Costa Concordia SINKING

[PizzaJohn 7]

Justice for Schettino, I say!!

 

Quite a compelling argument you have presented there

 

dagmarnyman

 

Wow. And thank you for assembling all that information

[kazu]

Well, it turns out that for sure Costa knew that the ship had taken on water and the danger it was in within minutes of the accident. Questions as to why they didn't call the coast guard.

 

here is the article if it is of interest.

 

 

http://news.google.ca/news/story?hl=en&cp=13&gs_id=c&xhr=t&q=costa+concordia+satellite&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4TSCA_en___CA369&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1093&bih=513&ion=1&wrapid=tljp1327577368242014&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ncl=d3XiAD11Kw-fD2Mu5xEw0CdteEKIM&ei=IjkhT9LRF_G-0QHoxpTUCA&sa=X&oi=news_result&ct=more-results&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CDkQqgIwAA

[Hebersgyll]

Don't forget the special of the day...Hungarian Gulag.

 

We'll have to meet on Cunard so we can invite Hebersgyll. The QM2 is, I think, the only cruise ship with kennels?

 

Sorry if I gatecrashed on to your table, Milaandra. No need to be catty though!

[Milaandra]

No need to be catty though!

 

But we need to protect you from the rabid b**ches sniffing around!

 

I think I have your order though:

 

a double order of stuffed breast supreme?

 

Would you like to start with a side of spicy tamale?:D

[TheBestIsYetToCome]

.....Join the 'Justice for Schettino' campaign.

 

Look at this way.

 

The ship was always doomed to sink. The failure of the champagne bottle to break at the launch proves that beyond any doubt.

 

The Costa Cruise company ordered him to sail this way. It was a publicity stunt. And it worked. Look at all the publicity we got!

 

There was a fish-tailed mermaid sitting on that reef we hit, attracting the ship to her bosom. Her 'force of distraction' affected the ship's gyro compass and caused false readings on the speedometer!

 

That Sarkozy, his Italian model wife, Carla Bruni and our dearly beloved Silvio Berlusconi were all involved in this. It was that Distraction Law again, all done to divert attention from the Eurozone crisis and that German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, grabbing all the headlines with her 'Stability' ideas.

 

Ask Vladamir Putin He knows all about it. He had his Russian mafia on board. They (and their Dutch friends, The Smits) have always been eager to get their hands on the Concordia and all the priceless riches it carried and now they have succeeded!

 

So why blame Captain Schettino for what happened? He is a brilliant seaman and navigator. Apart from that time he got fined for sailing too close to shore he has never ever been lost at sea before and nor has he sunk any ships previously! So why is everybody pointing the finger at him and saying he is to blame?

 

He just happened to be on the bridge at the time. It was a coincidence!

 

Justice for Schettino, I say!!

 

No doubt about it now....he was a pawn.

[ghstudio]

Well, it turns out that for sure Costa knew that the ship had taken on water and the danger it was in within minutes of the accident. Questions as to why they didn't call the coast guard.

 

here is the article if it is of interest.

 

 

http://news.google.ca/news/story?hl=en&cp=13&gs_id=c&xhr=t&q=costa+concordia+satellite&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4TSCA_en___CA369&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1093&bih=513&ion=1&wrapid=tljp1327577368242014&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ncl=d3XiAD11Kw-fD2Mu5xEw0CdteEKIM&ei=IjkhT9LRF_G-0QHoxpTUCA&sa=X&oi=news_result&ct=more-results&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CDkQqgIwAA

 

Thanks for posting this.....it reinforces my beliefs expressed a couple of hundred pages back that the Costa must have known and that the captain and Costa HQ were not discussing their favorite chile recipes on the phone....they were doing damage assessment/control together without notifying the authorities.

 

I suspect that Ferrarini has much more than a little problem with the Italian authorities....and it opens the way for piercing the passenger contract terms and perhaps the Athens convention, if it is applicable at all to this situation.

 

I guess the real question is: Did Ferrarini's lack of notifying the italian authorities cause a life to be lost on board. My guess, for what it's worth, is...yes.

[Hebersgyll]

But we need to protect you from the rabid b**ches sniffing around!

 

I think I have your order though:

 

a double order of stuffed breast supreme?

