Costa Concordia SINKING

[ghstudio]

This article has a graphic that looks like a reasonable supposition of what happened - too close a fly-by, hits rocks at 9:30 pm within 300m of shore ... etc.,.

 

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/01/16/costa-concordia-captain-carried-out-unapproved-manoeuvre-company-boss-says-as-weather-halts-wreck-search/

 

And in fairness to the Captain, he denies he was too close to shore.

 

There are differing reports on whether the ship passed Le Scole to the right or tried to go between the mainland and Le Scole. I have seen both tracks on sites that are usually very accurate. Waiting for the black box information and the official track. USA Today has the other track...between the rocks. Actually, by now, I would have expected a news media company to have hired divers to find where the ship impacted.....but alas, I haven't seen any "eye witness' reports from divers.

[kath00]

Major generalizations. Probably better if you just leave if you want to. Since it's the above generalizations that make the posts difficult to swallow.

 

FYI we don't fall into either of your 2 categories above.

[ObscureAllure]

This is from one of the many marine sites that are found on the net, it is a reliable one. (www. vessel tracker dot com)

 

quote

 

Rescue operations have resumed in the evening of Jan 16 in hopes of finding those still missing on the "Costa Concordia". The operations had been suspended for several hours after the vessel shifted in rough seas. Sixteen people are still unaccounted for, including two Americans an 10 Germans. There are increasing concerns that any further movement of the wreck could cause some of the 2380 tons of fuel on board to leak into the pristine waters off the island. If the hole in the hull had been four or five metres further along it would have punctured the tanksThe waters are a protected dolphin sanctuary. 20 workers from Smit Salvage travelled to Giglio on Jan 16 to co-ordinate the operation. A representative from US-based Titan Salvage, who was also on Giglio, said the contract could run into the millions of Euros. The wreck, however, is very close to the edge of much deeper water and the waves could push it off its resting place and it could sink entirely. So the fuel pumped out of the ship by hot tapping will be replaced by water in the tanks to ensure that the ship remained stable. So far only very few oil was spilt.

 

unquote

 

 

Wow on both accounts. This really could have been so much worse, so as horrible as even the loss of one life is - so thankful that it was not all 4000 and that the tanks weren't punctured. (I'm from NOLA - oil spills SUCK - you can still see it on our beaches almost two years later!) Such a horrible situation, but so thankful it didn't take the worst turn that it would have.

[Shake]

I'm going to wrap up my time here, I'm certain all eyes will be dry upon my departure. This is what brought me to this forum....

 

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f106/packing-for-4-month-cruise-73061.html

 

SamandSally came to the above forum by mistake, but even so, the welcome mat was out for them. They left in such a hurry, I didn't get a chance to welcome them and the fact we all seem to share a love for the sea, I thought it proper to come here and invite them to enjoy the forum they stumbled across.

 

I did a proper intro on this forum here......

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1540617

 

and decided that there is no interest in the mechanical inner workings of a ship or any interest on how a ship provides potable water for all on board.

 

In the interest of this topic thread, I shared what both professional and recreational sailors were discussing pertaining to this accident from this thread.......

 

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f90/cruise-ship-74739.html

 

 

I have come to the conclusion from my experience on this forum that cruise ship patrons fall into two basic groups, those that love the sea, travel, new cultures, and a curiosity of a ship's systems. And the second group, that would be a more ego driven desire to be in a class status, micro-society, whereas 1st class suite, dining with the Captain, and recounting all your travels, is your form of popularity among peers. If you feel you are the first group, we will welcome you with open arms on the Cruiser's Forum, and who knows, after reading the posts over there you might become intrigued enough to take some sailing lessons, then do a bareboat charter, and who knows, purchase your own boat, live aboard and cruise the world. If you fall into the 2nd group, this forum is a perfect fit.

 

Respectfully,

 

Bob aka "deckofficer"

 

Well said. I'm sure the second group you mentioned will arrive soon. :cool:

[3smithboys]

I have been reading this thread and following this tragedy since the beginning. My heart goes out to everyone involved. My DH and DS (13) have been talking about it (quietly) too because we are afraid that it might upset our 8 yr old twins. One of my twins has a bit of a fear of cruising (the ship sinking being his biggest fear) but he still goes and has a great time once he is there and gets used to it!!! (The same thing goes for flying, etc... he is such a worry wart!)

