The Wreck of the Costa Concordia

[scott967 62]

Meanwhile I see that the Presidient of the ship's classification society (RINA) has resigned (classification society is sort of like FAA for seaworthiness). In commericial maritime there is an organization, IMO, which is like ICAO for aviation. A primary standard like the ICAO convention is International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).scott s..

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

If fuel starts leaking from that location of the ship, that would make a huge mess for that port community and island. Hopefully Savators can access the ship with pumps and get fuel out of there ASAP.We are dealing with the Rena north of where I live. It is estimated it will take 2 years to clean up that mess. Salvators have been doing a good job so far, work is slow due to the dangers of working on a listing ship on a reef in the South Pacific where anything can happen. According to New Zealand Law it will be required to clean up 100% of the Rena as you cannot leave a wreck on a reef in this country. My Tax Dollars are paying to clean up that mess and hopefully the ship owners and insurance companies will compensate us.This Costa Concordia will have to be completely removed as well as you cannot leave it where it is. Italian laws are different then New Zealand laws so maybe they just end up dragging it out to sea....Out of sight, out of mind. You never know with the ItaliansCheers

[Raindance 25]

"Out of sight, out of mind. You never know with the Italians"Well the Med has extreme depths (it's really a squashed ocean) so it could probably be safely sunk once the fuel has been removed, plus other possible environmental threats. It would then become a habitat for sealife.

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

"Out of sight, out of mind. You never know with the Italians"Well the Med has extreme depths (it's really a squashed ocean) so it could probably be safely sunk once the fuel has been removed, plus other possible environmental threats. It would then become a habitat for sealife.

True and there is nothing wrong with a first class artificial reef. The Fishies can have fun in that cruiseliner. Stick that in the Guiness Book of World Records as the worlds most expensive artificial reef.Cheers

[SpiritFlyer 987]

The Fishies can have fun in that cruiseliner.Cheers

Well, after all, Carnival, which owns Costa and the Costa Concordia, call their ships "The Fun Ships". I don't imagine things are too much fun at Carnival right now, with plunging stocks, and most likely a severe customer backlash, particularily with their european brands of Costa Cruise Lines, P&O Cruise Shipping Line, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, and the Holland America Lines.Kind regards,

[Raindance 25]

It is hard to see how it could be refloated given its sheer bulk. The Med has no tides to speak of so there'd be no help from a spring tide. I suspect they'll have to cut it up where it is. Hell of a job though.

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

From Hans van Rooij of Rotterdam-based Smit Salvage (who raised the Kursk Submarine in Russia)....Van Rooij said there were really only two options for this salvage: Patch up the 50-meter (160-foot) gash in the Concordia's hull and attempt to refloat it, or carve up the liner where it lies into chunks small enough to be carried away on barges.No word on if Smit Salvage will be awarded this multi-million dollar contract but I would think it is likely to go to them. I predict that like the Rena in New Zealand it will have to be 100% Removed from the environment. Salvaging it will also allow it to be scrapped and the contract will likely give Smit Salvage a percentage of the scrap and fittings salvaged.A big big job and a rather exciting Discovery Channel Show if you ask me...CheersEdit: Here is the article I was readinghttp://www.ajc.com/travel/salvage-experts-weigh-the-1307163.html

Edited January 18, 2012 by ytzpilot

[RedSpinnaker 35]

The Voyage Data Recorders (VDR's - equivalent to an A/C's black box) are going to be the evidence that crucifies this guy (I refuse to label him a "Captain") and probably his entire bridge crew at the time. Until the end of this month, I am in the maritime business - I then retire. Fortunately for us, none of our equipment was aboard this ship. This guy's idiocy is going to cost the industry considerably before it is all over. You are hearing snippets of that already.

I'm in the "maritime business" as well, and I can say that I would have had sympathy for him running around (even resulting in deaths/injuries of passengers). He made extremely bad decisions, and would answer for it. However, when he made the decision to abandon the ship, and more importantly abandon the lives of the people he was responsible for (passengers and crew), he not only crossed a line, but pole vaulted over it. I lost all sympathy, and agree he is not a "Captain" and has lost all rights to be called such.While I don't know the Italian legal system, in US terms, hope he is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and then let the civil cases against him fly.

[SpiritFlyer 987]

Here is a released QPS electronic record of the exact movements of the Costa Concordia last Friday evening. It shows the collision and aftermath.Qastor Pilotage software reconstruction:

Kind regards, Edited January 20, 2012 by SpiritFlyer

[Captain_Barfbag 31]

One difference between this and an airplane crash - the captain of a plane would never order airplane food to impress his date.