 

Would you like to start with a side of spicy tamale?:D

 

 

No thanks, Milaandra. Too rich for me, I have such simple tastes.

 

But a small-sized slice of humble pie will do just fine!

[rubrrick]

In December 2010, Mrs E. and I were sailing on the Jewel of the Seas. It was a 10 or 11 night cruise that included a stop in Cartagena, Columbia.

 

About an hour and a half out of port, maybe 5:00 in the morning, there was an incident. We were still in bed. The ship started vibrating severely. Everything was falling off the dressers and shelves in the bathroom. All kinds of stuff was falling on the floor in the cabin. We had been on many cruises, and in many different positions on various ships. Often you would feel the vibrations as the ships changed propulsion apparatus speeds, positions, and directions. This time was different though. For a full 2-3 minutes, the ship shook violently.

 

Knowing it wasn't right, I had Mrs E. get up, get dressed, and start to gather belongings. I went outside to see what was up. There were a couple dozen other persons outside now as well. The ship was at a dead stop in the water. The bridge was in scramble mode. The engineering department was pouring out of all exits to check all sides of the ship. Floodlights were checking the length of the ship at the waterline.

 

We hit something. The ship went from about 15-18 knots to crash stop. Full reversal of engines and STOP. Our cabin was right over the rear pods. It was like the rear of the ship was hopping out of the water. The stack exhaust from the engines rolled down the side of the ship towards the lower decks.

 

It was interesting to watch the crew, hear the crew, and hear how passengers "translated" what the crew said. Talk about lost in translation.

 

So what happened?

 

Apparently Cartagena was installing a new, several miles long submerged sewer line. It was a two foot diameter plastic pipe. During construction, a half mile long section broke off and lay just at the water level. As the Jewel approached port, it snagged the pipe under the bulbous bow. It went about 750 feet down the starboard side, and the rest dragged down the port side and beyond.

 

Now imagine you are the officer on watch. It's still dark, you snag an unidentified pipe with the bow of the ship. You don't know where it came from, what it was, or what damage it did to the ship. It could be water, sewer, oil, gas, who knows. They hit the brakes so hard you could hear the tires screeching. Full crash stop mode. Everything except dropping anchors.

 

We sat in the water for about 20 minutes. As they inspected the ship, more and more crew members came out on the muster station deck. Security was everywhere. They closed off sections and escorted passengers away. We drifted back from the pipe via pod propulsion, wind, and waves. They fully checked out the ship. After drifting away from the pipe at a distance of about a half mile, they turned, made a wide berth and tip toed into Cartagena.

 

At around 6 AM, the Captain came over the intercom, told people what happened, and apologized for the interruption of their sleep to inform them, and assure them. We arrived in Cartagena about an hour late. There was a dive team there waiting before we even arrived. Said we would be an hour late arriving, and staying an extra hour before leaving.

 

Bottom line, plastic pipe adrift at sea. No apparent damage. Full information relayed to passengers. No B.S. in the process.

 

Funny thing is many never even felt the ship shake, and many never even heard the Captain's announcement or knew we hit the pipe.

 

Here is a link to one posting on cruisejunkie.

 

At the time of the incident they were very concerned. They responded immediately, professionally, and honestly.

 

 

Who was your captain...James McDonald? He is one of the best in the business. Or was Thor Thorolvesen in commmand. She has been Thor's ship since new, before he headed off for the Oasis.

 

I know both men, and would put my life into either one's hands, day or night, with a problem.

 

We have encountered a couple of situations onboard, but because of the professionilizm from the bridge, and being kept INFORMED, we always felt safe.

 

On the Concordia, it's only because the ship was beached that there are so many survivors. Do you thank a captain, that has beached the ship, but kept all of the passengers in the dark. He just got lucky, IMHO on how he was able to beach the ship. The wind and tide played a part of that.

 

I think that we all know that the man did a terrible job as the Master, from even long before he hit the shoals, and hence comes into play for the future, and Bridge Management program, very similiar to the Cockpit Management program now in effect with most airlines.

 

Rick

[Feelin' Nauti']

Well, it turns out that for sure Costa knew that the ship had taken on water and the danger it was in within minutes of the accident. Questions as to why they didn't call the coast guard.

Costa's big boys did know.