 

However, this tragedy has really got me thinking...We are going on a cruise in August... we go to our muster stations and make plans on what to do if there is "an emergency" on board. In the past, they've told us that the kids would be brought to us from the kids clubs if they were there... my oldest DS would have to find his own way there because he can come and go as he pleases... So, what happens when 1/2 the muster stations are out of commission and people are scrambling to figure out what to do? Are the kids REALLY going to be brought to us? If not, are they going to put them on a life boat and take them without DH and me... and then are we to ASSUME they are ok? No way! How can we as parents leave the ship not knowing if our kids are safe?

 

Of course, I know there are thousands of people cruising right now (my mom being one of them...) And I am not running off to cancel my cruise. I can't wait to go! But, believe me, when we are at muster this August I will be thinking of the people who were on this Costa ship, and maybe DH and I might come up with a plan B for our family.... just in case....

[Davyjonesrugrat]

Some other photos that I have not seen yet, they are very good quality. If you have a look at this web site and down at the bottom there are some pictures. One of the pictures show a Coastguard boat or a Police launch near the front of the ship (Which is still lite up) and there seems to be a lot of people mustered on the bow area.

 

[/url]

 

I also believe that the anchor is still housed and has not, contrary to belief been used to turn the ship. The picture of the chart near the port allows you to see how shallow the area is, however if you can put the location of the ship on it you can then see how small an area is that the ledge is where the ship is lying. If you look at the number 6 just above the word del it would be roughly where the ship is lying

 

 

http://www dot shipwrecklog dot com/log/ (Scroll down to Costa concordia)

 

Im looking for plans of the ship below the passenger areas but yet been unsuccessful rgds

[Loonbeam]

I posted on this earlier. It appears from a reading of the law that if the Captain has cause to believe that all reasonable efforts had been taken, he or she can leave the ship. With that said, since no one has been able to say definitively at what time the captain was ashore (although there are enough accounts that it was significantly prior to evacuation operation completion), there's no way to even speculate on what he thought the situation was.

 

With that said, the fact that both the Coast Guard and Costa felt comfortable enough to make public written statements about his actions, taking into account Italy's libel laws, leads me to believe that there is definitive evidence of wrongdoing at some level. If Costa made a statement like that and the captain was blameless they alone could liable for millions in a defamation claim.

 

 

 

I'm just trying to say that there's a huge difference between being the 1200 person off board and being the 3800th. I don't expect him to search every room making sure every single person is off board, and I don't expect him to still be on board now until the remaining 16 missing people are found. I can't make myself take the "last off the ship" thing literally in this situation.

[dwaynesworld]

That's what he said. Time will tell whether his statement is true and can be verified or whether there have been many previous close sail bys and whether the company ought to have known/did know about this practice. Also, the speed of his sail by may be significant...... a ship travels significant distances in shallow, rocky waters at 14/15 knots.

 

I think it's clear the captain risked the lives of those onboard, and clear also the crew were able to evacuate 4,000 people safely. Of course, our condolences are with the deceased.

 

I thought with the wealth of cruise experiences here we might get feedback from those who have sailed this ship and itinerary to find out if they too skirted this island closely??

[Davyjonesrugrat]

The area is now confirmed as a marine protected area and Greenpeace are now stating if fuel leaks from the Costa Concordia it is likely to be a marine disaster.

 

The full report can be found here

 

http://edition dot cnn dot com/2012/01/16/world/europe/concordia-pollution-risk/index dot html

 

Due to site settings any full link is likely to be removed hence the need to insert the word dot instead of the symbols

[xjust4fun]

We were on board and we survived, thank God! It was horrible but today finally Costa is helping us with travel plans and we are being looked after it seems. So thankful. Something we will never forget.

 

Glad to hear that you are safe and that Costa will be assisting you in returning home.

