Concordia News: Please Post Here

[chengkp75]

Mike ... If you look at the left side of the picture of the Bridge you can see a Red light which i think means the ship is being abandoned to other mariners and rescuers, i am sure Cheng can tell us if that is right.

 

Not sure what the red thing on the starboard bridge wing (left side in the photo) is, maybe a lifering light that has been activated. The two red lights above each other on the forward mast are the "Not Under Command" (no propulsion) lights. This is to warn other ships that you cannot maneuver out of their way, and the other ship must maneuver, regardless of the right of way situation. There are no light signals for a ship being abandoned.

 

The ship's navigation lights (port, starboard, mast, range, and stern) and these signal lights on the fore mast are powered by their own set of batteries, independent of the battery lighting in the rest of the ship.

Edited July 15, 2013 by chengkp75

[Mike.Minh]

On your next cruise, look at light fixtures in the passageways.

 

Surprisingly, I have never been on a cruise. Not even sure I ever will be. Longest I can offer is between here http://*******/maps/pLJEd and here http://*******/maps/eJky2. About a dozend of times, though. #isnomore Hence my interest in marine tech.

[chengkp75]

Well, if you ever do, there is a little tidbit to regale your better half with!

 

I see M/V Lone is out of Livorno heading for San Stefano.

[Krazy Kruizers]

There was actually a tidbit in our Pittsburgh newspaper this morning about the Concordia.

Something about the weight of the ship having compressed 10 feet on itself??

Anyone know anything about this?

[Tonka's Skipper]

That red light is some type of signal within the wheelhouse to note a emergency and provide some lightly without blinding the bridge crew with a bright white light at night. Possible a panel of some type, show the status of some system.

 

It is most definitely not a navigation signal, like the 2 red lights on the mast, which Cheng very correctly noted were *not under Command lights*.

 

AKK

[chengkp75]

There was actually a tidbit in our Pittsburgh newspaper this morning about the Concordia.

Something about the weight of the ship having compressed 10 feet on itself??

Anyone know anything about this?

 

I hadn't heard this specifically, but it is not unexpected. This is why I wonder at the concerns that Ken711 posted from the Giglio officials about delaying the parbuckling until spring. I found the reference in your news article to keeping the ship afloat until it can be righted; trust me, she isn't floating!

 

As I posted earlier, I believe the ship will be more stable in the upright position on the grout bags and platforms, the weight of the ship will be in its normal orientation so no further damage, the flooded port side caissons will add weight to keep the ship from moving in seas, and the caissons will provide a "shield" to keep the seas away from the port side of the ship.

 

The 10' is a 10% crush, which is significant, but is only in the areas where the ship is actually contacting the rocks.

[chengkp75]

That red light is some type of signal within the wheelhouse to note a emergency and provide some lightly without blinding the bridge crew with a bright white light at night. Possible a panel of some type' date=' show the status of some system.

 

It is most definitely not a navigation signal, like the 2 red lights on the mast, which Cheng very correctly noted were *not under Command lights*.

 

AKK[/quote']

 

Morning, Skipper;

 

Did you see that the USCG issued the official report on the Splendor fire? There is a sticky thread on the Carnival forum, where I posted the link to the actual report.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The "Today" show just had a snipit about the Concordia and the weight issue.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Morning, Skipper;

 

Did you see that the USCG issued the official report on the Splendor fire? There is a sticky thread on the Carnival forum, where I posted the link to the actual report.

 

I will have to go and check that out.

Thank you.

[chengkp75]

The "Today" show just had a snipit about the Concordia and the weight issue.

 

Titan/Micoperi may be using the release of this information to counter the Giglio concerns and their requirements of "guarantees" of the ship's safety if left on the platforms through the bad weather of winter. While I am sure that the consortium will be scaling back once the ship is upright, they will most likely take advantage of any good weather window to continue installing caissons, since the bay at San Stefano looks to provide some protection for vessels involved in the salvage, and a short dash to the site for work. Again, just my speculation.

[Ken711]

Pretty good article quoting Nick Sloane on the salavage.

 

GIGLIO, Italy -- Salvage crews are working against time to remove the shipwrecked Costa Concordia cruise ship, which is slowly being crushed under its own weight on its perch of granite seabed off the Tuscan island of Giglio. Officials said Monday that if this attempt fails, there won't be a second chance.

 

Nick Sloane, the leader of the salvage operation, said the Concordia has compressed some 3 meters (10 feet) since it came to rest on its side on the rocky perch Jan. 13, 2012, after ramming a jagged reef when it skirted too close to the island during a publicity stunt allegedly ordered by the captain; 32 people were killed.