 

What does this say about the safe operations of the entire Carnival fleet?

[EVALUATOR]

Who was your captain...James McDonald? He is one of the best in the business. Or was Thor Thorolvesen in commmand. She has been Thor's ship since new, before he headed off for the Oasis.

 

I know both men, and would put my life into either one's hands, day or night, with a problem.

 

We have encountered a couple of situations onboard, but because of the professionilizm from the bridge, and being kept INFORMED, we always felt safe.

 

On the Concordia, it's only because the ship was beached that there are so many survivors. Do you thank a captain, that has beached the ship, but kept all of the passengers in the dark. He just got lucky, IMHO on how he was able to beach the ship. The wind and tide played a part of that.

 

I think that we all know that the man did a terrible job as the Master, from even long before he hit the shoals, and hence comes into play for the future, and Bridge Management program, very similiar to the Cockpit Management program now in effect with most airlines.

 

Rick

 

Captain James Macdonald. Clearly very qualified!!!

[PizzaJohn 7]

Costa's big boys did know.

 

What does this say about the safe operations of the entire Carnival fleet?

 

Nothing! However, it might say something about Costa but I doubt that half the entire cruise industry treats passenger safety as lightly as it would appear they did.

 

Your question/suggestion is a bit like saying that, because one WalMart manager in the US has a fraud going in his store, the same is true for ASDA stores in the UK

[Host Star]

recently on a RCI ship we were leaving port at an extremely slow speed and Capt. Bang advised us the reason he was going so slow was because of extremely shallow waters and when he reached deeper water he would resume speed... Capt. Schettino on the other hand claims he was doing 15 knots because he was keeping up the speed thru the shallows in order to get to Savona on schedule.. I'd think getting there safely is more important than being 'on time'....

[astrocruises]

I'm not going to jump to the conclusion that Costa knew the seriousness of the collision based on an overheard phone call (one side or both sides, and with whom?) made by the captain -- the same captain who told the coast guard after it was evident the ship was sinking that there was only an electrical problem, told the coast guard commander that he was aboard and that he was in a boat when he was standing on shore and that he "fell" into the lifeboat, told the press the rocks were uncharted. Why would anyone believe anything he said after the accident?

 

Also, I think the report that there was a "mutiny" aboard explains a lot about why the captain was reluctant to go back on the ship once he was off.

[Feelin' Nauti']

 

Also, I think the report that there was a "mutiny" aboard explains a lot about why the captain was reluctant to go back on the ship once he was off.

Passengers weren't aware the Captain abandoned the ship.

[Uniall]

.....Join the 'Justice for Schettino' campaign.

 

Look at this way.

 

The ship was always doomed to sink. The failure of the champagne bottle to break at the launch proves that beyond any doubt.

 

The Costa Cruise company ordered him to sail this way. It was a publicity stunt. And it worked. Look at all the publicity we got!

 

There was a fish-tailed mermaid sitting on that reef we hit, attracting the ship to her bosom. Her 'force of distraction' affected the ship's gyro compass and caused false readings on the speedometer!

 

That Sarkozy, his Italian model wife, Carla Bruni and our dearly beloved Silvio Berlusconi were all involved in this. It was that Distraction Law again, all done to divert attention from the Eurozone crisis and that German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, grabbing all the headlines with her 'Stability' ideas.

 

Ask Vladamir Putin He knows all about it. He had his Russian mafia on board. They (and their Dutch friends, The Smits) have always been eager to get their hands on the Concordia and all the priceless riches it carried and now they have succeeded!

 

So why blame Captain Schettino for what happened? He is a brilliant seaman and navigator. Apart from that time he got fined for sailing too close to shore he has never ever been lost at sea before and nor has he sunk any ships previously! So why is everybody pointing the finger at him and saying he is to blame?

 

He just happened to be on the bridge at the time. It was a coincidence!

 

Justice for Schettino, I say!!

 

Your empassioned plea for justice has moved me greatly. I hereby offer my services on the legal defense team "Pro Bono" :rolleyes: :p

[shipfriend_max]

The captain did nearly everything wrong... :mad:

So let's hope that they make the best of the situation concerning the ships salvage and so on...

[astrocruises]

Passengers weren't aware the Captain abandoned the ship.

