Cruise ship will sail for repairs in Tampa

Cruise ship will sail for repairs in Tampa    A cruise ship, taking passengers on an around-the-world cruise that was detained in New York, will continue on to Tampa for repairs.
   The Clipper Pacific was inbound from Greenland when it arrived in New York on Sunday and reported to the Coast Guard that it had a small gash about one inch in length on the left side of the vessel sustained prior to coming to port.
   But during its inspection, the Coast Guard team identified 66 other discrepancies such as fire safety, lifeboat damages and life jacket issues on the vessel. This inspection lasted from Sunday morning to Tuesday evening.
   By Thursday, all but four minor discrepancies have been addressed, the Coast Guard said, and the ship was cleared to sail to Tampa for more extensive work to be done on the hull. Originally, the ship was to proceed to Venezuela after New York.
   The ship is operated by Peace Boat, a Japan-based non-profit that says it works to promote 'peace, human rights, equal and sustainable development and respect for the environment.' It began its westbound voyage around the world in May from Yokohama and was due back in Yokohama on Aug. 25.
   It was carrying about 1,200 passengers and crewmembers, and nearly all were continuing to sail with the vessel.
   'The crew of the vessel were very cooperative and were very concerned for passenger safety,' said Cmdr. Robert Gilda, Coast Guard Sector New York chief of inspections. 'Not all of the 66 hazards would have been cause to keep the vessel longer than necessary, but they really went above and beyond to address most of the discrepancies found during the inspection.'