Jacques Cousteau's Famous Ship Will Sail the Seas Once More

Two decades after it sunk off the coast of Singapore, ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau’s famous ship Calypso is set to sail the seas once more, The Telegraph reports. After years of disputes over repair costs and other issues, the Cousteau Society has announced that a group of donors intends to restore the expedition vessel to its full glory.

Cousteau acquired the Calypso, a former British Royal Navy minesweeper, in 1950. The ship became nearly as famous as its captain after it appeared in the iconic documentary series The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. However, a barge hit the Calypso in 1996 as it was departing for China’s Yellow River.

The boat was sent to a watery grave, and was later dredged, dried out, and docked in a shipyard as officials argued over its fate. Following years of uncertainty, the Calypso’s future is reportedly no longer in limbo now that the Cousteau Society has “finally managed to gather a group of generous and highly motivated international sponsors, whose objectives are compatible” with their own.

“I’m particularly happy to announce this news after a 20-year fight against adversity and twists of fate,” says Francine Cousteau, the captain’s second wife and president of the Cousteau Society.

The Calypso will be towed to Genoa, Italy, where it will undergo a complete restoration that’s estimated to take anywhere from 12 to 18 months. After that, the ship will return to the Mediterranean. For updates on the Calypso’s transformation, check out the Cousteau Society’s website or Facebook page for more information.

[h/t The Telegraph]