 

I'm referring to the captain's conversation with the harbormaster in which he lied about being aboard' date=' lied about being in a lifeboat when he was, in fact, ashore, said he couldn't climb the rope ladder because passengers were coming down, said he was directing the evacuation from the sea, complained that it was dark, etc. I don't think passengers entered into it, he didn't want to go back to a bridge and face the officers who had ousted him from command.

 

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,810761-3,00.html

 

At about 10:30 p.m., the officers mutinied on the bridge of the capsizing Concordia. Apparently only one officer, a Greek, was still on Schettino's side. The others decided that Roberto Bosio, a captain from Liguria and who was on board as a guest, would assume command of the ship. Bosio, anxious to begin the evacuation immediately, started issuing orders.

The loudspeakers finally sounded the emergency alarm at 10:58 p.m., triggering a panic among the passengers.

[Milaandra]

I'm not sure if the speed was that unusual, actually. On another thread someone mentioned the Monarch of the Seas grounding off St. Maarten, so I read the marine casualty report...well, honestly just the parts of it that interested me. Mostly the sequence of events.

 

In that case, there were in unfamiliar waters because of an unscheduled medical emergency drop-off. They charted a course through the shallows, and followed that course at 12 knots.

 

Obviously, there was a mistake and they hit a rock. They ended up deliberately grounding the ship on a sandbar, and everyone was evacuated through a crew's port. Obviously there wasn't the same list as on the Concordia.

 

What I found bizarre is this: they sounded the alarm about 10 minutes after the collision and fully informed the passengers throughout, yet it was still an hour from collision until they actually started evacuating passengers off the ship. Everything sounds very orderly, though.

 

Now, that was just one example, and it may be that was highly unusual to go through the shallows at that speed. I didn't see anything that indicated if this was normal, but as I said...I didn't read the whole thing. (it's huge!)

 

I don't know what happened to that captain, just that he retired soon after. Nobody died, and he and the crew left the ship last, so there wouldn't be the criminal charges there are in this case.

[rubrrick]

I've always prided myself on being a very rational person. The laws of physics are quite sufficient for me. So, I scorn superstitition, happily walk under ladders, ignore Mystic Megs, deride people taken in by spiritual mediums, don't believe in ghosts, the supernatural, any of that kind of cr**p.

 

BUT, ......perhaps I'm wrong?

 

It's a fact that the Costa Concorda was launched by the Chzech supermodel, Erza Herzegova. Now then, remind me. I've forgotten. What were Erza's qualifications for launching a ship??

 

Of course, its all speculation... nothing more. The facts will emerge eventually. But I defend speculation. Its a basic human instict to enquire into the reason for things that happen.

 

One thing for sure. Before I take my next cruise I'll check on who launched the ship...and if it wasn't someone like Mother Theresa, I'm not going!

 

What about the German maiden, Lorilei, whose mystical tones would beach river boats going down the Rhine?? Similar?

 

Rick

[Rancher Dave]

recently on a RCI ship we were leaving port at an extremely slow speed and Capt. Bang advised us the reason he was going so slow was because of extremely shallow waters and when he reached deeper water he would resume speed... Capt. Schettino on the other hand claims he was doing 15 knots because he was keeping up the speed thru the shallows in order to get to Savona on schedule.. I'd think getting there safely is more important than being 'on time'....

 

 

Were you in Belize? I understand Belize City port is shallow and to top it has a very narrow channel so no room for error hence the snails pace. Better to be slow and arrive alive than fast and wreck a ship. Thankfully most captains understand that.

 

Captain Bang is careful.

[Feelin' Nauti']

I'm referring to the captain's conversation with the harbormaster in which he lied about being aboard, lied about being in a lifeboat when he was, in fact, ashore, said he couldn't climb the rope ladder because passengers were coming down, said he was directing the evacuation from the sea, complained that it was dark, etc. I don't think passengers entered into it, he didn't want to go back to a bridge and face the officers who had ousted him from command.

Originally Posted by astrocruises

Also, I think the report that there was a "mutiny" aboard explains a lot about why the captain was reluctant to go back on the ship once he was off.

 

Your above comment threw me.

 

 

There was no mention in the report of a "mutiny" happening.