[Craigster-diver]

Seems that Carnival Corp carries a $30 million deductable for damage to the ship, with another policy ($10 million deductable) for 3rd party liability. Even with these policies in place, this is going to cost the Corp a pretty penny. As to "loss of use" coverage, the Corp self-insures against that risk ...it will affect future earnings.

 

Carnival Corporation & plc Required Announcement on Financial Impact of Costa Concordia MIAMI (January 16, 2012) -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) today commented on the financial impact resulting from the grounding of the Costa Concordia.

“At this time, our priority is the safety of our passengers and crew,” said Micky Arison, Carnival Corporation & plc chairman and CEO. “We are deeply saddened by this tragic event and our hearts go out to everyone affected by the grounding of the Costa Concordia and especially to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives. They will remain in our thoughts and prayers,” Arison said.

In accordance with financial disclosure requirements, the company provides the following information:

The company has insurance coverage for damage to the vessel with a deductible of approximately $30 million as well as insurance for third party personal injury liability subject to an additional deductible of approximately $10 million for this incident. The company self-insures for loss of use of the vessel.

 

Source

[shipfriend_max]

If that's accurate, it suggests that the ship customarily takes the route between the island and the mainland, including the previous week's voyage.

 

that's a very interesting fact - according to news: during this desaster the captain should have been in a bar with an "attractive woman". That would be very terrible of the captain, that only because of a nice woman the ship feels ill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

It's assumeable that the chances to salvage the ship get less... :mad:

[foxesden1]

It was my understanding he was onboard with his wife and daughter?

[ObscureAllure]

I'm going to wrap up my time here, I'm certain all eyes will be dry upon my departure. This is what brought me to this forum....

 

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f106/packing-for-4-month-cruise-73061.html

 

SamandSally came to the above forum by mistake, but even so, the welcome mat was out for them. They left in such a hurry, I didn't get a chance to welcome them and the fact we all seem to share a love for the sea, I thought it proper to come here and invite them to enjoy the forum they stumbled across.

 

I did a proper intro on this forum here......

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1540617

 

and decided that there is no interest in the mechanical inner workings of a ship or any interest on how a ship provides potable water for all on board.

 

In the interest of this topic thread, I shared what both professional and recreational sailors were discussing pertaining to this accident from this thread.......

 

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f90/cruise-ship-74739.html

 

 

I have come to the conclusion from my experience on this forum that cruise ship patrons fall into two basic groups, those that love the sea, travel, new cultures, and a curiosity of a ship's systems. And the second group, that would be a more ego driven desire to be in a class status, micro-society, whereas 1st class suite, dining with the Captain, and recounting all your travels, is your form of popularity among peers. If you feel you are the first group, we will welcome you with open arms on the Cruiser's Forum, and who knows, after reading the posts over there you might become intrigued enough to take some sailing lessons, then do a bareboat charter, and who knows, purchase your own boat, live aboard and cruise the world. If you fall into the 2nd group, this forum is a perfect fit.

 

If you are interested in a 14 year old Dutch girl that has almost completed a solo circumnavigation, check out the travels of Laura Dekker here......

http://tbuckets.lefora.com/2011/11/21/laura-from-the-start-ages-12-to-14/

 

Respectfully,

 

Bob aka "deckofficer"

First of all - WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THE COSTA CONCORDIA??? No one asked you for any of this!

 

Secondly - I made the mistake of looking at the thread you posted first in which you and your friends bash all cruise goers and call us names like mindless sheep. How nice of you.

 

Thirdly - your last comments are not only an insult to those on the forum but to the actual forum itself (saying that the second category found a perfect home here) --- I have refrained from reporting you so far as I was trying to be nice but this is too much. You are trying to purposefully take away from the information and tragedy of the Costa Concordia, are insulting the survivors and now the members of this board and it's board as well as all cruisers everywhere.

 

Good day, sir.

[wishful thinking]

How long before the movie comes out...

 

That's sick!

[foxesden1]

That's sick!

 

But true...:eek:

[luckybogey]

I also believe that the anchor is still housed and has not, contrary to belief been used to turn the ship.

