Concordia News: Please Post Here

[clive and anne]

I notice that Conquest has moved down to the stern again after fitting S10.

Did anyone notice the pontoon carrying S13 leave the area.

I also notice that Garibaldo which, I think, has the pontoon containing S8 and S9 is still in harbour in Piombino.

Is it possible that S13 was inspected on the pontoon and passed its tests and is being fitted today and tomorrow ?

Guess we will see tomorrow.

[chengkp75]

I notice that Conquest has moved down to the stern again after fitting S10.

Did anyone notice the pontoon carrying S13 leave the area.

I also notice that Garibaldo which, I think, has the pontoon containing S8 and S9 is still in harbour in Piombino.

Is it possible that S13 was inspected on the pontoon and passed its tests and is being fitted today and tomorrow ?

Guess we will see tomorrow.

 

Haven't been paying too much attention lately. BE's post #2295 gives a reasonable progression for caissons. How many have been installed since S13 was removed? I think that if the barge with the two caissons (#10 and 9) is gone, then those two have been installed, and the one with 13 has gone to Livorno and is coming back with just one caisson again, or it could be as BE suggests that they kept it here until the upright caisson is fitted. Given the "where's Waldo" nature of these barges, and the limited camera coverage, it could be either.

[Bearded Engineer]

I have been watching Vessel Finder and after they started installing S10, Red Wolf and Lukas went to Elba while Garibaldo went to Piombino. Red Wolf and Lukas spent about 24 hours in the harbor at Portoferraio and then moved to a position off the east coast of Elba and hung out for awhile. Today, Red Wolf returned to Giglio while Lukas has been cruising up and down the east coast of Elba at 2 to 3 knots all day long. If you track her on Vessel Finder she has made the circuit about 10 times. As I type this, she has sped up to 4.5 knots. Perhaps she is now heading for Giglio. For the last several days, Garibaldo appears to have been tied up at the wharf in Piombio. Since there are no transponders on the barges, there is no way of knowing who has them in tow. Red Wolf is now stopped at the stern of Concordia. Also, Buccaneer left earlier today for Livorno.

Edited May 13, 2014 by Bearded Engineer

[SomeBeach]

This was on the Parbuckle site this morning, dated evening, May 12th.

 

 

Parbuckling Project @InfoParbuckling

 

Installation of starboard sponson S10 completed #parbuckling

[SomeBeach]

The story of one port's attempt to get Concordia.

(It hasn't been translated so it won't be painful to read.)

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/14/world/europe/port-vies-to-dismantle-italian-cruise-ship.html?_r=0

[sidari]

So scaremongering is one of the tactics being used by the Giglio mayor and others (Heavy Oil) in order to get the ship to Piombino! somehow i think the reporter got his or her figures wrong because i doubt the draught of CC is 60 feet ! more like 27 feet.

 

As far as i recall QM2 has the deepest draught at 33 feet or 10 Metres.

[chengkp75]

So scaremongering is one of the tactics being used by the Giglio mayor and others (Heavy Oil) in order to get the ship to Piombino! somehow i think the reporter got his or her figures wrong because i doubt the draught of CC is 60 feet ! more like 27 feet.

 

As far as i recall QM2 has the deepest draught at 33 feet or 10 Metres.

 

Quite right, Sid, but the QM2 isn't full of water. The parbuckling site estimates the draft at refloating to be 18 meters, or 58 feet.

[clive and anne]

Well its all quiet today. Conquest still working near the stern, Lukas still sailing up and down near Elba and Garibaldo still docked in Piombino.

May I ask our experts for some advice please.

 

Next Tuesday (20th) we are due to fly to Rome Fiumicino from Manchester UK. has anybody any idea of whether the flight path will take us near Giglio and if so which side of the aircraft should I be sat. We will return on 2nd June again flying from Rome.

We will sail on the 20th past the Island of Giglio but I notice we sail up the west coast of the island. I will, however, say a prayer for the 33 people who have lost their lives in the terrible tragedy.

Many Thanks

[uksimonusa]

Well its all quiet today. Conquest still working near the stern, Lukas still sailing up and down near Elba and Garibaldo still docked in Piombino.

May I ask our experts for some advice please.

 

Next Tuesday (20th) we are due to fly to Rome Fiumicino from Manchester UK. has anybody any idea of whether the flight path will take us near Giglio and if so which side of the aircraft should I be sat. We will return on 2nd June again flying from Rome.

