Costa Concordia sinks off the coast of Italy

So why do you scrap a ship for 100 Million Euros when the ship's pure salvage value is according to the media 15 Million Euros?!

Why do not they remove all the stuff and substances dangerous for the enviroment and send this piece of scrap to the ground of the sea. Would it not be cheaper and after all the tragedy had one good consequence for the enviroment: Creating a new artificial reef. I guess this idea ist to utopian..

However kudos to those salvage workers who made the salvage finally happen. I am shure the people of Giglio are thankful as they can now close the last chapter of this tragedy.

In Europe, we have a term in our insurance contracts, meaning the insurance company does not have to pay in case of intent or gross negligence.

There was so much evidence of gross negligence in the chain of events of this tragedy both by this unspeakable "captain" and by the shipping company, that no insurance should have been forced to pay for this mess. An insurance is a solidarity-based system. The other members of this insurance will have to pay the bill by higher rates and the taxpayer by lower taxes from this company due to their losses.

The reimbursement of the costs of this accident and this shuffling out of responsibility of Costa from any lawsuit by paying this laughable fine is an affront against all honorable and hard working captains and ship owners of the commercial shipping world, period!

Guys, you're asking for people and companies to own up to their responsibilities and accept the consequences of their actions. This is 2014. That sort of thinking could put lawyers out of business.

Were I that captain and did what he did there'd have probably been a bullet in my brain by nightfall, but again, this is 2014. Were I that company's CEO I'd be ashamed of every being associated with it if it weren't bankrupted. That's just not how it works today. Protect the company and its shareholders at all cost, and let that cost trickle down the line until eventually yes, the guy digging ditches will foot the bill.

This is true, but I highly doubt the CEO knew exactly what the Captain was doing. We see it all of the time. Look at that 103' Lazzara where the Captain and Mate were smuggling drugs with it. I doubt the Owner had any idea. If he did, he'd be in jail right there with them.

Drone video from the transport of Costa Concordia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2JS6illgYQ#t=87

Sorry, but the boss is responsible for what his company does. Unfortunately, not legally.

Criminally-IF HE IS KNOWLEDGABLE. 1 Person cannot be every place at the same time and know what every employee is doing at every moment. If the actions of Shettino were against company policy and the company does enforce their policies when they know they are violated, then how is the CEO responsible legally. He is just another employee of the company working for the owners of the company with the board of directors telling him what he can and cannot do, which would be millions of different people that own part of the company.

If your lawn man happens to steal your neighbors weedeater without your knowledge and they arrest him. Should they arrest you as well because he is working for you? Should you have to pay for the weedeater because he was working for you? If you told your lawn man to take your neighbors weedeater, then they should arrest you. But if he did it without your knowledge??? You make these blanket statements that really aren't ethical.

Yes, the CEO runs the company, but do you think 1 person knows what 10,000 employees are doing at every exact moment? Also a good employee can get on drugs without others knowledge and start doing wreckless things or stealing and it takes a while for a lot of people to figure out who it is......

It is not that easy.

It is all about company policies, SOPs and obeying and enforcing all of them plus IMO and SOLAS rules. If the management loosens the reins for profit reasons, how would you expect your workforce to stick to those rules. Permanent administrative supervision, rule enforcement and control plus regular audits are the key elements of the safe operation of any means of transportation, on the seven seas, on the roads and in the air.

Ships with innocent and helpless passengers in open waters with open watertight bulkheads below the waterline (for crew convinience), crews without STCW training and tickets, no safety drills with crews and passengers, POB not listed on any crew- or passenger list, crews without knowledge about their muster station, crews unable to lower a rescue boat and much more things like this are IMO evidence of gross negligence by the management (and the commanding officers of the ship) and those losses of lifes should be treated as manslaughter. Not only this caricature of a captain should go to jail.

We have a saying in Germany: A dead fish always starts stinking at the head !!

Blizzard on point. Red Wolf in reserve.

Live Ships Map - AIS - Vessel Traffic and Positions - AIS Marine Traffic

Scrapping of Costa Concordia

This was a pretty smart move of the Italian Officials.

The scrapping was ordered by Italian government to take place in Italy for "enviromental reasons" .

The insurance (Lloyds Underwriter ?) will have to pay for scrapping. The first line insurance will ask the reinsurance (Munich Re ?) for reimbursement. So, no Italian company or the Italian taxpayer pays a dime. The wreckage goes to an unsused drydock and some or even many Italian companies will have a profitable job for 22 month (at least). Some more profit will be made with and on the scrap material (steel, cupper, usable loose items, etc.).

I would call this a win win situation for Italy, its local economy and Costa.

The only situation, that could ruin that planned profit, would be the sudden sinking of that beaten ship on its last journey in very deep water . They would even save the money for the salvage tugs (no pay if the line breaks).

And this nit wit just can't shut his good for nothing trap....

