FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Some students taking part in the Semester at Sea program were in good spirits after the ship sustained damage south of Alaska. The vessel is repaired now and headed to Asia.

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Study-abroad ship
bound for Vietnam

A study-abroad vessel that had stopped almost two weeks ago for repairs and inspections in Honolulu Harbor has passed muster and set sail for Asia.

The Semester at Sea ship, a floating classroom that takes students to ports around the world, departed Honolulu yesterday for Ho Chi Minh City.

The 700 college students on board flew from Honolulu to Hong Kong and Shanghai Friday to continue their studies. The students are scheduled to reboard the ship in India.

The ship's classification society, its flag state authority, and the U.S. Coast Guard all approved the vessel to sail, officials with the Semester at Sea program said.

The 591-foot Explorer, carrying 990 passengers and crew members, limped into Honolulu Harbor on Jan. 31 after navigating more than a week's worth of rough seas. The ship docked for repairs and inspections because a wave had shattered the glass on the ship's bridge and three of the four engines had shut down early on Jan. 26.

The wave also short-circuited the electronic instruments used to steer the ship, forcing the crew to use a compass and navigational charts instead.

The incident occurred about 650 miles south of Adak, Alaska, in the Aleutian Islands and about 1,300 miles southwest of Anchorage.