Cruise Ship Costa Concordia - MERGED THREADS

[sarafina]

Claims will have to be filed in Italy. That should make it interesting...

[KORINA]

Do these floating towns have a keel or are they flat bottomed like the canal narrowboats

[Ocean Girl]

I've been aboard a carnival cruise and also been nearly run down by one. As a sailor you must forget all your common sense, seamanship, and logic when dealing with these beasts.

A year or two ago I went to Cancun with a girl friend. The first two hours were spent explaining to my friend what a death trap the stairwells were, or how that tall vase on the narrow table could easily kill someone. They didn't even have the TV bolted down in our room. You can imagine how fun i was to listen to, my poor landlubber friend grew more and more anxious as I looked over the beast. So in the spirit of fun for my friend and my own sanity, I just put aside all my seamanship skills and resigned myself to whatever fate that floating beast had instore for me. I had to realize that this was not a boat, not a ship, it was a floating condo and in no way seamanlike. I did tell my friend that if anything went wrong we were to meet at the muster station and she was to follow my orders wether that coincided with crew or not, I did not trust the situation. Not trying to be dramatic just stating the facts. As it happened, we made it safely back home pampered and happy.

A side note, during the cruise our captain announced on the intercom that we were crossing the area where he had a near collision with a freighter a few weeks back, he chuckled and promised it wouldnt happen again. I looked it up on the web, it was true and a few people were injured. I felt like I was in the hands of a "carnie" not a captain. ( no pun intended). I also had the ais software on my laptop and noticed it was turned off when we neared isla Contoy. I figured this may be about security, even though I tracked another cruise ship all the way across the gulf with no interruptions.

I still hold out hope that they will find some people alive, big air pockets, no fire has broken out, and she still floats.

My 2 cents about the captain, it sounds to me like he had a mental break after his big screw up. Wonder what the heck the second in command was doing? Its his job to take command when it becomes clear the captain is incapacitated. One person in command jumping ship physically and mentally is one thing, but two? Not giving excuses just seems behavior too crazy to fathom. I would definitely wonder at the training and safety protocol...but sorry this has all been said before.

Sorry so long winded,
Mrs. Rain Dog

[Silverado6x6]

Many years ago a ship burned in Hong Kong Bay,I only knew it from of all things how it was portrayed in a James Bond movie, That was the Queen Elizabeth I believe?

And what eventually happened to it, was it just torched apart for scrap?

What I am getting at is if they could not refloat that ship then how can they refloat this monster thats barely qualified to be called a ship?

I think they will rip this one apart, either that or spend enough on some form of a cofferdam around it, IF that is even possible.

[MacG]

@Sarafina

That's just the point. For most of the pax a passed railwaystation. There are no classaction laws within Europe and the American lawsystem doesnot work overhere.
In the Mediterranean countries a lawsuit takes ages in proceedings, costs and paperwork. Particularly in France, Italy and the Iberian peninsula law is very, very slow.
That' s why I wrote that Carnival will deny all charges. Not for nothing the management was that quick to denounce the Captain of the Concordia.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by Silverado6x6

Many years ago a ship burned in Hong Kong Bay,I only knew it from of all things how it was portrayed in a James Bond movie, That was the Queen Elizabeth I believe?

And what eventually happened to it, was it just torched apart for scrap?

What I am getting at is if they could not refloat that ship then how can they refloat this monster thats barely qualified to be called a ship?

I think they will rip this one apart, either that or spend enough on some form of a cofferdam around it, IF that is even possible.

The way it sits right now, a storm would be able move it around and cause more damage. If there is not a hole under water it will not be too bad to get afloat again once all the oil, water and supplies are out of it. It's going to take a lot of divers to get it ready.

The restoration would be a problem. The engines would have to be taken out and they are usually installed during the build w/o an outer skin or decks. Ships are built around engine rooms.

[h20man]

Originally Posted by SteveT

FWIW the Exxon Valdez was I believe scrapped in 2009 in Alang, India as no longer being legally allowed to trade due to her being single hulled. Post Alaska she traded for many years under the name Exxon Mediterranean without any problems. It was never the ship's fault merely the drivers.

... <snip>

The ex Exxon Valdez is now called Oriental Nicety, and is currently in the south china sea, located
at:
Last known position:
1°29’11.54” N, 104°23’2.4” E
Status: NA
Speed, course (heading):
0.1kts, 296° (8°)
Destination:
Location: Singapore
Arrival: 18th Jan 2012
12:00:38 UTC
Last update:
52 seconds ago
Source: AIS (AirNav ShipTrax)

based on info from shipspotting...