From the article in the Telegraph News Paper

By Josephine McKenna, Rome2:10PM BST 24 Jul 2014
As the Costa Concordia shipwreck made its way north on Thursday after successfully departing from Giglio, former captain Francesco Schettino provoked a new furore after accusing people on the island of profiteering from the disaster.

Speaking from the southern island of Ischia near Naples where he was photographed partying last weekend, Schettino said he did not want to speak about the ship’s departure before going on to criticise residents.
“They are speculating about my presence on an island in Campania, while the real exploitation of a tragedy is happening on Giglio where they are renting balconies with a view of the Concordia’s departure,” Schettino told Italian media.

The mayor of Giglio, Sergio Ortelli, immedately responded to Schettino’s comments saying the captain had no “sense of shame”.
“How can you speak about exploitation on the part of the people of Giglio when it was really them who replaced those who had a duty to save thousands of people when the ship was wrecked,” Mr Ortelli said.

Schettino said he was a guest of the publisher Graus who had invited him to the island as he was planning to write a book about his life, including the “unpublished” aspects of the shipwreck that killed 32 people in January 2012 as well as the details of his trial.
“It seems to me to be right and proper to offer a different perspective,” Schettino said.

“The book will contain unpublished (information) and will help to make people better understand the facts of what occurred.”
As for the photos that showed the ex-skipper suntanned and relaxed and partying with female friends, Schettino said he had always been happy to be photographed as a captain. "I never denied anyone a photograph when I was captain, or now. I consider it a demonstration of affection and esteem towards me," he said.

At around 1pm local time, a day after the Costa Concordia wreck was towed out of the port of Giglio with an armada of 14 ships, the convoy was 56 nautical miles north of the island and about six nautical miles west of Pianosa in Tuscan archipelago in Ligurian Sea.

There were concerns that the shipwreck may disintegrate if weather deteriorated but officials say the weather conditions are good and seas are calm.
An inspection of the ship early in Thursday showed no problems with the large steel sponsons that are keeping it afloat, officials said.

Members of the salvage team have said they are confident they would be able to deliver the ship to Genoa without any more catastrophes.

The Concordia capsized in Jan 2012 with the loss of 32 lives, including a five-year-old Italian girl and members of the ship’s crew.

Boy oh Boy......Schettino is really full of himself isn't he.......He ought to be hanged.

Perhaps he is prepping himself for the next Presidential election in the USA,

or, at a minimum, Senator or Secretary of State position.

Sadly, we have done worse.

Costa Concordia tow

The fleet with the tow of CC is presently some 10 to 12 NM south of Genua but heading away from it. That does not look like they will be arriving before sundown, if they are going to the harbour of Genua at all.

They seem to be turning toward Genoa,

staying out of the main travel lanes.


Live Ships Map - AIS - Vessel Traffic and Positions - AIS Marine Traffic

CC tow

Yes, it looks like they are steering some kind of arc around Genua, in order to cross the main traffic routes in a rectangular manner. May be, they are loitering over night outside the high density traffic area and enter the harbour tomorrow morning. As the tow commander, I would definately not lead such a giant tow into a narrow harbour like Genua during night.

From the press release 7/25;

There are still about 60 nautical miles to reach Genoa Prà-Voltri and, after 2 days of navigation, the Concordia is now about 20 miles West from La Spezia. At the moment, the convoy has an average speed of about 1.7 knots which could be further slowed down in the next hours in order to allow the arrival in front of the port between Saturday night and Sunday morning, as per plan. The entrance in the port will be on Sunday morning, July 27th.
Today weather and sea conditions have been good, with calm sea and light wind from the south. A worsening of weather conditions is forecasted for tonight, with local rains in Liguria until tomorrow at noon. Weather conditions will improve in the afternoon to then become stable from the evening and on Sunday.

From the press release 7/26;

Less than 20 nautical miles is the remaining distance that the Concordia has to cover to reach the port of Genoa Prà-Voltri, after little more than three days of navigation.
At the moment, the convoy travels at a speed of about 1 knot per hour. That speed will be further reduced in the coming hours so to allow the arrival in the port, as expected, during the night between Saturday and Sunday and the following entrance into the port during the morning of Sunday July 27th.

CC Tow

Sounds like the salvage tow team are real professionals. They do it exactly as expected. To bad, that only CCs last journey goes as perfect as it should be.

Lets hope, that at least Costa has learned a few lessons out of this tragedy, the captain of CC definitely not.

My family has been involved in the incident itself and the tow of the burned out large cruise liner TS Hanseatic, which caught fire in the harbour of NY in September 1966. The very defficult tow across the Atlantic Ocean back to Germany was a real challenge to all parties involved. Also I was still a schoolboy, it was the main subject at home and in the family at that time.

But the tow of this giant wreckage with its buoyancy tanks around the hull must be much more difficult. The permanent danger of this former great ship breaking apart during the tow is very imminent. I can only wish those salvage crews the success of bringing CC to its final destination without any more harm to the enviroment and the life and health of those seamen involved.