and 29 crews made it off the ship safely.
I did 8 voyages down to the southern ocean and also ventured below the Antarctic circle on RV Roger Revelle and RV Mellville. Some science expeditions lasted 51 days. Beautiful place in summer except the fog it brings. Wintertime can be hell. Icebergs icebergs everywhere. Very stressful bridge watches. This is a very professional channel. Bing watching today safe, calm, and not wet in my retirement. Thanks very much.
Mike, I just watched the first two parts of the ‘Titanic in Color’ Documentary you were in. You did great my friend, Mike Brady… of Oceanliner Designs 😊
It's a huge relieve that all crew and passengers survived. I can't help thinking that sailing an enormous modern cruise ship into such treacherous waters is a recipe for disaster though. There are 300m ships with thousands of passengers and crew operating in Antarctica now...
I feel like fragile wilderness like the poles just shouldn't be allowed to be explored like this. Like the Galapogas too, just leave them alone. Great work as always though Mike.
You know those big thick metal plates they put on the road when they dig a hole and they're not done and you have to drive over them? Yeah, well the hulls on these ships are MAYBE half that thick. It always shocks me when you learn just how thick (or thin) the hulls on ships really are.
@bickyboo7789 but it's a low-budget movie using the Queen Mary, Titanic 3, aka "Titanic 666" was made by both the same company made Titanic 666 worse than Titanic 2 via graphics and effects
This video is amazing Mike & Team - really like the animations. I was delighted to see the NordNorge came to the Explorer’s rescue, I sailed to the Arctic circle on her!
It is absolutely insane to me that modern ships like this one and the El Faro had open top lifeboats. In the formers case it’s extremely lucky that they were in relatively calm seas because the El Faro’s crew wasn’t as lucky, going down in the midst of a hurricane.
After seeing the video on the Carpathia's rush to aid, I kind of would love to hear about the Nat Geo's and Norwegian's ships rushes to rescue the Explorer's passengers! Also, no exaggeration, this is perhaps the most professional and well-made channel on UA-cam.
I remember a story of an Artic Passenger Vessel operating off the coast on Venezuela when ships looking like Venezuelan Naval Vessels approached her in international Waters demanding that she heavy too and allow them to board. The ships Captain became uneasy and suspicious of the other ships. He desided to increase his speed to distance himself from them fearing piracy. One of the ships had come along side and struck it. Since it had an Artic Hull it little damage was done to it. But the striking vessel began to list as the Artic Vessel sped away.
Hey not trying to be to much but I have been a big titanic fan since I was a child and I have always been interested in ships and shipwrecks but I just wanted to say your channel is probably one of my favorites you will have an all time subscription from me lol good luck keep up the good work.
The issue with the crew freezing while trying to access the leak was a bigger issue than explained. They could only work for about 5 min before they began to freeze. They finally put on exposure suits, not survival suits (Gumby) and could work longer. This was another maritime miracle. The current Lindblad cruise company practices safety and preparation at a very high level.
Hello friends :) How have you all been lately?
Good thank you, what about you?
@@OceanlinerDesigns Good. How bout you?
Still a little saddened by the news of SS. United States.
Tons of school work
I've been decent so far
Big budget studio: Here watch this $100 million movie.
Me: Nah I’m good.
My friend Mike Brady from Oceanliner Designs: Here watch this low budget, well researched and presented video.
Me: OH YEAH! HELL YEAH!!
Mood
Saw this on a previous video and were hoping you’d get the same reaction?
This touched my soul lol🤣
@@curedbytheonomy😂
Never underestimate the knowledge of one man, with lower money.
This is one of my favorite marine casualties to discuss. Sure, they went into the compound ice when they should not have. But once the crew saw the ship was flooding they immediately sounded passengers and organized the escape, and saved no expense to try and assess and mitigate the damage. Imagine if the crew of the Costa Concordia had behaved this way, rather than cover their mistake and hope it goes away.
@phantomsplit3491 LMAO it would have saved at LEAST 32 lives.
@@GAMER141-d3uthey wouldn't touch bottom in the first place
@@vipvip-tf9rw Good one!
