The Spirit of Nantucket, a 207-foot cruise ship trolling from Alexandria, VA to Charleston, SC, was intentionally run aground this morning. After snagging something and damaging the hull, the captain decided to park the boat on a shoal in nine feet of water rather than risk sinking uncontrollably.
As the 66 passengers and crew waited for the Coast Guard, they had breakfast on board and joked about the situation. Smaller boats then arrived and ferried everyone to shore and the Pungo Ferry Marina, outside of Virginia Beach.
Apparently Cruise West, the company operating the boat, did a good job handling the snafu. Passenger Lloyd Roberts, who's traveled with the company three times before, was yucking it up:
What a way to arrive. Nice alarm clock this morning. We’re all fine. Looking forward to the rest of the trip. We look forward to taking another trip with them.
Related Stories:
· Photos of The Spirit of Nantucket Aground [Virginian Pilot]
· More Photos and Recap [Daily Press]
· All About The Spirit of Nantucket [Cruise West]
· Passengers Ferried Ashore [CNN]
· Ship Runs Aground in Virginia [AP, via Google]]]>