It was not scrapped...

[h20man]

It is interesting in that this route has been done before... According to BBC and Lloyd's List Intelligence. Lloyd's List told the BBC's Newsnight programme the vessel passed within 230m of the island on 14 August 2011 to mark La Notte di San Lorenzo - the night of the shooting stars festival on the island. So, the ship has done this before... and supposedly the company had known about it.

[captain465]

It's amazing at what modernday salvage experts are capable of. Shipwrecks much worse, and in more difficult situations have been carried out. Much hard work, in bad conditions, but it is doable.
First step will be to patch the breech in the portside...the original damage from the too close pass to la Scola. The rock scooped up by the grounding may or may not be removed, if not, the patch will just be built to cover it.
The next step will be to right the hull with both heavylift barges on the seaward side and air bags or steel pontoons on the starboard side. (After inspections show no breech on the starboard side) The combination of both will roll the hull back to verticle and then de-watering will take place.
Once de-watered the hulk will be towed to a shipyard and drydocked for in-depth inspection. Depending on the severity of damage, it will either be repaired or scrapped.
This has all been done before, many years ago. Just google Pearl Harbor salvage operations in WW 2. Ships compleatly turned turtle were righted and refloated.

[Silverado6x6]

Originally Posted by h20man

The ex Exxon Valdez is now called Oriental Nicety, and is currently in the south china sea, located
at:
Last known position:
1°29’11.54” N, 104°23’2.4” E
Status: NA
Speed, course (heading):
0.1kts, 296° (8°)
Destination:
Location: Singapore
Arrival: 18th Jan 2012
12:00:38 UTC
Last update:
52 seconds ago
Source: AIS (AirNav ShipTrax)

based on info from shipspotting...


It was not scrapped...

In this age of the info web I think having an intact fully restored vessel of this size back in service might actually be counter productive. That by its very existence it will be in the spotlight every single day and the smallest incident no matter how trivial can be plastered on the internet instantly.

For shareholders it may be more of a safe hedge to simply erase it, scrap it, don't allow it to possibly generate anything negative in the upcoming years, a name change will only further the superstitions.

[SteveT]

Originally Posted by h20man

The ex Exxon Valdez is now called Oriental Nicety, and is currently in the south china sea, located
at:
Last known position:
1°29’11.54” N, 104°23’2.4” E
Status: NA
Speed, course (heading):
0.1kts, 296° (8°)
Destination:
Location: Singapore
Arrival: 18th Jan 2012
12:00:38 UTC
Last update:
52 seconds ago
Source: AIS (AirNav ShipTrax)

based on info from shipspotting...


It was not scrapped...

Interesting to know that. She was sold for scrap but it would not be the first time a ship has had a second life. I gather she was converted to a dry bulker which was all the vogue a few years ago before the slump. Obviously she was pretty well built in the first place as she'll be 30 years old by now.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by sarafina

I read something along the way about a bow anchor being used to turn the ship so that the compromised side was *up* when she grounded... Don't know what you all think of that as a tactic.

A fairly dashing maneuver, but not that unusual either, for big ship sailors. The crew will have practiced it, and it's what we would have expected them to do in such a situation. In a ship 1000 feet long, there isn't much any other way to turn it right around. And they needed to turn her right around in order to keep the holed side up.

[deckofficer]

MacG,

How does Costa survive if insurance doesn't cover everything above the $30 mil deductible? The actions of one man can bankrupt the company? Doesn't seem fair.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by captain465

It's amazing at what modernday salvage experts are capable of. Shipwrecks much worse, and in more difficult situations have been carried out. Much hard work, in bad conditions, but it is doable.
First step will be to patch the breech in the portside...the original damage from the too close pass to la Scola. The rock scooped up by the grounding may or may not be removed, if not, the patch will just be built to cover it.
The next step will be to right the hull with both heavylift barges on the seaward side and air bags or steel pontoons on the starboard side. (After inspections show no breech on the starboard side) The combination of both will roll the hull back to verticle and then de-watering will take place.
Once de-watered the hulk will be towed to a shipyard and drydocked for in-depth inspection. Depending on the severity of damage, it will either be repaired or scrapped.
This has all been done before, many years ago. Just google Pearl Harbor salvage operations in WW 2. Ships compleatly turned turtle were righted and refloated.

The equipment out there is unbelievable sometimes. Dark Roasted Blend: Huge Floating Crane Lifts Bridges and Submarines

[delmarrey]

Just heard on the news that the ship has shifted about a meter down the cliff and there are worries it's going into the deep.

Had the feeling this might happen, especially if the weather picks up.