This is the difference between heroes and cowards.
Add the oceanos to that list
I was on a ship in Antartica a few weeks after the Explorer sank. We had three ice pilots on board. Our chief ice pilot was the chief ice pilot on the Explorer. He said the ship had come up on a “growler” . Instead of hitting it bow on the ship scraped its side.
When we were there, if the weather got too bad and visibility dropped, our ship stopped dead until conditions improved. We reached the pack ice and turned away. The scenery is magnificent but the weather would suddenly turn horrible. There were ice miles long.
Just tell me the ship you were on had better lifeboats?! I’m so angry and shocked that this happened in 2007 and they were even allowed to have those open top ones. How could that even be legal in those conditions?! I ranted to my bf about it and told him pro life tip, never get on a ship that’s going into waters that can be lethal with crappy outdated open top lifeboats/safety systems/equipment that’s clearly outdated, not rated or appropriate for the environment, and or clearly not inspected and replaced in appropriate amount of time like this too. How he said the weather blankets and whatnot were even tearing and having rusted zippers!!
@@nixvstheworld My thoughts exactly. It is absurd that the Explorer was operating with such woefully antiquated and apparently unmaintained life boats. The owners are lucky they weren't sued for negligence.
We were on Azamara with real covered lifeboats and three certified ice pilots. There was always ice but they avoided any pack ice. The weather is very harsh. It goes from subzero to 40 degrees in minutes. You can have bright sun in five minutes later being fog or heavy snowstorm. Our ship would stop dead when visibility drop down and would not proceed. They were very cautious where they went and definitely avoided ice packs. Despite every effort to avoid the package, you were still times you could hear the ice scraping on the side of the ship. The journey was an adventure of a lifetime. If you’ve never seen the Antarctic firsthand, you can’t imagine his beauty and harsh environment. On the other hand, retrospectively it’s scary. You realize if there’s an incident help is unlikely
@warrenfeldman1572 that sounds fun but I have to admit I don't have the balls to go on a trip like that 😅
I'm glad you got to experience that trip though! And especially that you arrived back safe and sound.
Wife and I were on ms Expedition, the ship that followed the Explorer. Most of our crew had been on the ms Explorer, so there was comfort in that, but we never were exposed to the same hazards. I will say that one night, heading north through Drake, we did have a FORTY degree roll. THAT woke us up. But it was a good cruise and this video provided excellent information.
after hearing about so many recent-ish ship disasters where the command staff panicked and ran away, its refreshing to hear about a crew reacting appropriately and working the problem to the best of their ability
Seriously, not just staying aboard during the evacuation but also afterwards to continue efforts. He may not have been trained for the ice but he made up for it in responding properly (maybe less so on the maintenance of life-saving equipment... but then again, it's not the Captain buying the lifeboats).
@@x--. part of the the captain's problem was that he was trained for ice just not Antarctic ice
@@SilverMe2004 which is why I don’t understand how the blame is directed solely at him shouldn’t it also be on the owners’
@@MichaelSchnabel-i4n The language quoted from the report - "had he been trained for Antarctic ice" - suggests that while he was found at fault because of his decision to push through the ice, the writers of the report encouraged better training for captains in antarctic ice. I feel like there's a difference between "pilot error" and using him as a scapegoat, and it seems the writers leaned more toward the former - that this could have been avoided with further training, but he regardless made a mistake in the moment that a more experienced captain in these conditions would not have done.
I've seen a lot of times when someone in charge made preparations "just as a precaution..." ---and found those precautions absolutely needed.
Gotta love getting an advertisement of going on a cruise in the Arctic while watching a video of a ship sinking in that area
That paradise may be unreachable for me savor it for me
I couldn't imagine watching youtube with ads
Seaborn cruises I assume?
@@deltaanimations7720 These ads...
I have to be that person…the Arctic is the North Pole, this was closer to the South Pole!
Hey, It’s our friend, Mike Brady, from ocean liner designs!
What a lad.
One of our best friends.
Did you wake your babe?