[SpiritFlyer 987]

One difference between this and an airplane crash - the captain of a plane would never order airplane food to impress his date.

LOL :( An acute and perceptive observation.

[navtech 13]

SpiritFlyer

Therefore any shifting of weight, like the removal of oil from the main fuel tanks that are located in the aft section

This is the smallest challenge facing the company salvageThey will just replace the mass of fuel pumped by an equivalent mass of waterLive webcamhttp://www.giglionew...panoramica.htmlhttp://www.kielmonit...p?cam=concordiaLinks related to the Concordiahttp://gcaptain.com/...costa-concordiahttp://www.cruisecritic.com/http://www.boatdesig...p-41313-39.htmlA survivor tale ....

Costa Concordia - I survivedSitting here in the Hilton Garden Inn, Rome Airport waiting for passports and a flight home. We have nothing just the clothes on our back, ( evening wear with a hurried coat thrown over the back, my 12 year old is dressed in a short halter neck dress with a windcheater and the temps here are very cold but we have been given nothing else by Costa our embassy have given us cash and are taking us shopping for essentials. Costa have put us up in this hotel but told us nothign and given us no further help than that. They left the hotel yesterday afternoon abandoning us here alone dazed bruised and confused.After the ship Hit it listed people rang and panicked we were told to go to our rooms, glad ours was the 6th deck and not below. The announcements were that we had electrical porblems everything was under control, the english was announced by our international host. We were told this twice. and then by the staff numerous times, I think they believed it as well. We could not go into our cabin as our welcome spumante and glasses was shattered all over the floor and there were no lights, we could see the island was close from the balcony window so did not panic thinking everything would be okay. Cabin staff told us not to get our life jackets it was not neccesary we sat on stools and the floor joking with them, this went on for what seemed like an hour, the boat struck just after 9pm I think. Then a message came over the speakers all of the staff left immediately.We were left alone as the abandon ship sirens screamed, we grabbed a coat and shoes in place of high heels our life vests, put them on and headed for the lifeboats. We stood on the deck for ages before the cabin staff told us to enter the lifeboats. We got into the boats we had a waiter in the drivers seat and some boys in white overalls, the lifeboat filled to capacity and they shut the door, people screamed the door was purshed open and people continued to enter the boat overflowing it the waiter in the drivers seat trying repatedly to get an answer form the bridge to drop the lifeboat. I dont believe that message ever came eventually an Indian engineer came who said he should be the driver the gate was sealed and they started to drop the boat, it was horryfying the boat was too heavy it lurched all of as standing were thrown to the floor the boat stuck on the side of the ship with men desperatly trying to lever it off the side of the boat.Eneutally we got to the sea the waiter was too short to see out the top of the boat to steer they circled around the boat for ages and ages, eventually the engineer steered with the waiter on his shoulders we just kept circling with the shore so close and all those people still on the boat and we kept circling. Lifeboats crashed into each other they were empty but they were not going back to the boat they had no orders no instructions. Eventually we tried to dock but crashed into the wharf circled a bit more and docked.We got of the ship dazed and confused trying to find a toilet for my 12 year old, a shopkeeper let people use his a long line for one toilet. The locals on the island gave us everything they had souvenier tshirts tops blankets. We were herded to the school, some to the church, here we sat on cold floors on our life vests this was about midnight when we got there. No one spoke English everyone was talking and we had no idea where we were or what was happening the staff were the waiters etc and no time did we see an officer. I saw the International english speaking host and asked him what was happening he said he had no idea and was as dazed and confused as me, I told him where we were and to come back and tell us, he never came back, from time to time we ventured out of the school to look and see what was happening as the ship submerged on its side where our cabin was. Eventually a lady in a shop or meeting place of some kind spoke english, she told me there was a queue for the ferry to the mainland. We joined the queue, and gave our names ( the first time) and got on the next ferry.1 hour later we arrived on the mainland, we were given warmer blankets and pushed towards a tent we went through and had our names taken again we were then pushed through to a bus and taken to a school and told to stand in a corner for the port where we embarked, there were not enough chairs. We sat there for three or four hours we were then called to a bus, but when we got there we were told this bus was only for people who had cars at Civitivecchia, we had to wait for the airport bus.We were then bussed to the Hilton Garden Inn and given a room, we were still told nothing given nothing by Costa, constantly I asked them and was always told to wait while they spoke to people in more common languages, Costa have done nothing but give us the room.__________________Michelle

Edited January 21, 2012 by navtech

[SpiritFlyer 987]

A dying giant