Cruise ship takes to the waters once again

An Alaskan sternwheeler which ran aground last month and was forced to evacuate will be plying the waters once again.

When the Empress of the North hit an underwater rock the night of May 14th just off the coast of Alaska, all 206 passengers and the 75 crew members had to be evacuated.

Once lightened of its load, the boat was able to return to port on its own. The ship is currently undergoing repairs patching up holes in the hull and damage sustained to one of its propellers. Final repairs are scheduled at the Cascade General shipyard in Portland Oregon, but the ship owner said in a recent statement that the boat would be ready for business again by July 7.

The 360-foot boat has had a strange history of accidents in the past and there are still a number of questions left unanswered about its most recent mishaps. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Coast Guard are still conducting an investigation into the events of May 14.