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expeditions to cross the Northwest Passage, the first expedition to the South Pole, and the first expedition proven to have reached the North Pole. The ship’s maiden season includes cruises along the Norwegian coast and to Greenland, before becoming the first hybrid electric–powered expedition ship to attempt a transit of the Northwest Passage. MS Roald Amundsen will head to the extreme south for the 2019–20 season in the Antarctic. The Amundsen is the first of three hybrid ships planned for the Hurtigruten fleet of cruise ships, which conducts voyages to Norway, Greenland, Spitsbergen, Iceland, Europe, Africa, South America, Central America, Arctic Canada, and Antarctica. (us.expeditions@hurti gruten.com; www.hurtigruten.com) …
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced on 28 June that it would be limiting visitation to the battleship Texas, as the ship is prepared for a muchneeded haulout to address its leaking hull. Before the Texas’s trip to the drydock, Battleship Texas battleship texas
MS Roald Amundsen
hurtigruten
(continued from page 47) to Darien, and remarked, “Driving up behind the Kit Jones along the highway on this journey was an awesome sight.” Now that Kit Jones is safely in Darien in a secure enclosure, the Friends of the Kit Jones are celebrating the completion of this complex overland transport and preparing for the next steps in the process of restoring her. They have secured insurance for the restoration process and the plan is for the eventual display of the tug as a land-based museum vessel in a prominent site near the Darien River, in the heart of the town. Contributions towards the restoration of the vessel are welcome. (Friends of the Kit Jones, PO Box 1968, Darien, GA 31305; Ph. 770 335-6592; www.savethekitjones. com; savethekitjones@gmail.com) … MS Roald Amundsen, the first hybrid cruise ship, set sail along the Norwegian coast on her maiden voyage on 2 July. The ship operates primarily on liquefied natural gas, but can switch to battery power for up to 60 minutes, allowing for quiet cruising and reducing the ship’s emissions. The ship is named after polar explorer Roald Amundsen, who led the first
the Battleship Texas State Historic Site staff wants to catalogue and store the vessel’s many artifacts on board, including a flag that flew on D-Day, a silver presentation to the battleship from the citizens of Texas, crewmember scrapbooks from World War I and World War II, and objects of daily life, such as barber chairs and bunks. To allow staff access to these items, the ship will be closed to the public during the week but will be open for visitors on weekends. The visual experience of the tour will be different from those in the past, as items
SEA HISTORY 168, AUTUMN 2019