And what a friend to have
I love these comments it makes me smile..
But it feels like it’s starting to get overused..
I'm so early that I beat the carpathia.
LOL
😂😂😂😂
Ok Californian 🤭
Bruh 😂😂
Ok I usually can't stand these comments, but this was funny.
I was on the MV Ushia in 2007 We got the call at night. Our Captained turned NNE. We were told that the MV Explorer was sinking. That November was considered to the a "Shackelton Summer". A lot of ice about. After a day heading north, we got the news that all crew and passengers were rescued by the Chilan Navy. This got us thinking about being in one of those lifeboats out there.
So you where a day south of a ship heading to Antarctica?
I dont know what 3d rendering system was used for this video, but it looks simply awesome, the water, the ship the lights, it all looks so real, sometimes i almost doubted if this was an actual video, just amazing !!
Since it was animated by Jack, it's probably unreal engine.
Indeed, I almost couldn't tell whether it was animation or actual footage at some points... Insanely well done.
I was going to say Unreal.. then I read the above comment
Yeah, the animation is great. Well done😊
"Floating islands of ship killing terror. " AWESOME!
Put that in a sinking ship film and it automatically becomes 10% less cool.
If I’m reincarnated as an inanimate object- I want it to be this
ha ha
As a world traveled sailor and having a close friend who works every year on the National Geographic Explorer (Buenos Aires or Santiago through Ushuaia, Argentina to the Antarctic) this is hair raising. Thank you for an incredible video.
Imagine your ship sinking in such a cold place, surrounded by nothing but water and ice, in those conditions
Don't have to, we know what that situation is all about because of Titanic 's loss.
Imagine being foolish enough to get on an ice breaker lol
@@samholdsworth420 lol icebreakers are stronger but still could sink if they found OIL.
Couldn't be me I'd hope.
@@GAMER141-d3u lol
I was a passenger on that ship some years before this, in Antartica. It was an amazing little ship, and very capable. I remember hitting bergs that were car sized as we moved through the ice. Watching them roll under the keel was very impressive.
Your voice is rather soothing. Makes watching ships sinking very easy bedtime routine 😂
Yes. 🎉.
I am sinking too. I am very old.
@jhjacobs81 Yes it's perfect ;)
@@joãoAlberto-k9x😂😂😂
If the captian wasn't properly trained, the responsibility is with the operating company, not the captain himself.
My thoughts exactly! I came here to say this!
Thats my thought too. Yes he is partly to blame but it seems the company was biggest contributor. The maintenance issues with boats and water tight doors are likely due to company policy issues as well.
Me three.
True, but I have to wonder how anyone thought they could be sure that all the ice in the their path was definitely the first year ice that the ship could handle. This seems like a dangerous assumption even in the daytime, let alone at night.
However, this seems to be the assumption that all ships that travel arctic waters operate under, which points back to the company and it's training.
The company is clearly at fault- didn't train the guy, didn't keep up maintenance, didn't have the right equipment on board... Gotta wonder how the captain got blamed at all.
Thanks. Really love your content. It’s accurate and very enjoyable. The graphics are just simply beautiful.All the best Alex from the UK
Thanks so much Alex, you are so generous! Thanks for watching :)
From the report:
"One of the Zodiac drivers was called to the Bridge to assist with the emergency communications. he spoke Spanish and made calls to the Argentine and Chilean rescue centers. He said after a number of calls to the Argentine MRCC, he was unsuccesful in communicating the seriousness of the emergency. Each time he called he provided details of the vessel and the emergency. he was told to call back and each time he did, he had to repeat the previously provided information."
Major potential future issue.
100% Shackleton expedition recreation succeeded!
lol yupz
They want a Shackleton Expedition and it was delivered to them.
The passengers were totally ripped off !!!
They didn't get to spend their days at sea before being trapped on an island after their ship was crushed in the ice...
@@davidhollenshead4892 And so...
Shackleton how?
In total disaster. Mr. Shackleton saved all concerned
@@stefaneer9120 WOW!
