The captain of the Spirit of Bermuda has stepped down following an inquiry into how the ship ran aground.According to the Bermuda Sloop Foundation, Captain Simon Colley will no longer be the vessel’s senior captain, but he will continue to work for the Foundation in a marine operations role.On January 18, the sloop was briefly grounded off St George’s after it struck reefs while on a five-day sailing programme with students from Whitney Middle School.One passenger was reportly taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital as a precautionary measure.A dive survey revealed only minor damage to the vessel. While the ship is still fully seaworthy, a spokesman for the Bermuda Sloop Foundation said a committee of inquiry was convened to review operating procedures and avoid future occurrences.The spokesman said: “As a result of the findings of the inquiry, Captain Colley has stepped down as senior captain of the Spirit of Bermuda.“He will continue to work ashore for the Foundation in a marine operations role he has filled since April 2010.“The committee has not taken these decisions lightly. In his two years of tenure, Captain Colley has made a significant contribution to the Foundation, not only in the management, safety, crew training and operation of the ship, but also in developing and enriching the educational quality of all our programmes.”The Foundation said it was looking for a new senior captain for the Spirit of Bermuda, but school programmes will continue as scheduled under the command of experienced relief captains.lUseful Websites: www.bermudasloop.org.