We will sail on the 20th past the Island of Giglio but I notice we sail up the west coast of the island. I will, however, say a prayer for the 33 people who have lost their lives in the terrible tragedy.

Many Thanks

 

My nephew is a pilot for BA, and he passes over it regularly flying from LGW to Rome.

[sidari]

Hi Cheng .... QM2 may not be full of water but it may be full of hot air ... :eek: only kidding.

 

I wondered why they were quoting 60 foot and forgot about the depth with the caisons attached ... :)

 

Clive ... If i remember right and we are talking about the same airport we flew out from land over the sea and the Civitavecchia port where we could see our ship moored before turning back towards the airport but no idea if it goes that far out to see Giglio.

Edited May 14, 2014 by sidari

[pspercy]

Removal delayed until July 18-20.

http://www.seatrade-insider.com/news/news-headlines/costa-concordia-removal-set-back-to-july-18-20.html

 

They STILL don't know where to take her !

[Bearded Engineer]

The story of one port's attempt to get Concordia.

(It hasn't been translated so it won't be painful to read.)

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/14/world/europe/port-vies-to-dismantle-italian-cruise-ship.html?_r=0

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if the Italian government wants to make the dismantling of the Concordia into a jobs program, they should have to pay the difference between the cost at an Italian port and the lowest bid.

[Ken711]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if the Italian government wants to make the dismantling of the Concordia into a jobs program, they should have to pay the difference between the cost at an Italian port and the lowest bid.

 

Agreed!

[Bearded Engineer]

Here is a nice article about the S13 event.

 

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/setback-averted-in-costa-concordia-salvage-close-call/

[Tonka's Skipper]

Good Morning everyone.

 

I have been quietly following all the noise about the *S13EVENT*...........which is a relatively minor event by all marine salvage standards.

 

Folks we all have to remember, we are dealing with a beat up, distorted hulk of steel. Even the best engineering inspections and reports cannot precisely know how the steel after the sinking and 2 years in sea water and being battered by weather and storms is going to react to everything being done to the hulk.

 

In reading the news reports and articles, all I see is some desk writers trying to make issues on this, looking for some *human error* or whatever to make noise about, as by Salvage standards this whole operation since day 1 has gone remarkably well and safe.

 

There have been MANY salvage efforts a great deal simpler that has resulted in much more problems and mishaps and deaths.

 

As to the scrapping, the time has come for Costa, the underwriters and others involved to stop bowing to the politicians and make a final descion to bring the hulk to the yard best suited to handle the dismantling, with the proper concerned paid to the safest transit to that yard. If the Italians wont join in the solution, they make themselves part of the problem and should be ignored. If that means legally, so be it! If that mans after its afloat, let the Italians and Italian Coast guard take control and responsibility for the scrapping. (Yes I know that will never happen!)

 

The politicians have been milking this cow for long enough.

 

*stepping of his soap box!*

 

AKK

Edited May 15, 2014 by Tonka's Skipper

[clive and anne]

Hear Hear Tonka.

I believe the Italians have European elections on 22nd May and the Mayoral election on 25th May. I have said before that when these elections are over the politicians will crawl back under the stone from which they came and the decision will be made.

This morning Lukas is on its way to Genoa, does this mean that S13 will be back on site tomorrow? Do we think that Conquest is working on a reinforced method of securing S13 to the hulk?

[chengkp75]

Hear Hear Tonka.

I believe the Italians have European elections on 22nd May and the Mayoral election on 25th May. I have said before that when these elections are over the politicians will crawl back under the stone from which they came and the decision will be made.

This morning Lukas is on its way to Genoa, does this mean that S13 will be back on site tomorrow? Do we think that Conquest is working on a reinforced method of securing S13 to the hulk?

 

Really hard to tell without knowing what failed. Engineering and fabrication of new supports could take a couple weeks. Or it could be just as mentioned in earlier reports that one of the cables was trapped under the hull and wasn't properly tightened. I wouldn't expect S13 to make another appearance for at least a couple weeks. If it was significant enough to warrant taking it all the way back to Genoa/Livorno, then it probably needs more than a few days work. Also, due to the unknown nature of the damage to S13, and to the wreck and attachments, they will likely move S13 to much later in the schedule, since they seem to have a "production line" going, and would need to interrupt that to squeeze S13 back into the timeline. S13 is also a "stand alone" caisson, not adjacent to others, so it could be installed at any time. JMHO, and I've been wrong before.

