She was built for the coastal cruising market in the American waters as a passenger vessel under yard No 2542 by Jeffboat Inc., Jefferson for the Windsor Corporation Clipper Line Cruises), St Louis, Missouri.
To operate her in the coastal waterways with non union crews, she had to be smaller than 100 gross registered tons.
The yard succeeded in building a nice looking yacht for the price of 9 million USA Dollar.
January 1982 keel laid down.
16 July 1983 launched
13 September 1983 christened with the name NEWPORT CLIPPER., two sisters.
Tonnage 99.5 gross, 67 net, dim. 63 x 11. 27 x 3.5m., length bpp. 56.17m. Draught 2 meter.
Powered by two Detroit 12V-71 diesels, each 480 shp., twin screws, speed 10 knots.
One bow-thruster.
Accommodation for 111 passengers in one class, but is not allowed by the USA Coast Guard to carry more as 100 passengers, and 23 crew.
01 September 1983 completed and delivered to owners in Louisville, Kentucky.
After delivery she sailed for her positioning voyage to Savannah, Georgia.
01 October 1983 she made her maiden voyage from Savannah, and for a while she used this port as her home base.
December she sailed to the St Thomas, Virgin Islands for the winter season.
From this port she made seven days cruises, first sailing 25 December 1983.
The next spring she sailed again to the north and made cruise voyages along the coast of Georgia and Chesapeake Bay.
During the summer of 1984 she sailed from ports in New England.
Thereafter the next years, in the winter used in the Caribbean and in the summer along the east coast of North America.
Autumn 1988 laid up.
1989 Chartered as a VIP ship by the Centre National D’Etudes (CNSE) for accommodation of the scientists and Vip’s by the launching of the Ariane rockets at French Guiana.
At that time berthed at Kourou, French Guiana till the autumn of 1990.
After her spring cruises were cancelled she was transferred to the USA Government, and laid up at Florida, her owner then given as Coastal Cruise Lines.
20 August 1992 renamed SEASPIRIT, and sold to RSVP Travel Production, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Used for cruising the northeast American coast during the summer and the Virgin Islands in the winter.
22 August 1997 sold to West Travel Inc., Seattle, Wa. USA and renamed SPIRIT OF ENDEAVOUR.
Managed by Alaska Sightseeing and she makes voyages from the USA west coast to Alaska
Her tonnage is now given as 1.425 grt, 511 net.
2008 as given by http://www.equasis.org same owner and manager, IMO No. 8963698. A Google search will give more info on the status of the ship.
British Virgin Islands 1986 50c sg 593
Source: US Passenger Liners by Milton H. Watson. Marine News. Watercraft Philately Vol 40 page 33.