It almost seems pointless to call You an idiot
Ufff… terrifying… that darkness, the cold… boy. And then, the kicker, one of the ads interrupting the story was for an Antarctic cruise! 😂
These videos just keep getting better and better! I am not an engineer but to me 13mm of sheet steel does not seem very thick when you are talking about the sorts of forces involved with such tremendous kinetic energy as a ship.
That's roughly the same thickness as the wall of a tank car. They weigh a lot less than a ship though.
You might have seen a picture of a large tanker being scrapped on the beach.
Once the outer hull from deck level down near the waterline has been burnt away you can see a mesh of squares supporting insulation fibres.
Below that is another metal wall. Unfortunately I have no idea what distance the structure which comprises the squares holds the hull away from the inner wall.
And there might be another wall behind that.
(The WW2 Battleship New Jersey has a triple bottom and more layers in the anti-torpedo bulges.)
Watched this with interest as I'd seen MV Explorer docked at Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina in 2002. I went to Ushuaia again in 2005 to visit the Antarctic Peninsula on another ship, MV Polar Star, which was a true icebreaker and, dare I say it, better equipped for Antarctic expeditions. Within minutes of sailing there was mandatory lifejacket and lifeboat drill for all on board, in which we were required to muster at and board our pre-assigned lifeboats. These, sensibly, were fully enclosed by a hard top. As a footnote, I'd previously been on the Nordnorge for a 4 hour stretch of the Norwegian coast in 2000 and saw the Nordnorge again in Antarctica in 2005. Thanks for posting this gem. You certainly know your subject.
I’m going on the MS expedition, the ship the owners of MX explorer replaced her with. Never been a nervous sailor but learning about Explorer really shows me the inherent risk of ocean travel…
This was actually the third time the ship ran aground in Antarctica. The first time was in 1972 when the ship was called Lindblad Explorer. The passengers and part of the crew, including an acquaintance, were rescued by the Chilean navy. The ship was towed to Buenos Aires and then to Kristiansand in Norway. There I was allowed to come on board in connection with the Norwegian crew being able to collect their belongings or what was left. The water had been above the floor in the lower cabins where the crew lived. There was oil everywhere and of course not much personal belongings left for the crew to retrieve. The second time the ship ran aground in Antarctica was in 1979.
I'm a little shook by this extra cinematic episode, with a soundtrack, b-roll, and dramatic title cards.
Well that put an end to my aspiration to take a very expensive Antarctica cruise even in 2024.
Another great episode Mike.
I'd love to go on one. Ive been interested in polar exploration for years. I'd take the small risk.
Just make sure the lifeboats are covered and up to date!
Newly-retired USN here, your channel is amazing. As a sailor (the sea will never leave me), you knock it out of the harbor
Mike Brady you are peerless. Your videos are so well done and your information so interesting, it is a true pleasure to to watch your videos. Also your delivery, your voice, your delivery is an amazing skill! Well done!
The level of fear i had just listening to this story was insane. I don’t remember hearing of this when it happened and I’m grateful for now being aware of it. The whole story is wild. Also on an editing note Mike, i love the models you have been using for the ships. They are top quality and must take forever to create!
Thank you once again for such a fascinating episode. It never crossed my mind that there's cruises in the Arctic and Antarctic
Wake up, thou who sleepest,
While the rest of the world
is cruising and partying.
How on earth is that legal
in places remote?!
Best ship history channel I know 🇯🇲
I find it astounding that this ship carried open-top, Titanic-style lifeboats. This is 2007. These are Antarctic waters! What the heck?!
Those boats would have been a death sentence had the waters been choppy. I would not have sailed on that thing.
Indeed, without survival suits all those lifeboats would assure is recovery for burial of their occupants.
Less lifeboats and more movable morgue freezers
Flags of convenience, my friend. Lax regulation, more money saved :) (Explorer was registered in Liberia)
From the photos of the actual lifeboats and RIBs it would appear no one had immersion suits on, surly with open-top boats this would have been required at minimum. I sailed for many years on a ship built in the early 60s (registered in New York) with this style of lifeboat and because of the waiver system still had them when she was scrapped in 2003.