 

Sloane, an engineer for U.S.-owned company Titan Salvage, said experts would have one chance to pull the ship upright and float it away to the mainland for demolition. The attempt will probably take place in mid-September. "We cannot put it back" down and start over, said Sloane.

 

Sloane spoke aboard a work boat as he accompanied journalists for a close-hand look of the wreckage on the eve of the trial of Capt. Francesco Schettino, who is charged with manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning the ship before all passengers had been evacuated.

 

The trial, which was supposed to get under way July 9, was postponed until Wednesday due to a lawyers' strike. The Italian captain denies wrongdoing, and claims his skillful guiding of the ship after the collision helped save countless lives.

 

The timetable to remove the Concordia has also been back. The original plan envisioned removal before start of this summer, but bad weather undermined those plans.

 

"We lost two months to weather," said salvage master Sloane, explaining that the season's harsh sea conditions made it risky for diving teams to work, including installing bags that are filled with cement to provide a more stable base when the flat-keeled ship is pulled upright.

 

Sloane said the granite seabed also proved more resistant to drilling than imagined. It was "like trying to drill through glass at a 45-degree angle."

 

Pressure to make the unprecedented operation succeed is mounting as experts worry that a small window of opportunity to pull off the ambitious feat could shut in a few months.

 

"Another winter and we might not be able to parbuckle," Sloane said, using the nautical term for righting a ship. He expressed concern that the ship might compress even further, making it impossible to pull it up upright and into a position so it can be floated away.

The project calls for dozens of crane-like pulleys flanking the ship to slowly start tilting the vessel upright at a rate of 3 meters (yards) per hour. In all, the parbuckling should take about 12 hours.

 

On Monday several welders moved like Spiderman on the now horizontal hull, securing steel pieces which will function like hooks. Steel chains weighing 17,000 tons are being looped under the wreck to help pull it upright. So far 18 chains have been laid, with the remaining four to be put in place over the next few days.

 

To work on the tilted wreck, the welders were given five days of climbing training on nearly sheer granite rocks on the island by instructors from Italy's Dolomite mountains.

 

Crews are also attaching caissons, or tanks, to the exposed flank of the Concordia. The caissons will be filled with water to add weight and help pull the ship upright. Identical caissons will be attached to the submerged side of the ship once it's righted. The caissons on both sides will then be filled with air to float the ship up off the rocks so it can be towed away.

 

The 70-meter-long gash on the Concordia's hull has been largely covered with metal plates, though an exposed 3-meter (10 foot) wide hole remains, resembling a truck garage entrance. Crews said there was no need to cover that remaining hole. The gash itself wasn't repaired, since engineers said it wasn't necessary. The salvage operation extracted 96 tons of granite reef from the hole, Sloane said.

[Tonka's Skipper]

Titan/Micoperi may be using the release of this information to counter the Giglio concerns and their requirements of "guarantees" of the ship's safety if left on the platforms through the bad weather of winter. While I am sure that the consortium will be scaling back once the ship is upright, they will most likely take advantage of any good weather window to continue installing caissons, since the bay at San Stefano looks to provide some protection for vessels involved in the salvage, and a short dash to the site for work. Again, just my speculation.

 

 

Agreed!. Any weather window they will take advantage of to get work done!

 

AKK

[Krazy Kruizers]

Titan/Micoperi may be using the release of this information to counter the Giglio concerns and their requirements of "guarantees" of the ship's safety if left on the platforms through the bad weather of winter. While I am sure that the consortium will be scaling back once the ship is upright, they will most likely take advantage of any good weather window to continue installing caissons, since the bay at San Stefano looks to provide some protection for vessels involved in the salvage, and a short dash to the site for work. Again, just my speculation.

 

Thank you.

[Uniall]

Salvage crews rush for one chance to remove Concordia

 

Frances D'Emilio The Associated Press

 

July 16, 2013

 

GIGLIO, Italy — Salvage crews are working against time to remove the shipwrecked Costa Concordia cruise ship, which is slowly being crushed under its own weight on its perch of granite seabed off the Tuscan island of Giglio. Officials said Monday that if this attempt fails, there won't be a second chance.

Nick Sloane, the leader of the salvage operation, said the Concordia has compressed some 3 meters (10 feet) since it came to rest on its side on the rocky perch Jan. 13, 2012, after ramming a jagged reef when it skirted too close to the island during a publicity stunt allegedly ordered by the captain; 32 people were killed.

