Association Forum - OT - Cruise Ship Sinks

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

OT - Cruise Ship Sinks

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

Member Avatar

USA
1218 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/14/2012 : 05:34:49

Quite a sight:

[url="http://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/panic-like-on-the-titanic-as-cruise-ship-sinks-off-italian-coast"]The Story[/url]

Scott

When we left, we had just enough fuel to make it to San Juan. And now... we are out of fuel!

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

Members Avatar

USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 01/14/2012 : 06:15:35

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">"We think this happened as a result of sailing too close to an obstacle like a reef," he said.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

No S*#t!

Paul

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 01/14/2012 : 08:34:39

Boy--the fire a few years ago, the epidemics on several ships, the youtube videos of furniture and people flying around inside a ship's lounge,... Can't wait to book a cruise with 4,000 people!

Edited by - on

waterbaby
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
168 Posts

Response Posted - 01/14/2012 : 17:36:20

Thanks for posting this Joe, it's unbelievable and very sad that something like this can happen still. If we ever go on a cruise we should all take our own pfd's for sure.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 01/15/2012 : 09:56:22

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by waterbaby
 ...If we ever go on a cruise we should all take our own pfd's for sure.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Imagine sitting in the dining room wearing a Sospenders over your tux jacket.

The captain's story, last I saw, was that they hit some object out in deep water, which tore a 50-meter gash in the hull. He then steered the ship toward the island where he intended to ground it before it sank. If all is true, he was at least partially successful (except for the tipping over part, but he's now under arrest for various charges, possibly including manslaughter.

The [url="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/world/europe/cruise-ship-runs-aground-off-tuscan-coast.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha22"]video here[/url] gives some interesting views.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 01/15/2012 11:23:12

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 01/15/2012 : 12:20:08

Hard to imagine that this could actually happen..and to make things worse have it handled so badly.
The story from this morning that really got me was about the search for trapped survivors...the cabin door locks are the card swipe type, like a hotel, w/o a mechanical key option...entry through cabin doors requires electricity, and naturally there's no power aboard, consequently the searches are really hampered in the search for passengers...geez

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 01/15/2012 : 12:37:29

It ought to be interesting to view their GPS track from the black box they say has been recovered. If they did hit uncharted rocks and the captain guided the ship onto the reef on purpose, then perhaps he's a hero. However, if they simply ran into a charted reef (which is what it sounds like), coupled with passenger reports of him having abandoned ship with lots of passengers and crew still on board, it seems unlikely he'll be exonerated, much less hailed as a hero.

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 01/15/2012 : 17:50:54

The real question is why the crew was not able to seal the bulkheads and flood the other side such that the ship was balanced. Why the gash is exposed with a huge rock in the hull doesn't make sense unless the crew overflooded the starboard side or that the demage on that side is even worse.

Cruise ships, sink, catch fire, spread nasty diseases, cause food poisoning and sometimes people die mysteriously. No thanks! I'll pilot my own craft thank you!

Lin Pardey once said, "First Rule of Seamanship" - beware of the land. Don't take your lands-man's eyes to sea. This is where the transition begins, for the landsman has this belief that there is
security in being close to shore. The sailor's eyes see differently from the landsman's eyes and sees danger.

Ooops - not a perfect translation, but close enough. Worth viewing http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/80943296/ as a reminder to us all. I've caught myself and others who have plotted over a shoal when double checking each others work - which I strongly recommend. Even with a plotter. Zoom in on your map point and follow the course to your current position. This is why charts and old school stuff is actually a good idea. Big picture, drawing lines, etc... GPS could be off, but compass headings stay forever.

sten

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 01/15/2012 : 19:22:54

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redviking
 ...I've caught myself and others who have plotted over a shoal when double checking each others work - which I strongly recommend. Even with a plotter. Zoom in on your map point and follow the course to your current position...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Yup! Along the CT coast, where the shoals are usually sharp granite rocks the size of some states, we scribe a route and then scroll through it up close for hidden surprises. Doing it on the GPS just increases the risk--the tiny screen lets you ignore the dangers unless you zoom in and examine each course carefully.

BTW, the cruise company is now suggesting "human error" by the ship's captain... That's one thing--another is the way the captain and crew handled the emergency once it had happened. There appear to be many deficiencies that will come under the spotlight.

Effective emergency response takes planning and practice--you shouldn't expect anyone, including yourself, to make it up from scratch under pressure. That's why we discuss (and recommend) MOB drills here. It's also why we need to know, in advance and in detail, the proper way to communicate an emergency over the VHF. I have the steps, specific to my equipment and boat, on a "cheat sheet" aboard Sarge, for anybody to refer to.

Remember: "The water wants to kill you."

Edited by - on

panhead1948
Captain

Members Avatar

345 Posts

Response Posted - 01/15/2012 : 21:31:37

Remember Rocks and ledges have right-of -way

Edited by - on

Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1218 Posts

Response Posted - 01/16/2012 : 08:30:10

Looks now like the captain was doing a "fly by" to signal friends onshore.

[url="http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2012/01/16/39297/costa-concordia-captain-was-greeting-friend-ashore.html"]Concordia Fly By[/url]

Edited by - on

Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1218 Posts

Response Posted - 01/17/2012 : 11:54:10

[url="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9020679/Costa-Concordia-coast-guard-to-captain-Get-back-on-board-the-ship.html"]Coast Guard and Captain Exchange[/url]

Edited by - on

Sam001
Vice Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
441 Posts

Response Posted - 01/17/2012 : 12:07:26

Thanks for the link.

Edited by - on

pfduffy
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
317 Posts

Response Posted - 01/17/2012 : 14:14:01

I'm surprised this has been released. I almost hope this is not authentic - the level of ineptitude shown is remarkable!

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 01/17/2012 : 14:58:13

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by panhead1948
 Remember Rocks and ledges have right-of -way
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">...as in [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajq8eag4Mvc"]this[/url].

Edited by - on

Tomas Kruska
Admiral

Members Avatar

Czech Republic
522 Posts

Response Posted - 01/19/2012 : 03:21:15

The chief of the Italian coast guard yelled (now hero of this tragedy) on that coward caption via radio: Get on board, you f--ker!

Now the Italia is full of this T-Shirts:

Question: how is it possible that captain of this big ship leaved it before last the passenger left the ship? Its not some 20year old kiddo.

More here:
http://www.estatevaults.com/bol/archives/2012/01/17/captain_coward.html

Edited by - Tomas Kruska on 01/19/2012 03:24:50

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 01/19/2012 : 06:30:04

So the cruise line home office doesn't monitor the location of its fleet 24/7, contacting one of its own ships that is off course?

Edited by - OJ on 01/19/2012 06:30:44

Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1218 Posts

Response Posted - 01/19/2012 : 06:35:56

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Tomas Kruska
 Question: how is it possible that captain of this big ship leaved it before last the passenger left the ship?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

He now claims he slipped and fell off the ship, into a lifeboat.

I tried that excuse once....I fell and it just slipped in.....didn't work for me either.

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 01/19/2012 : 06:51:30

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OJ
 So the cruise line home office doesn't monitor the location of its fleet 24/7, contacting one of its own ships that is off course?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Reading the stories, it looks like it was a tradition for ships to buzz the island to signal to folks ashore. To home office it likely looked like just another flyby.

It also sounds like part of the ego game was to see who could get closest to the island, and that this captain's ego got him in hot water. But then I guess he set the new record.

Edited by - on

islander
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 01/20/2012 : 14:04:13

A good indication there might be a problem.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded& v=NqlSgs4RV48

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.