Posted on Friday, January 13, 2012 by Shawn Dake
Close up from early morning Giglio webcam of the COSTA CONCORDIA tragedy.
UPDATE: First light over the island of Giglio, Italy reveals that COSTA CONCORDIA has now capsized and lies partially submerged just outside the port. Reportedly, 8 people have lost their lives.
Giglio Webcam
COSTA CONCORDIA, Costa Crociere
One of the largest ships in the huge fleet of Costa Crociere, the 114,147 gross ton COSTA CONCORDIA ran aground on the evening of Friday, January 13th, off the Tuscan coast of Italy, near the island of Giglio. Initial reports confirm at least two passengers have been killed. Among the complement of 4,200 people on board are 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew members. Some people jumped overboard and swam to shore as the cruise ship took on a 20 degree list to starboard and appeared to be in danger of sinking. Others were evacuated by boats. The ship is heeled over and appears to be resting against a small breakwater, with several of the lifeboats nearby in the water.
The COSTA CONCORDIA was built in 2006 and at the time was the largest Italian ship in history, with a 952 foot length and a beam of 116 feet. The cruise had begun two hours earlier from Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) on a 7-day itinerary scheduled to visit Savona, Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Caligari, and Palermo. Guests had the opportunity to board at various ports, depending on their nationality. The majority of passengers originated in Italy, although there were also large numbers of German and French passengers aboard. At dinner time, about 8:00pm, there was a loud “boom” reported and shortly thereafter, passengers were advised to don life jackets and report to their muster stations. As this news is still unfolding at the time of writing, it is unclear what may have caused this serious accident. Local Coast Guard officials do not believe the ship is in imminent danger of sinking.
Thanks to Bruce Dake.
Position of COSTA CONCORDIA as recorded by the onboard mapping system
QE2forever
January 14, 2012 at 2:38 am
So sorry to hear about this tragedy. My thoughts go to the families of those who lost their lives in the accident.
I am also thinking about the incredible job done by Costa Concordia’s crew and officiers, the Coast Guard and everybody involved who successfully evacuated more than 4,000 people from the 114,000-ton capsizing cruise ship.
These people should be regarded as heroes of the day. No doubt some media will quickly build up a scandal out of this sad event, as they usually do, drawing easy parallels with the Titanic on this centenary year.
However, we shouldn’t forget that the very strict safety regulations of today and the professionalism of the crew have probably avoided a disaster of far greater proportion last night.
Peter
January 14, 2012 at 3:15 am
Is there any news regarding the ship yet? Is she a total write-off? Or is there a chance of her recovery and repair?
Jan Kramer
January 14, 2012 at 3:42 am
Tragic news and frightening pictures, indeed! There have been rumours about an electrical breakdown and a temporary blackout on board prior to the disaster on numerous web pages. I can’t help it, but this reminds me of a similar incident on “Carnival Splendor”, a ship of generally the same design as the “Concordia”. Is there anyone with reliable information about that aspect? My thoughts are with the passengers and crew right now.
Peter Newall
January 14, 2012 at 5:02 am
How can this happen in home waters? She is now the largest-ever passenger ship to be lost, the first over 100,000g and the second Italian cruise ship to run aground this week!
Peter
Patrick Le Bihan
January 14, 2012 at 6:15 am
well , a navigation equipments problems, an human error, a lack of concentration with watch people in the wheelhouse !! or a lack of people in the wheelhouse ? ?
Remember in November 2011 the double ended ferry called ” EKNES”ran aground at 23h00 on a route far from the terminal ! Good weather,clear night ??
Patrick
Kenneth Eden
January 14, 2012 at 6:22 am
What a tragedy, for the passengers and crew to endure such trauma.
Word in the states is that 3-4 pax are dead, 14 deemed missing, cabins and staterooms being searched. Of course this is not verified.
Reason given,on TV news, possible “technical navigational equipment failure”. Time will tell.
Whatever the reason this is most unfortunate.
Locals from neighboring islands helped rescue passengers by boat and gave them safe haven in their homes overnight. Again, merely repeating what has been on the TV news.
Bob Graham
January 14, 2012 at 6:41 am
Lots of questions about this one, all huge. I notice the gash is on her port side, but she has heeled over on her starboard beam. Why was she apparently close to shore in the first place? Did the blackout cause total loss of steering (there are supposed to be redundant systems)? Do naval architects, shipbuilders, and classification societies pay enough attention to RESERVE stability, needed in the event of hull damage and water intrusion? And again, the eternal issue about the difficulty of launching lifeboats satisfactorily when a vessel takes a sharp list.
I fear that lifeboat drills have taken on a perfunctory nature — a “chore” to be taken care of when convenience permits.
While the news could have been worse, this is nevertheless a seismic event for the cruise industry.
Hank
January 14, 2012 at 7:04 am
That is sad. And Thc Costa Concordia has only been in service about 5 years. And already it looks devastated.
