Costa Concordia (Titanic 2012)

[Observer]

The Captain said in an interview on Italian TV that the rocks he hit were not on his charts.

The largest scale chart extract on the SeaNews link shows the ship's track between the islets puts it reasonably accurately in the deepest available water and it looks like there is a very narrow channel between 10m countours on either side (>10m depth above datum). Does the red track line pass over a 10.3m spot depth?

Is it possible that something that size could have planned a passage between those islets? If so, is it commonplace for cruise ships to do so?

 

[sailorman]

There was a lot of talkabout loss of power/electrical failure.... but the ship is ablaze with light so I think that power failure as a cause of the initial accident is unlikely.

if she has azipods (as mentioned in a number of threads) did the port pod strike the rock as well

 

[Seajet]

I did wonder if this is one of those cases where the GPS is spot on, but the chart from a 200 year old survey isn't...but that would still mean someone was pushing their luck in a big way.

It also occurred to me that as this was the last night of the cruise, was the Captain hosting the traditional 'Captains' Table' meal so absent from the bridge ( I bet he wishes he had been ) or was this later on...

 

[photodog]

It was the FIRST night of the cruise...

They hadnt even had a lifeboat drill yet..

 

[oldrascal]

My money is on the first, because the pic perspective gives away that it was indeed taken with a pretty long focus lens.
Besides, the latter would have been a weird maneuver indeed...

Yes, weird indeed. But I have just come across a supporting photo which, from the angle of list, seems to have been taken at the same time and is clearly adjacent to the port. I have appended a copy of MapisM's chart/diagram which shows the ship's approximate final resting place - clearly nowhere near the position in the photos. So how did the ship get back to where it finally foundered? Perhaps it was only when the list became dramatically worse that the Captain backed her up to avoid blocking the port.........all will become clear soon enough.

 

[MapisM]

Is it possible that something that size could have planned a passage between those islets?

No way. I mean, nobody in his right mind would have done that purposedly, with anything else than smallish boats.

 

[Seajet]

Photodog,

the first reports I heard said 'first night', then later people were saying 'last' ?

Well I suppose the latter were correct in at least one way, sadly.

 

[photodog]

Photodog,

the first reports I heard said 'first night', then later people were saying 'last' ?

Well I suppose the latter were correct in at least one way, sadly.

Could be either all things considered!

 

[Erik C]

If one of the pods hit a rock it could easily have broken off, that would leave a rather big hole as well, at least a few meters in diameter. It would also make maneuvering a lot more difficult. Dunno, just saying.

 

[Kukri]

Yes, weird indeed. But I have just come across a supporting photo which, from the angle of list, seems to have been taken at the same time and is clearly adjacent to the port. I have appended a copy of MapisM's chart/diagram which shows the ship's approximate final resting place - clearly nowhere near the position in the photos. So how did the ship get back to where it finally foundered? Perhaps it was only when the list became dramatically worse that the Captain backed her up to avoid blocking the port.........all will become clear soon enough.

In the first picture, all the starboard side boats appear to be swung out, but still in the davits; in the second photo most of them are away, so order of the pictures is clear.

 

[Seajet]

Have a good look at the 'rock'; I think Giblets' earlier mention may well be right, there are holes & cracks; looks metallic, ie a portion of wreck ?!

 

[jax]

It has always struck me that these modern cruise ships are top heavy and I think that had the boat been in deeper water she would have completed a roll - but then again I am no expert

 

[MapisM]

But I have just come across a supporting photo which, from the angle of list, seems to have been taken at the same time and is clearly adjacent to the port.

Nope, it isn't. The lights on the right side of that pic are a boat, not the harbour.
In fact, in front of the harbour entrance there isn't any rock: the one you can see on stbd side of the ship, near the coast, is also reported in the maps I attached previously - just a small dot, but it's there.
I can post a larger view, if you wish.

 

[sailorman]

It has always struck me that these modern cruise ships are top heavy and I think that had the boat been in deeper water she would have completed a roll - but then again I am no expert

i believe you to be correct

 

[oldrascal]

Nope, it isn't. The lights on the right side of that pic are a boat, not the harbour.
In fact, in front of the harbour entrance there isn't any rock: the one you can see on stbd side of the ship, near the coast, is also reported in the maps I attached previously - just a small dot, but it's there.
I can post a larger view, if you wish.

Ah, quite right.........damn, there goes a great theory.

 

[Erik C]

I reckon she will be a total loss, big insurance claim. Build for 450 mil euro.

 

[stephenh]

It has always struck me that these modern cruise ships are top heavy and I think that had the boat been in deeper water she would have completed a roll - but then again I am no expert

I wonder what her AVS curve looks like....?

Do commercial liners have a STIX category ...?

and if not why not ...?

 

[Kukri]

I reckon she will be a total loss, big insurance claim. Build for 450 mil euro.

Let's assume that she is insured for her newbuild cost, in that case if the insurance is conventional, E90M will be IV and E360M will be All Risks so if the cost of salvage and repair looks likely to approach E360M Underwriters will be happy to agree a Constructive Tota Loss, in which case the P&I Club (Standard, I believe) will pay for the wreck removal.

That will be done by cutting her up on the spot.

 

[Seajet]

I reckon she will be a total loss, big insurance claim. Build for 450 mil euro.

Let me guess; insured with Lloyds of London ?...

 

[sailorman]

Let's assume that she is insured for her newbuild cost, in that case if the insurance is conventional, E90M will be IV and E360M will be All Risks so if the cost of salvage and repair looks likely to approach E360M Underwriters will be happy to agree a Constructive Tota Loss, in which case the P&I Club (Standard, I believe) will pay for the wreck removal.

That will be done by cutting her up on the spot.

Enter Smit

http://www.smit.com/