MMA Training Ship Breaks Down Again

The $38 million ship "Enterprise" broke down for a second time in two voyages, this time leaving 500 cadets stranded in Virginia. The students were sailing to Europe, but the ship had to be towed back to port due to mechanical failures. The European trip was just the second voyage for the "T.S. Enterprise," since it was converted from a military cargo ship and sent to the Buzzards Bay academy. Her maiden MMA voyage in 2004 was also delayed due to mechanical problems that shorted the students' "semester at sea." This voyage was delayed when the "Enterprise" was escorted into the Norfolk by a towing company and a marine incident response team and docked at the Virginia Port Authority. . Below are some facts about the ship: ? Originally built as the "Velma Lykes" in 1967 in New Orleans, the ship was a 44-person cargo ship and was used for shipping by the Lykes Brothers Steamship Co. ? In 1986, she was renamed the "Cape Bon" after a World War II battle off the coast of Africa and was put into the National Defense Reserve Fleet. ? From 1986-1991 the ship sat dormant in San Francisco. ? In 1991, the "Cape Bon" was activated and used in the Persian Gulf during Desert Storm. ? In 2001, Bay State U.S. Rep. William Delahunt (D-Quincy) and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), secured $25 million to convert the "Cape Bon" into a training ship for 600 Mass Maritime cadets.