[Big Dog]

Kowabunga, dude!
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Cruise Ship Docks in S.C. After Huge Wave
April 17, 2005 9:13 AM EDT
CHARLESTON, S.C. - A seven-story high wave damaged a cruise ship returning from the Bahamas over the weekend, smashing windows, flooding more than 60 cabins and injuring four passengers.

The Norwegian Dawn was diverted from its route when the ship ran into rough weather on the way back to New York. The 965-foot-long vessel was docked in the Charleston harbor by late Saturday afternoon for repairs, officials said.

"The ship was hit by a freak wave that caused two windows to break in two different cabins," Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement. It said 62 cabins flooded and four passengers had cuts and bruises. The wave reached as high as deck 10 on the ship, company spokeswoman Susan Robison said Sunday.

The ship's hull was damaged but the vessel was not taking on water, said Keith Moore of the Coast Guard Group Charleston.

"All the passengers had donned personal flotation devices as a precaution," Moore told The (Charleston) Post and Courier.

The cruise line said passengers whose cabins were flooded were being flown home from Charleston and the safety of the ship "was in no way compromised by this incident."

The ship left New York last Sunday with 2,500 passengers aboard. It was expected to arrive in New York on Monday.

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On the Net:

Norwegian Dawn: http://www.ncl.com/fleet/03/dawn.htm
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Reminds me of back in my Navy days. We were berthed next to a Coast Guard cutter, the USCG Bear. She had been through a storm, and had driven herself THROUGH a wave! The entire ship was literally submerged for a short time. The force of the water ripped away the fiberglass dome of the forward gunmount (5"/54 auto-loader), all forward deck stanchions were gone, and the forward bulkhead of the superstructure, including the bridge, was moved back several inches!
I have a load of respect for the Coasties, and what they go through.

[tommy]

i used to work on supply boats and the waves would tear them to peices .

[Dallas]

Back just before I got married when my ex and I were planning our honeymoon, we talked about taking a cruise at christmas time, but decided to get married four ( and no we didn't HAVE TO ) months earlier than originally thought. We were going to take the SS Norway out of Miami for a Bahamas cruise. Turns out on that very crusie there was a fire on board and they had to return to port. We got lucky.

[lefty o]

you got to love the ocean, mean and unforgiving. my first week or 2 at sea on the USS Fresno we did a typhoon. we cracked at midship a little more than halfway around the hull, and had the 40 ton bow ramp standing on end at least once. going through a typhoon on a flat bottom ship is not a good way to get your sea legs. ah the memories.