Deaths confirmed as cruise ship runs aground off Italy

[danielf]

Originally Posted by Chris

It's beginning to sound as if the captain had some sort of breakdown, at least after the disaster.

I don't speak Italian, but the hearing/reading the transcripts and tapes of the conversation with the coast guard it very much sounds like he was in shock/had a breakdown. He seemed extremely confused. I can sort of understand that, but you'd expect the personality profile for the captain of a large cruiser to be quite heavy on the mental aspect.

Regarding his leaving the ship with passengers still on board, I saw sources claiming that he said today that he didn't so much leave the ship, but 'tripped and fell into the lifeboat' while it was lowered. This seems implausible as his second and third in command were allegedly in the same lifeboat. These actions, if true, don't sound like someone who has a breakdown, but more like someone trying cover up something he knows is wrong.

[Mick]

Originally Posted by Chris

It's beginning to sound as if the captain had some sort of breakdown, at least after the disaster.

Sounds so familiar to an historical disaster back in 1912 doesn't it?

History records that the Titanic Captain, Smith is reported to have had a 'breakdown'. Chain of command broke down that night and the doomed ship had lifeboats for only half of its capacity and some lifeboats were only half filled.

Regarding the Costa Concordia incident, there were issues about not being able to launch lifeboats effectively. Did this issue over burden the Captain, causing him to have some sort of mental breakdown?

[AdamD]

What I don't understand, in this day and age, is why they haven't begun trying to stabilise the ship and begun repairing the damage, so they can refloat it?

You'd think after the titanic disaster, they would have the necessary technology, experience and ability to refloat a ship by now, especially one like this, which is still mostly above the water line.

They talk about a possible environmental diaster pending, so why haven't they done something about it already?

Just seems like humanity as a whole, jumps in head first into inventing these new fangled machines, but doesn't have any contingency plan or backup to fix them when they really go wrong, a bit like that deep horizon oil well.

[Mick]

Originally Posted by AdamD

What I don't understand, in this day and age, is why they haven't begun trying to stabilise the ship and begun repairing the damage, so they can refloat it?

They won't do that when there are people missing and unaccounted for.

I think I heard on the news that they were unable to refloat it, the ship is critically damaged that any repair would not help it to refloat.

You have to also consider that at least half of it or less is submerged under water, a refloat will cause water to become trapped and that's a lot of weight.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by AdamD

What I don't understand, in this day and age, is why they haven't begun trying to stabilise the ship and begun repairing the damage, so they can refloat it?

You'd think after the titanic disaster, they would have the necessary technology, experience and ability to refloat a ship by now, especially one like this, which is still mostly above the water line.

They talk about a possible environmental diaster pending, so why haven't they done something about it already?

Just seems like humanity as a whole, jumps in head first into inventing these new fangled machines, but doesn't have any contingency plan or backup to fix them when they really go wrong, a bit like that deep horizon oil well.

There is a Dutch salvage team there. Apparently, it'll take them weeks to just pump the oil out of the vessel. That needs to be done first before they even start thinking about the actual salvage operation. Also, as far as I know, they've only been asked to pump the oil out so far. The company hasn't been given the contract to salvage the ship yet.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by AdamD

What I don't understand, in this day and age, is why they haven't begun trying to stabilise the ship and begun repairing the damage, so they can refloat it?

Because, in this day and age, there are still people missing, possibly aboard the ship, possibly alive, possibly injured and in peril. The salvors are not going to start mucking about with the wreck until the rescue/recovery operation is complete, and quite rightly so.

[danielf]

Some interesting thoughts on the salvage options here

Van Rooij said there were really only two options for this salvage: Patch up the 50-meter (160-foot) gash in the Concordia's hull and attempt to refloat it, or carve up the liner where it lies into chunks small enough to be carried away on barges.
Refloating the ship would be the cleanest of the two options, but is extremely difficult because of the luxury liner's size, he said, adding that the ship had about 45,000 tons of steel alone.
Efforts to find those still missing from the Costa Concordia disaster and to begin pumping out the fuel were temporarily halted Wednesday after the vessel shifted slightly. It was not known when those efforts could restart. Weather forecasts predicted increasing waves in the area for Thursday.
In addition, rescue workers blew several small holes in the ship's hull this week, to speed their search for any survivors.
To refloat the stricken liner, salvage crews would likely use pulling barges strongly anchored to the sea bed and cables secured to the ship, Van Rooij said. They would likely also put cables on the land side of the ship to prevent its huge bulk from sliding toward the pulling barges as the vessel is righted.
But he said the forces involved in attempting to pull upright a ship built of tens of thousands of tons of steel make refloating the Concordia unlikely.
"Refloating would be the preferred method and everybody will look at it but I think it's very doubtful that will be the final method," Van Rooij said.
That means salvagers are more likely to cut up the ship where it lies, a process that risks releasing pollutants into the waters off picturesque Tuscan coast near a maritime sanctuary for dolphins, porpoises and whales.
Before the salvage can begin in earnest, the first step is to empty the ship of fuel, a risky operation aimed at averting an environmental catastrophe if the ship's fuel leaks.

[martyh]

Originally Posted by danielf

Some interesting thoughts on the salvage options here

One of the problems they will face is the changing weight of the vessel as they empty the ship of fuel .The centre of gravity will change and it may not balance on the rocks that are currently supporting it ,assuming it survives tomorrows storm that's forcast

[Alan Fry]

I think that the ship will be written off, but if they still want to fix then the the shipyard were this ship was built is in Italy, it had built most of the Carnival fleet, bar the QM2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fincantieri

Also how will all this affect the fianancies of Carnival Corp?

[heero_yuy]

Originally Posted by Alan Fry

I think that the ship will be written off, but if they still want to fix then the the shipyard were this ship was built is in Italy, it had built most of the Carnival fleet, bar the QM2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fincantieri

Also how will all this affect the fianancies of Carnival Corp?

More likely to put a dent in Lloyds of London as I'm sure they'll have underwritten the vessels' insurance.

[Kymmy]

Their excess is only 30 million, add to that the loss of business on that route until another ships in place the figure generally banded about was 90 million.

[Alan Fry]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

Their excess is only 30 million, add to that the loss of business on that route until another ships in place the figure generally banded about was 90 million.

The ships cost 400 million, if they have to replace it it would cost the same, then there is other costs, like litigation

[Kymmy]

All covered by their insurance, hence I only quoted the excess and the loss of business

[Alan Fry]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

All covered by their insurance, hence I only quoted the excess and the loss of business

Still this is Carnival's Annus horribilis!

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Alan Fry

Still this is Carnival's Annus horribilis!

Well it is not exactly going to be a year to remember for them is it Alan.