[Milaandra]

I'm referring to the captain's conversation with the harbormaster in which he lied about being aboard, lied about being in a lifeboat when he was, in fact, ashore, said he couldn't climb the rope ladder because passengers were coming down, said he was directing the evacuation from the sea, complained that it was dark, etc. I don't think passengers entered into it, he didn't want to go back to a bridge and face the officers who had ousted him from command.

 

To be fair, if we look at the harbour master's report (noting Uniall's suspicions of using this as a reliable source) it's clear that there were several conversations at different times. Several of them took place before he was seen heading to the island.

 

I'm sure this will get clearer during the trial, as well as the details of the "mutiny".

 

Again, I'm not actually defending the man. I wouldn't do that until I know the details. I'm just saying that we don't actually know the details, so we shouldn't prepare the rope quite yet.

[HelloHelloHola]

I'm not sure if the speed was that unusual, actually. On another thread someone mentioned the Monarch of the Seas grounding off St. Maarten, so I read the marine casualty report...well, honestly just the parts of it that interested me. Mostly the sequence of events.

 

In that case, there were in unfamiliar waters because of an unscheduled medical emergency drop-off. They charted a course through the shallows, and followed that course at 12 knots.

 

Obviously, there was a mistake and they hit a rock. They ended up deliberately grounding the ship on a sandbar, and everyone was evacuated through a crew's port. Obviously there wasn't the same list as on the Concordia.

 

What I found bizarre is this: they sounded the alarm about 10 minutes after the collision and fully informed the passengers throughout, yet it was still an hour from collision until they actually started evacuating passengers off the ship. Everything sounds very orderly, though.

 

Now, that was just one example, and it may be that was highly unusual to go through the shallows at that speed. I didn't see anything that indicated if this was normal, but as I said...I didn't read the whole thing. (it's huge!)

 

 

I read most of that article. Like most accidents, there were many contributing factors. One contributing factor was the crew didn't receive Notices to Mariners No. 32/98 concerning the new position of the

Proselyte Reef lighted buoy. Therefore, they thought they were further away from Proselyte Reef than they actually were. This may be the reason why they were sailing at 12 knots at the time.

[EVALUATOR]

I'm not sure if the speed was that unusual, actually. On another thread someone mentioned the Monarch of the Seas grounding off St. Maarten, so I read the marine casualty report...well, honestly just the parts of it that interested me. Mostly the sequence of events.

 

In that case, there were in unfamiliar waters because of an unscheduled medical emergency drop-off. They charted a course through the shallows, and followed that course at 12 knots.

 

Obviously, there was a mistake and they hit a rock. They ended up deliberately grounding the ship on a sandbar, and everyone was evacuated through a crew's port. Obviously there wasn't the same list as on the Concordia.

 

What I found bizarre is this: they sounded the alarm about 10 minutes after the collision and fully informed the passengers throughout, yet it was still an hour from collision until they actually started evacuating passengers off the ship. Everything sounds very orderly, though.

 

Now, that was just one example, and it may be that was highly unusual to go through the shallows at that speed. I didn't see anything that indicated if this was normal, but as I said...I didn't read the whole thing. (it's huge!)

 

I don't know what happened to that captain, just that he retired soon after. Nobody died, and he and the crew left the ship last, so there wouldn't be the criminal charges there are in this case.

 

I believe the Monarch mustered passengers almost immediately.

 

The evacuation didn't start for several hours. It was done on lower decks, with tenders from shore, and not the ship's life boats.

 

Later, but safer, with better boats. But the Monarch's life boats were positioned for immediate embarkation.

[Cuizer2]

recently on a RCI ship we were leaving port at an extremely slow speed and Capt. Bang advised us the reason he was going so slow was because of extremely shallow waters and when he reached deeper water he would resume speed... Capt. Schettino on the other hand claims he was doing 15 knots because he was keeping up the speed thru the shallows in order to get to Savona on schedule.. I'd think getting there safely is more important than being 'on time'....

 

Since the ship is capable of going more than 15 knots, the captain could have remained on schedule simply by slowing down for a short time and then speeding up after that.

 

For example, if the captain needed to maintain 15 knots to be on time, and he slowed to 9 knots for twenty minutes, he would only need to go 15.6 knots for five hours to get back on schedule.