Ben
January 14, 2012 at 7:28 am
This is quite simple really = bad navigation = to close to shore = hit a submerged rock ( although they are calling it a sand bar ) sand bars to not rip 50 foot holes in the bottom side of a ship so it was a rock or the rocky bottom of the bay = They were to close to shore!
John P
January 14, 2012 at 7:43 am
How very sad. I will be interested to see how badly damaged the interior is and also the rescue mission. I wonder what they will do with her. Brings back memories of the Sea Diamond in santorini in 2007. RIP to those who’s lives were taken.
Joe Sturges
January 14, 2012 at 7:46 am
I’m sorry to have to say this, but an accident of this magnitude was not a matter of IF, but WHEN. Very large, very tall ships with over 4,000 souls on board, no matter what kind of navigational equipment is installed, are prone to issues at sea that more traditionally designed vessels were not. You still have human control over and all the technology in the world cannot overcome error in human judgment or freak occurences like rogue waves. A couple of years ago another very large ship, owned by Princess I think, heeled over at speed off the east coast of the United States. It’s time shipowners stopped worrying about filling their pockets, and were more concerned with aspects of safety and anomalies which occur at sea. Thankfully relatively few lives, at this point, seem to have been lost. But even a few is too many. Thanks for the opportunity to comment.
Kenneth Eden
January 14, 2012 at 8:39 am
The news on this side of the pond is mostly negative concerning the crew, the abandon ship, OR lack of calling for it, the captain abandoned ship while passeengers wre trying to get in the lifeboats, of poorly organized crew – you name it, its out there.
We will probably never know, my missives above are not mine, they are what is being presented in cable news reports. The pictures and video air exceptional, to be sure. But, nothing can detract, not cover up this now seemingly major tragedy.
Currently, reports, Reuters, have gone from 12-14 missing, to over 70, and MORE, and no number of missing given for the crew. Citing that its getting dark, diver searches will come to an end.
I took the NIEUW AMSTERDAM this past summer from Venice, and believe it or not, there was NO lifeboat drill. An annoucement was made on board that due to “tides” there would none. What gives there?
A while ago Epirotiki had a capsized ship, was it the JASON or NEPPTUNE, that was dried up and cleaned and sailed after repairs.
This is a call, an alert of the most importance for safety, not just for the bigger ships, but all of them.
Bob Graham
January 14, 2012 at 9:00 am
Further to Joe’s comment, are we missing something in the area of stability? Do modern cruise ships 12-15 decks high, 24-26 feet “wetted” have inherent stability, or is the industry depending upon artificial aids such as stabilizers (and accurate wx forecasting) to compensate for shortcomings in modern design and construction?
Do inclining tests accurately predict actual behavior at sea under adverse conditions, or when a hull is breached?
Like Joe, I think of the Princess that heeled nastily when the helm was inadvertently put hard over. Also, there was the Galaxy-class Celebrity hit by a line squall that flooded her upper deck with torrential rain. Same result. And a QE2 crewmember told me of a North Sea storm she encountered after getting her last batch of penthouse suites (and thus, more top-hamper). She said she heeled to an extent that the crew were scared.
A hundred years ago a great new liner was heralded as the last word in technology, a manmade triumph over the forces of nature. Now, it seems, there is more yet to be lesrned.
Dimitrios G. Chandris
January 14, 2012 at 11:12 am
1)This is very sad, and just imagine 4.5 years ago the same thing happened in Santorini with the Sea Diamond. I wonder if its safe anymore for cruise ships to call so closely to such exotic destinations with lots of underwater rocks.
2)More and more frequently I have been hearing on the news of cuisehips losing power. Maybe more attention should be focused on the reliability of the vessels propulsion and electrical systems.
My thoughts and prayers to all the pax and crew
Dave in NJ
January 14, 2012 at 11:28 am
Certainly my sympathies to those injured or dead. The one thought that keeps coming to my mind is the absence of a life boat drill. I’ve been on MANY cruises, many lines but mostly Holland America. I can’t think of an instance where we didn’t have the drill before departing the pier. What regulations cover the timing of life boat drills?
Ahab
January 14, 2012 at 11:57 am
Never put to sea on a Friday. Never, ever put to sea on Friday the 13th.
lily gowen
January 14, 2012 at 12:33 pm
Does any one know if this occurred during a period of low tide?
Friend Deming
January 14, 2012 at 1:25 pm
I thought the hull of each ship was built stronger, ever since the Titanic sank. And why does everyone refer to the Titanic I mean that vessel had an amazing fate. But we shouldn’t refer to that disaster anymore. Does anyone know how Costa Concordia floated 200-400 yards off course?
Bruce B. Lawton
January 14, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Bob Grahmn has already commeted about reserve stability.
Every cruise line ship that I’ve seen has given the first impression of being TOP HEAVY.
I would not Ever board one of these ships, unless it was at dock and I was saying a possible FINAL FAREWELL to someone.