 

 

 

I agree. The anchors were not dropped. Note: Insert shows dropped anchor on Concordia in Brazil.

[ghstudio]

that's a very interesting fact - according to news: during this desaster the captain should have been in a bar with an "attractive woman". That would be very terrible of the captain, that only because of a nice woman the ship feels ill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

It's assumeable that the chances to salvage the ship get less... :mad:

 

There have been reports of the captain in many places and if at the bar, he could have been with his wife...but no one knows at this point.

 

The chances to salvage the ship have not changed at all since the sinking/grounding. Some say it is not salvageable, some say it is..no one knows at this point and it's not on top of anyones priority list right now (other than the two salvage companies already on scene). Top priority is getting any remaining passengers off the ship and then getting the fuel and waste water off the ship before it causes an environmental hazzard.

[Rancher Dave]

Seems that Carnival Corp carries a $30 million deductable for damage to the ship, with another policy ($10 million deductable) for 3rd party liability. Even with these policies in place, this is going to cost the Corp a pretty penny. As to "loss of use" coverage, the Corp self-insures against that risk ...it will affect future earnings.

 

Carnival Corporation & plc Required Announcement on Financial Impact of Costa Concordia MIAMI (January 16, 2012) -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) today commented on the financial impact resulting from the grounding of the Costa Concordia.

“At this time, our priority is the safety of our passengers and crew,” said Micky Arison, Carnival Corporation & plc chairman and CEO. “We are deeply saddened by this tragic event and our hearts go out to everyone affected by the grounding of the Costa Concordia and especially to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives. They will remain in our thoughts and prayers,” Arison said.

In accordance with financial disclosure requirements, the company provides the following information:

The company has insurance coverage for damage to the vessel with a deductible of approximately $30 million as well as insurance for third party personal injury liability subject to an additional deductible of approximately $10 million for this incident. The company self-insures for loss of use of the vessel.

 

Source

 

What will be truly telling is if the Italian government concludes (and I am talking after a full investigation which is far from over) that the ship was operated in a manner outside the legal operating requirements, which may trigger (if the insurnace contract has the provision included which most do) the clause in the policy that states if you were committing a crime no payout is forthcoming under the policy. In that case, I'd suspect Carnival is subject to far greater losses.

 

Not knowing if that ship has a debt load or is paid off...no insurance payout if that is the end result will set back Carnival/Costa a few million bucks.

 

Ultimately this is all sad that so many are so seriously impacted by the desire (based on various reports) to take the ship close to the shore so some folks could wave and honk horns. Now many people are mourning, hurting, and contemplating what next.

[bazzaw]

Which is why they also have hundreds of lifejackets in the theater, lounges, near the life rafts, in the dining room, etc etc, etc.

 

Well now - that is another very good point. Because I have to admit after 10 cruises , that the only lifejackets that I can recall (apart from those in my cabin) have been on the Promenade deck. Will have to do a much better look around next time:o

 

Barry

[ObscureAllure]

There have been reports of the captain in many places and if at the bar, he could have been with his wife...but no one knows at this point.

 

The chances to salvage the ship have not changed at all since the sinking/grounding. Some say it is not salvageable, some say it is..no one knows at this point and it's not on top of anyones priority list right now (other than the two salvage companies already on scene). Top priority is getting any remaining passengers off the ship and then getting the fuel and waste water off the ship before it causes an environmental hazzard.

 

 

 

I think that is what annoys me the most, although I know it's a common event when this many people are involved in such an event. There will be no less than a dozen "sightings" of the captain - each of them at some different place - before the truth comes out. (We've seen, what, 6ish already?) Some saw him in the first life boat with money bags (lol!), some saw him disembark half way through, some with a taxi driver, some say he was one of the last off... surely all of these can't be right as the man can't be in 15 places at once. In all honesty, I couldn't tell you what the captain of the Conquest looks like and I had a 10ish minute conversation with him a week ago. If you put him in a line up of other men of same age wearing a white officers uniform, I can't promise you I'd be able to pick him out. Many of these could be completely fake, many could be having seen AN officer, but maybe not him, any maybe one of them is true. I guess we'll find out eventually.