Sloane, an engineer for U.S.-owned company Titan Salvage, said experts would have one chance to pull the ship upright and float it away to the mainland for demolition. The attempt will probably take place in mid-September. "We cannot put it back" down and start over, said Sloane.

Sloane spoke aboard a work boat as he accompanied journalists for a close-hand look of the wreckage on the eve of the trial of Capt. Francesco Schettino, who is charged with manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning the ship before all passengers had been evacuated.

The trial, which was supposed to get under way July 9, was postponed until Wednesday due to a lawyers' strike. The Italian captain denies wrongdoing, and claims his skillful guiding of the ship after the collision helped save countless lives.

Tony Gentile / Reuters

The capsized cruise liner Costa Concordia lies surrounded by cranes outside Giglio harbor on May 14, 2013.

 

The timetable to remove the Concordia has also been back. The original plan envisioned removal before start of this summer, but bad weather undermined those plans.

"We lost two months to weather," said salvage master Sloane, explaining that the season's harsh sea conditions made it risky for diving teams to work, including installing bags that are filled with cement to provide a more stable base when the flat-keeled ship is pulled upright.

Sloane said the granite seabed also proved more resistant to drilling than imagined. It was "like trying to drill through glass at a 45-degree angle."

Pressure to make the unprecedented operation succeed is mounting as experts worry that a small window of opportunity to pull off the ambitious feat could shut in a few months.

"Another winter and we might not be able to parbuckle," Sloane said, using the nautical term for righting a ship. He expressed concern that the ship might compress even further, making it impossible to pull it up upright and into a position so it can be floated away.

The project calls for dozens of crane-like pulleys flanking the ship to slowly start tilting the vessel upright at a rate of 3 meters (yards) per hour. In all, the parbuckling should take about 12 hours.

On Monday several welders moved like Spiderman on the now horizontal hull, securing steel pieces which will function like hooks. Steel chains weighing 17,000 tons are being looped under the wreck to help pull it upright. So far 18 chains have been laid, with the remaining four to be put in place over the next few days.

To work on the tilted wreck, the welders were given five days of climbing training on nearly sheer granite rocks on the island by instructors from Italy's Dolomite mountains.

Crews are also attaching caissons, or tanks, to the exposed flank of the Concordia. The caissons will be filled with water to add weight and help pull the ship upright. Identical caissons will be attached to the submerged side of the ship once it's righted. The caissons on both sides will then be filled with air to float the ship up off the rocks so it can be towed away.

The 70-meter-long gash on the Concordia's hull has been largely covered with metal plates, though an exposed 3-meter (10 foot) wide hole remains, resembling a truck garage entrance. Crews said there was no need to cover that remaining hole. The gash itself wasn't repaired, since engineers said it wasn't necessary. The salvage operation extracted 96 tons of granite reef from the hole, Sloane said.

Just inside the gashed area were four compartments designed to be water-tight, including engine rooms, Sloane noted.

At the very top level of the luxury liner, just over the area where the reef speared the ship like a jagged knife, was the passenger dining room. Its big picture windows gave diners a view of the lights of Giglio as the Concordia tried to glide close to the coast, the inky blackness of a winter's night view broken only by the lights in islanders' houses.

Survivors have recounted how, many of them dressed in cocktail dresses and suits, were just sitting down for a gala first-night meal when the collision occurred, setting off panic and confusion with no quick word from the crew about what exactly had happened.

After slamming into the reef off Giglio, the ship drifted toward port, where, badly listing as it rapidly took on seawater, it capsized. Passengers described a frantic and delayed evacuation, with the bridge initially insisting to inquiring coast guardsmen that the ship had merely suffered a blackout.

Bodies of two of the victims — an Italian passenger and of a Filipino waiter — were never found.

Every day, divers "see mattresses and towels hanging from balconies. Every time they see it, they are very aware ... there are still bodies" possibly under the wreck, Sloane said. The removal projects' divers haven't gone into the wreckage; the futile search for the last two victims' bodies was conducted earlier by fire department and coast guard divers.

Franco Porcellacchia, coordinator of removal plans for Costa, which is owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp., estimated that the removal would cost about 500 million euros, paid for by insurers.

Where the wreck will be towed for demolition — assuming it can be floated away — has yet to be decided, although Italian media have mentioned the Tuscan port of Piombino as a possibility. Porcellacchia said one difficulty is finding a port that can handle the cruise ship's dimensions, which will be made even wider by the caissons that will be attached to each side.

While Giglio has fretted about losing tourists because of the wreck, the island's port bustled with vacationers Monday. And the removal has brought new business: Two hotels overlooking the wreck are booked year-round by crews.