[clive and anne]

Hi Cheng

We have all been wrong before, I have made an art form of it.

I am trying to understand what has happened to the production line this week.

We had Garibaldo and Lukas sailing up and down with sponsons on the pontoons and the they disappeared. Lukas sailing up and down off Elba and Garibaldo has been in Piombino for the last few days.

So what do you think Conquest up to at the stern of the hulk?

I notice The Parbuckling Project hasnt updated for a few days which is a pity. For me it was a good source of information

[chengkp75]

Hi Cheng

We have all been wrong before, I have made an art form of it.

I am trying to understand what has happened to the production line this week.

We had Garibaldo and Lukas sailing up and down with sponsons on the pontoons and the they disappeared. Lukas sailing up and down off Elba and Garibaldo has been in Piombino for the last few days.

So what do you think Conquest up to at the stern of the hulk?

I notice The Parbuckling Project hasnt updated for a few days which is a pity. For me it was a good source of information

 

Without the parbuckling site updating and without the GANTT chart on the weekly report, I'm flying pretty blind. They haven't been making a bug deal about loading caissons on barges, or "rotating" them lately, so not sure what's going on, but I'm sure work continues at the fabrication yard. Conquest may be repairing the bumpers in way of S13. There was mention of minor damage to S12, so with a break in caisson installation, she may be supporting that.

[clive and anne]

Vessel finder is showing Lukas on its way to Genoa but it states that the last signal received was at 14.30 yesterday and she was due in Genoa at 0600 this morning.

Could it be the transponder is switched off or has anybody got an update from another website.

Its states that she was doing 3.8 knots, would that be consistant with her towing a pontoon?

[SomeBeach]

From the parbuckle website:

 

Pontoon Mak has reached Genoa with S13 where the sponson will be repaired.

Remediation on starboard sponson S12 is in progress on site at Giglio island.

Installation of starboard sponson S9 is upcoming in the next few days.

[Ken711]

Photo I hadn't seen before showing the bumpers being welded in place.

 

[Ken711]

Port disposal article from Giglio news.

 

A conference of port services decides disposal

 

 

A CONFERENCE OF PORT SERVICES HAS DECIDED DISPOSAL

 

It will be a decision-services conference, convened by the Head of Department of Civil Protection Franco Gabrielli, in his capacity as deputy commissioner for emergency management Concordia, to consider and approve the project that Costa Cruises will present for the transfer of the wreck at a port identified suitable for subsequent disposal.

 

And 'as set out yesterday by the Council of Ministers, which also requires that the same Conference Services to issue the necessary authorizations and go-ahead for the next phase to rigalleggiamento of Concord, on the basis of an investigation and technical evaluation of the Observatory.

 

It is then up to the commissioner, brings a note of the structure commissioner for the emergency, "to report the outcome of the decision-conference services, with appropriate communication to the Council of Ministers and to provide, with its ordinances, the adoption of any additional measures necessary to the correct execution of the project and its requirements set forth. "

 

The Council of Ministers has chosen "the road to arrive at a definite time - set to 16 June -, to have certainty about the final phase of operations aimed at the removal of the wreck. It is, in fact, the same path that led, two years ago, the approval of the transactions contemplated by the draft guidelines for the removal and recovery of the vessel proposed by the shipping company: as on that occasion, the green light will be expressed by part of a table that, in addition to the private part, includes all public calls to express themselves, each to the extent of its competence, the requirements to be met in the course of the work and recommendations for better protection of the environment, health and of historical and archaeological heritage. "

 

As expected already for the Conference of the Services which gave the green light to the project in principle in 2012, also, if the agreement is not reached, it will be the Council of Ministers to act, even in the eventual exercise of its powers replacement within the next seven days.

[SomeBeach]

I was just reading that article on the Giglio site. My first thought was that the Italians made a decision on who will make the decision but if they can't then there will be a backup decision maker. :rolleyes:

I guess that's progress. :p

Edited May 17, 2014 by SomeBeach

[clive and anne]

This morning the tug Garibaldo has arrived with what I presume is S10.

It left Piombino yesterday afternoon and spent the night out of camera range and made the short journey to the site this morning. Tug Lukas is still docked in Genoa.

Interesting photo Ken, thanks, It shows, I think, that the search of cabins is complete on those cabins out of the water as previously these cabins were "out of bounds"

Micki, nothing surprises me about the Italians, even before this. They have done nothing to change my opinion of their decision making talents.

Edited May 17, 2014 by clive and anne