@irwinisidro No modern survival suits either for the passengers. Not that I'd trust this operation to properly train the crew and passengers.
The 3D-Renders have really become stunning.
I think I saw another analysis of this sinking (Sea Disasters). 1) Explorer was NOT designed for iceberg courses, especially Antarctic, only arctic (North Pole) mainly for North Atlantic/Baltic travel. 2) The Capt was not rated for polar, just artic (North), as well. Finally, I believe this was the first or second cruise after relocating from North Atlantic to the Antarctic. And, FYI, Artic and Antarctic oceans (and bergs) are evidently radically different environments (and not what The Explorer was designed for).
I saw that Sea Disasters episode, too.
Despite sailing into the ice field.
The captain and the crew fought valiantly to keep the ship going. They made sure the passengers were safe. The signs of a good crew.
I think it's fair to criticize the captain and the company for not planning properly and being overly confident. It's also fair to credit them for their actions after the accident occurred. We've seen many accidents where the captain and crew did not react quickly enough.
The really sad part is the failure of multiple people AND corporations to learn from history.
A very good presentation on all accounts. No fuss, no histrionics, just a calm, purposeful and informative commentary.
I am so used to watch Brick Immortar that i expected to see in this video a NTSB report and safety recommendations😅
One of the best videos I've seen today
How did you manage to watch a 32 minute video in under four minutes?
I have a new appreciation for the passengers' situation, as I went on my first cruise, to Alaska, in May of this year. The voyage was wonderful and thankfully uneventful, but was through a cold-weather environment and I could easily imagine what it would be like to be in a lifeboat if something had gone wrong...
It's wild that a ship with antiquated lifeboats and safety equipment was allowed out in the Antarctic in the modern era
Outstanding! I am from Texas but would have loved to visit this part of the world but after watching your video, I think watching documentaries on UA-cam is much safer!
Since she sank in such cold water, it's eerie to think she's probably still underwater, perfectly preserved in the state she went down in. Has any big corporation thought about sending an ROV down? I wonder if they'd be able to bring her up.
Yeah all the fuel and everything, people complain about melting ice but keeps going there and litter the place then wonder why ice melts.
HMS Endurance apparently found her wreck during a hydrographic survey, but the images from it have not been released to my knowledge.
@@sirboomsalot4902 I have seen some shots of the stern with the ship's name.
I’m so glad your channel came across my feed. You’re a great storyteller. Thanks for the great content.
In the beginning, I honestly couldn't tell if that was animation it was that good. Like how you make animations when you cover sinking ships. Also, cant imagine how scary it would have been, antarctica is a scary place. Anway, nice to watch mike brady on a sunday afternoon!
For me, the scary part would have been in the lifeboat, with basically NO light. Twenty five years in the U.S. Navy and it gets way beyond DARK without any power.
It's fascinating that I will never set foot on a cruise ship, I have intense sea sickness (and motion sickness in general) and I never had any interests in ships in general, and yet, I jump in joy whhenever I see a new video fromt his channel! Good job once again Mike!
Awesome video as always! Some of the highest quality stuff on UA-cam.
Empress of Ireland is still the masterpiece documentary that you guys created..
Think I've watched it 5 times already...
I have not seen that one yet. I’m going to search for it now!
Another banger of a video by my friend Mike.
As tragic as Oceangate was, it introduced me to a subject/channel I didn't know I was interested in. Bet I'm not alone.
In the days of wooden ships, sails were dropped into the water and used to cover the hole or ruptured plank. Sometimes they wrapped cables around the hull to hold shattered planking and the patching sail, in place.
With a new and groovy video for me to dig on this Sunday afternoon
One of the best presented and informative channels on UA-cam..👍
Agree 100%.
Thanks for a fascinating video of the right length, amount of content, etc. I just listened as working but I had enough to draw a picture in my mind. Again, thanks.
open top lifeboats seems like a crazy choice tbh
Let's be real - in ice field any lifeboats would be quickly crushed by ice with everyone inside, so having them wasn't really helping, even if they were of modern, covered models.