[4kids3dogs2cats&fish]

I'm going to wrap up my time here, I'm certain all eyes will be dry upon my departure. This is what brought me to this forum....

 

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f106/packing-for-4-month-cruise-73061.html

 

SamandSally came to the above forum by mistake, but even so, the welcome mat was out for them. They left in such a hurry, I didn't get a chance to welcome them and the fact we all seem to share a love for the sea, I thought it proper to come here and invite them to enjoy the forum they stumbled across.

 

I did a proper intro on this forum here......

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1540617

 

and decided that there is no interest in the mechanical inner workings of a ship or any interest on how a ship provides potable water for all on board.

 

In the interest of this topic thread, I shared what both professional and recreational sailors were discussing pertaining to this accident from this thread.......

 

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f90/cruise-ship-74739.html

 

 

I have come to the conclusion from my experience on this forum that cruise ship patrons fall into two basic groups, those that love the sea, travel, new cultures, and a curiosity of a ship's systems. And the second group, that would be a more ego driven desire to be in a class status, micro-society, whereas 1st class suite, dining with the Captain, and recounting all your travels, is your form of popularity among peers. If you feel you are the first group, we will welcome you with open arms on the Cruiser's Forum, and who knows, after reading the posts over there you might become intrigued enough to take some sailing lessons, then do a bareboat charter, and who knows, purchase your own boat, live aboard and cruise the world. If you fall into the 2nd group, this forum is a perfect fit.

 

If you are interested in a 14 year old Dutch girl that has almost completed a solo circumnavigation, check out the travels of Laura Dekker here......

http://tbuckets.lefora.com/2011/11/21/laura-from-the-start-ages-12-to-14/

 

Respectfully,

 

Bob aka "deckofficer"

 

Congratulations for making some of the most insulting, idiotic and uninformed posts that I have ever seen on this forum. Your supposed knowledge of international maritime competency, laws and history is sadly amaterish and stereotypical of the ugly American.

[4kids3dogs2cats&fish]

Well said. I'm sure the second group you mentioned will arrive soon. :cool:

 

You seem clueless about the obnoxious posts that deckofficer has made on this thread, that have now been removed.

[Dave_MaryJo]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9018869/Cruise-disaster-captain-neared-rocks-in-Facebook-stunt-for-friends-family.html

 

Cruise disaster: captain neared rocks in Facebook stunt for friend's family

In a pre-planned stunt advertised on Facebook, captain of The Concordia, Francesco Schettino, sailed perilously close to the coast of Giglio so that the ship's head waiter could salute his family on land.

 

Minutes before the cruise ship hit the rocks, the waiter's sister Patrizia Tievoli had posted on Facebook that: 'In a short period of time the Concordia ship will pass very close. A big greeting to my brother who finally get to have a holiday on landing in Savona.'

 

WOW!!!!

[gentlemancruiser]

Here's the latest headline and link to a video from the Telegraph.

 

Captain ordered dinner as ship sank

One of the cooks aboard the stricken cruise ship which capsized off the coast of Giglio, Italy says the captain ordered him to make his dinner after the ship had crashed into rocks.

A Filipino crew member from the stricken cruise liner said the captain seemed unconcerned about the crash which happened around nine thirty on Friday night.

 

Rogelio Barista, a cook on board the Costa Concordia said: "The captain wanted us to cook for him around ten or ten thirty, and I saw him with a woman we did not recognize. I asked the other cook, Jason Velasco, what the captain was thinking. That time, everything was falling apart, including our cooking. I couldn't believe what was happening. I've had plenty of experiences in my years as a cook with catastrophes like fires inside the ship, even inside Costa Concordia, and I willed myself not to get scared. I peered outside to see the captain and saw him still waiting for his drink. I asked myself why he was still there waiting for his companion's dessert with what was happening.”

 

The captain, Francesco Schettino, was arrested on Saturday. He is accused of manslaughter and abandoning his ship before all those on board were evacuated. Prosecutors say he also refused to go back on board when requested by the coastguard.

 

 

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/9019114/Cruise-disaster-Captain-ordered-dinner-as-ship-sank.html