At cafes near the port on Monday, welders in work jumpsuits and rubber boots rubbed elbows with sunbathers in shorts and flip-flops.

A bronze plaque along a harbor wall lists the name of the 32 people who perished on what was supposed to be a pleasure cruise.

© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Edited July 16, 2013 by Uniall

[chengkp75]

As I've posted over on the salvage thread, it is common knowledge in the salvage world that a ship on its side will have significant damage. I believe that Titan/Micoperi have released this as "news" to quell concerns by the officials on Giglio about righting the ship and leaving it in position over the winter. They want guarantees that the ship will be fine, or they want the ship left as is until spring. The plan is to rotate the ship upright this summer, and then slow work down due to expected bad weather until spring, when the starboard side caissons will be installed, the ship floated, and removed. I believe that the ship will be in better condition when upright (weight carried by proper structure in the proper direction), more stable on the platforms/grout bags installed, and held by the current anchor block cables, and the port and starboard parbuckling cables. The port caissons, filled with water, will add additional weight to the ship, keeping her from moving in seas better, and the caissons will protect the port side of the ship from the waves. This is just more media drama to get people to see things Titan's way, which is the better way.

[chengkp75]

I see that Micoperi 30 has moved off the wreck, but that M/V Lone is not underway yet, maybe more caissons tomorrow?

[sidari]

Cheng, Tonka and Ken ... Thanks for the info.

[cruiserfanfromct]

Schettino's trial resumes tomorrow...read more from Reuters:

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/16/italy-ship-trial-idUSL6N0FM26L20130716

[Uniall]

Schettino's trial resumes tomorrow...read more from Reuters:

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/16/italy-ship-trial-idUSL6N0FM26L20130716

 

 

OK CF

I'm ready ..... ;)

 

[SomeBeach]

Delivery arrived at 6:30 (Italy time) this morning. As of this post it wasn't next to Concordia but should be by the time folks on this side of the pond wake up.

[CTH]

Delivery arrived at 6:30 (Italy time) this morning. As of this post it wasn't next to Concordia but should be by the time folks on this side of the pond wake up.

Lone now transferring 1st caisson onto C.C.. Looking @ the poor quality RHS hotel camera, I think I can make out 2 caissons side by side on Lone's deck. Someone mentioned that 3 were being delivered today, in which case she may have another 1 in her hold.

 

The process is definitely speeding up now!

[SomeBeach]

Lawyer's ask for a 3 yr, 5 month jail time in plea agreement.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/17/francesco-schettino-trial-plea-deal_n_3610351.html

 

This link has pictures.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2366721/Francesco-Schettino-trial-Moldovan-dancer-Domnica-Cemortan-court-support-Costa-Concordia-captain.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

[SomeBeach]

Still there: Salvage crews are working against time remove Costa Concordia cruise ship, which is steadily compressing down on itself from sheer weight onto its granite seabed perch off the Tuscan island of Giglio

 

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2366721/Francesco-Schettino-trial-Moldovan-dancer-Domnica-Cemortan-court-support-Costa-Concordia-captain.html#ixzz2ZJoCoIst

 

 

This pix, which is in an article on the trial, made me think of a question for our experts.

Has anyone ever heard what the weight of the sponsons are? Could the additional weight lead to the ship compressing down on itself?

[chengkp75]

Still there: Salvage crews are working against time remove Costa Concordia cruise ship, which is steadily compressing down on itself from sheer weight onto its granite seabed perch off the Tuscan island of Giglio

 

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2366721/Francesco-Schettino-trial-Moldovan-dancer-Domnica-Cemortan-court-support-Costa-Concordia-captain.html#ixzz2ZJoCoIst

 

 

This pix, which is in an article on the trial, made me think of a question for our experts.

Has anyone ever heard what the weight of the sponsons are? Could the additional weight lead to the ship compressing down on itself?

 

Sorry, no, I haven't heard what the weight is. I don't think they are contributing to the compression. This has been going on for the year that the ship has been laying there. It is caused not only by the weight, but by the almost infinitesimal movement of the ship against the rock. Think of a slow squeeze not a beer can being flattened. The weight of the caissons is fairly small compared to the ship.

[SomeBeach]

Sorry, no, I haven't heard what the weight is. I don't think they are contributing to the compression. This has been going on for the year that the ship has been laying there. It is caused not only by the weight, but by the almost infinitesimal movement of the ship against the rock. Think of a slow squeeze not a beer can being flattened. The weight of the caissons is fairly small compared to the ship.

 

Thank you.

Hhmmm. The M/V, which still has a caisson on it, has moved out beyond the M30 now.