@rj5529 Yeah it was pretty nonsensical
@ceu160193 Yeah but how about the wind or air temperature?At least in Titanic's day no tourists were in Antarctica,but by 2007 it's different+Enclosed lifeboats were already invented so why not add em?
Stache is lookin good, Mike! Shame to hear about a more modern iceberg disaster, really puts things into perspective the kind of danger and power that comes with the ocean. I think I'd like to go on an adventure cruise like that one day, minus the close call
Sorry, you just can't arrange these things! But consider the people who left Europe in the fifteenth and sixteenth century to go to America. THEY HAD BALLS!!! Bon voyage!!
This is one of your best videos yet. So well made and so dramatic!
I enjoy how well you (Mike) make the ship such a significant part of your stories and make them seem like a living being. I really felt sorry for Explorer. Just like I did when I read Shackleton and others accounts of the loss of the Endurance.
Incredible story. Well done the Capt for getting the passengers off early. Ive read about these variable pitch propellers in other shipping disasters, specifically a fishing vessel off Alaska. It flooded via the rudder shafts, the flooding shorted out the electrics which over rode the hydraulic system. Ie nil control on the bridge. It basically meant it went astern which sped up the flooding process dragging it down. This vessel had done this even in port!
When I watch these, there always seems to be a common thread re safety equipment lacking maintenance too
Finally, i have a fascination because a family member was on board HMS Terror and Eribus during the Ross exploration and we have cliffs named after us in Ross sound 😊.
That was the FV Alaska Ranger right?
Honestly the most baffling thing in this incident for me is someone building a purpose designed cruise ship, specifically for Antarctica... and using open top life boats.
Hello all the way from South Africa Mike.
Can i just say, every time i see your face, i see you in the first class of the Titanic.
I think everything about you, your dress code, little mustache, your voice and the way you speak.
You definitely stayed in the Parlor Suite B52 on the Titanic 🥂🥂
Thank you for all the content and sharing your knowledge.
The Great Gatsby?
Very interesting story. Really enjoy your storytelling. I hope you are able to keep uncovering these gems.
Brilliant video fantastically well scripted and grippingly delivered! You're the man! Rob
An amazing story! They were very fortunate. I feel sorry for the captain. Great work, as always! Thank you for the video!
The intro animation and music are more tense than Frederick Fleet when he first spotted the Titanic's iceberg.
I appreciate all the work that you put in to this Mike. I'm glad there was no loss of life but there were certainly lessons learned. As you said mother nature is always in charge.
Very interesting. My stepdad was on board when this sank- I’m surprised this hasn’t been covered in a video before. Details seems to match up to what he’s told me as well, so well researched.
YES! VIDEO ON THE EXPLORER!!! :D
Love your channel matey
This channel is so impressive. I can't possibly get enough!
An example of lessons learned, not learned, and in need of learning coming together.
Another great video from Oceanliner Designs, something that I've come to expect from you. I either hadn't be aware of this disaster or had forgotten about it. It is now etched into my brain. Here's another ship that sank after hitting an iceberg that you should cover. On the night of June 2/3, 1977 the M.V. William Carson, an intercoastal Canadian ferry, on its first run of the season hit an iceberg off Labrador and sank. Fortunately all 129 passengers and 29 crews made it off the ship safely.
Mother Nature: "How many times must I school you humans?!"
XD I agree,First sail ships,then Pacific,Titanic after and now Explorer...What's next?Some 300.000 ton cruise ship?
yep. we're all kinds of stubborn.
Only until we blow the planet up with nukes...
Human ambition will be the death of the entire species. Makes me worry what’s going on with the nuclear weapons.
Until our dumb species ends the world.
Excellent episode, Mike! Thanks as always. Kudos too to the animators, that was some terrific imagery.
I remember a german documentary series 'In Seenot'. Everyone survived. Thank god.
Why did I feel so sad and like waving as I saw "her" go under? Thanks, dude! xx
Hey it’s our friend mike Brady, love the mustache!
Great episode, Mike - fascinating, well told, and excellent visuals. Thank you!
