Questions continue to swirl as inspectors pursue an explanation to why Carnival cruise ship Splendor’s engine fire rendered it motionless and stranded 200 miles from San Diego. Carnival Lines engineers and technicians, the Coast Guard, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, Panama Maritime Authority officials and the Italian boat builders congregated at the 10th Avenue Pier to determine the cause. Repairs are underway there in hopes it will be back in service by Jan. 16. “What happened makes no sense to me,” said Clark Dodge, the former chief engineer for Washington State Ferries. “If things were designed properly, all the power shouldn’t have gone out.” Marine experts say they want to know if there is a design flaw. Dodge said large passenger vessels are designed so a fire won’t cause a loss of all power. He said an engine-room fire and damage to a generator and switchboard shouldn’t shut down the ship’s other equipment. “The Carnival Splendor was designed and built to standards that would prevent a total loss of power from a single generator catching fire,” said Mike Crye, executive vice president of the Cruise Lines International Association. The group represents Carnival and 24 other cruise lines. “The ship was built in Italy and its design was approved by the Coast Guard and other maritime regulators,” Crye said. It has been regularly inspected by the Coast Guard since its first cruise on July 20. The ship attracted worldwide attention when it became stranded at sea on Nov. 8 and was towed to San Diego’s B Street Pier. It had to be moved because the terminal was needed for two other ships scheduled to arrive Nov. 20. An engine generator caught fire in the ship’s aft engine room, damaging a switchboard and preventing the transmission of electricity to other machinery, including the propulsion motors, according to Carnival spokeswoman Joyce Oliva. No one was injured in the fire, which was extinguished by crew members. “The 952-foot-long Carnival Splendor has six engines, three in the aft engine room and three in a forward engine room. Electric cables connect each engine’s generator to two switchboards,” Oliva said. The needed work has forced the cancellation of nine cruises, including popular voyages scheduled over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. It will resume service from Long Beach on Jan. 16 when it is scheduled for a seven-day voyage to the Mexican Riviera. Meanwhile, it has cost Carnival $50 million to cover refunds, cruise cancellations and offers of free bookings to more than 3,900 disappointed passengers. Eighty buses were used to transport the passengers and 1,200 members of the crew back to Long Beach. Overall, it has affected about 20,000 customers. Carnival has worked with travel agents and contacted passengers in an effort to find alternative cruises.