Fabio Arditi
January 14, 2012 at 3:34 pm
To Lily Gowen. Ciao Lily, I’m an italian sailor. During summer I spent plenty of time island hopping around Tuscany Arcipelago and namely around Giglio Island. To be honest, Med sea is a “closed” one, so tides affect water depth less than 2 foot even in mean spring tide.
Well knowing that area, I feel it’s quite strange to see the ship being oriented that side, if leaving from Civitavecchia. What route they were doing ? What happended between the first hit passengers heard and evacuation order (circa. three hours, as per public news info) ? My thoughts to victims and a prayer for those still missing.
Steve Jones
January 14, 2012 at 4:50 pm
Did anyone put all the media reports, pictures, and mapping together. If you do your quickly find that although the ship has a Northernly heading it is clearly facing south. Anybody, go any answers on this one?
Kalle Id
January 14, 2012 at 5:22 pm
Dave in NJ: I believe the regulation about the safety drill is that it must be held within 24 from departure. On all cruises that I have been on that have held the drill, it’s been held the following day after departure. Which perhaps should be changed, but regarding the drill Costa did nothing wrong.
T-BUSH
January 15, 2012 at 2:53 am
My Bro was one of the Crew Member, he called to inform that the ship was sinking same like Titanic, first we thought it was a joke then he started to cry….
he was rescued and put up in the church, now shifted to a hotel. Prayer for those still missing.
David H
January 15, 2012 at 3:32 am
Check marinetraffic.com. From 20:23 to 20:37 it was on course 285 at 15.5 knots. Next 18 mins roughly course 350, slowing to 11 knots. After impact on port side about 400m from land, drifted on a roughly northerly heading until either brought round or drifted closer to shore, and southerly heading where it is now resting on sea bed.
des
January 15, 2012 at 5:49 am
it is a sad loss when a ship goes down and people are lost. it is a good job that it capsized close to shore and most people were saved. on a lighter note though how long before PADI divers are charging people to visit a 114,000 ton ship wreck
PR
January 15, 2012 at 6:55 am
British papers are reporting that the “black boxes” have been recovered so there will be some “definitive answers” “sometime!
What is puzzling is that logic says that the exposed damage should have caused her to heel “into” the damage — does that mean there is also a hull breech on the underside that is of even greater magnitude?
Finally, the COSTA CONCORDIA is the a sister to the CARNIVAL SPENDOR so I “assume” she has the same power plant. Does this mean there is an inherent problem in the whole platform of sister ships (COSTA, CARNIVAL and HAC) With the pictures showing the upper deckk blackout there was a power plant problem “somewhere” Maybe ships should have separate, compartmentalized, generator/back up systems??
Hans-Peter
January 15, 2012 at 8:10 am
The vessel hit the rock at the port side and took a list of some degrees first. The passengers were asked to move to their boat stations. So many lifeboats of the port side could obviously be launched at the very start of the disaster.
As the list increased to the dangerous 7 – 1o degrees, officers and crew might have performed a counter flooding manoever – filling tanks or compartments of the starboard side to regain the ship’s stability.
Question is why she has this tremendous starboard list now?
By the counter measures to prevent the ship’s sinking by the port’s leaks that necessary counter flooding to starboard could only be achieved successfully if the crew accepted more list to starboard than the ship could take
Well, imagine they managed to make a 16 points turn and with increasing list to put her hull “safely” on to the submerged rocks to prevent her from further sinking or capsizing over on starboard side in deep waters.
Hans-Peter
January 15, 2012 at 8:27 am
Besides my wrong assumption of a 16 points turn it could have happened like this, I think.
Douglas
January 15, 2012 at 9:11 pm
One gentleman called the crew heroes. Really? The captain evidently abandoned ship before the passengers could get off. Reports are that the ship didn’t sound the abandon ship horns until a half hour after the collision. This wasted time allowed the ship to sink to one side. Under international maritime law, a ship is supposed to be able to move passengers to life boats within 30 minutes. The removal of passengers in this case took several hours after the delayed abandon ship alert. Heroes indeed!
Capt Hugh Vas
January 15, 2012 at 11:16 pm
Very very sad for the passengers as well as for the seafarers and the shipping industry too. Hard to believe that such a large ship was navigating so close to the island, and that it heeled over to starboard so rapidly after the hard grounding that took place. FORTUNATELY, the weather condition was good at the time of this accident because otherwise the Mediterranean Sea is generally very very bad during the winter season in which case the loss of life would have certainly been much more.
Mauretania1907
January 15, 2012 at 11:26 pm
I suggest we all wait for the true story to come out before we begin to lay blame.
Marty
January 17, 2012 at 9:23 am
If the chart I saw with the actual approved path of the Concordia is correct, then the Ship was on the wrong side of the Island of Gigglio to begin with. AND something or someone turned that ship around, because it came to rest facing in the opposite direction to which it was sailing. Seems as thoug there are still a lot of questions to be asked and a lot of answers to be heard. i would like to hear the real story.