Love the channel bro, your appearance is always top notch classy. Big respect man
Incredible production, great work!
I did 8 voyages down to the southern ocean and also ventured below the Antarctic circle on RV Roger Revelle and RV Mellville. Some science expeditions lasted 51 days. Beautiful place in summer except the fog it brings. Wintertime can be hell. Icebergs icebergs everywhere. Very stressful bridge watches. This is a very professional channel. Bing watching today safe, calm, and not wet in my retirement. Thanks very much.
I remember seeing this on the news, and even then, people were making connections with the Titanic disaster.
Great video, Mike 👍
Mike, I just watched the first two parts of the ‘Titanic in Color’ Documentary you were in. You did great my friend, Mike Brady… of Oceanliner Designs 😊
I’m gagged !!!! This is so beautiful!! Excellent work Mr. Brady!! & crew
"Let's re-trace the voyage of Sir Ernest Shackleton!"
Complete with the loss of a ship to ice and a time in an open-top lifeboat.
Also, like Shackleton, no souls lost over the course of the disaster.
My exact thoughts, too.
I do enjoy these videos. They have an ethereal and almost numbing quality that takes me away from the stresses of the daily grind.
It's a huge relieve that all crew and passengers survived. I can't help thinking that sailing an enormous modern cruise ship into such treacherous waters is a recipe for disaster though. There are 300m ships with thousands of passengers and crew operating in Antarctica now...
I feel like fragile wilderness like the poles just shouldn't be allowed to be explored like this. Like the Galapogas too, just leave them alone. Great work as always though Mike.
You know those big thick metal plates they put on the road when they dig a hole and they're not done and you have to drive over them? Yeah, well the hulls on these ships are MAYBE half that thick. It always shocks me when you learn just how thick (or thin) the hulls on ships really are.
The graphics are absolutely stunning!
Love your story telling!
As said from the Titanic 2 movie
"Looks like history is repeating itself"
Thank you. I've never even heard of that movie, sounds.. interesting.
@bickyboo7789 but it's a low-budget movie using the Queen Mary, Titanic 3, aka "Titanic 666" was made by both the same company made Titanic 666 worse than Titanic 2 via graphics and effects
Thanks!
Great video sir.
This video is amazing Mike & Team - really like the animations. I was delighted to see the NordNorge came to the Explorer’s rescue, I sailed to the Arctic circle on her!
History may not repeat itself, but it sure seems to rhyme a lot!
It is absolutely insane to me that modern ships like this one and the El Faro had open top lifeboats. In the formers case it’s extremely lucky that they were in relatively calm seas because the El Faro’s crew wasn’t as lucky, going down in the midst of a hurricane.
A friend of mine was working on that boat when it went down.
After seeing the video on the Carpathia's rush to aid, I kind of would love to hear about the Nat Geo's and Norwegian's ships rushes to rescue the Explorer's passengers!
Also, no exaggeration, this is perhaps the most professional and well-made channel on UA-cam.
I remember a story of an Artic Passenger Vessel operating off the coast on Venezuela when ships looking like Venezuelan Naval Vessels approached her in international Waters demanding that she heavy too and allow them to board. The ships Captain became uneasy and suspicious of the other ships. He desided to increase his speed to distance himself from them fearing piracy. One of the ships had come along side and struck it. Since it had an Artic Hull it little damage was done to it. But the striking vessel began to list as the Artic Vessel sped away.
Only one Venezuelan patrol boat, it also fired warning shots. The cruise ship was stationary for maintenance and offered assistance
Hey not trying to be to much but I have been a big titanic fan since I was a child and I have always been interested in ships and shipwrecks but I just wanted to say your channel is probably one of my favorites you will have an all time subscription from me lol good luck keep up the good work.
When i grow up, i want to try and grow a moustach! 😂
The issue with the crew freezing while trying to access the leak was a bigger issue than explained. They could only work for about 5 min before they began to freeze. They finally put on exposure suits, not survival suits (Gumby) and could work longer. This was another maritime miracle. The current Lindblad cruise company practices safety and preparation at a very high level.