Last voyage for Costa Concordia cruise ship

Anything on how long the capsize took? In the photo above (post #172) of the shop going past the island it doesn't seem have a major list. This photo in Post 22 shows a distinct list, but the lights are on and the ship is not near being on its side. People are visible crowded on the high side of the decks. Looks like the capsize may have taken a while.

The assumption seems to be that the visible gash now above the water on the port side led to the flooding which caused the capsize. But I wonder if there might have been significant damage on the starboard side which actually led to the capsize.

 

Here is a timeline:

9.42pm Concordia hits granite outcrop off Giglio, tearing a massive gash in its hull.

9.45pm Alarm is raised but by passengers, not captain, and via a circuitous route. One passenger calls his parents in Tuscany, who call the local Carabinieri, who then call the coastguard in Livorno on the Tuscan coast.

10.05pm Capt Schettino radios Costa Crociere, the ship’s owners, and raises alarm.

10.06pm Coastguard calls Capt Schettino and asks him what is going on. He tells them “It’s all OK, it’s just a blackout, we’re taking care of the situation.”

10.16pm Coastguard calls him again and he admits water is coming into the hull but says there is no emergency.

10.30pm Under pressure from the coastguard, the captain agrees to send a Mayday signal – 50 minutes after the collision. The ship is by now listing at 20 degrees.

10.50pm Again under pressure from the coastguard, the captain orders the ship to be abandoned – 70 minutes after the vessel smashed into the rock.

11.40pm Capt Schettino reportedly gets into a lifeboat. Passengers, including women and young children, are still on board.

00.40am Captain tells coastguard: “I’m co-ordinating the rescue.” In fact, he is in the lifeboat. A coastguard official tells him: 'You’re in a lifeboat? Get back on your ship immediately.’

00.50am In the captain’s absence, the coastguard takes control of the operation.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...e-of-how-the-Concordia-disaster-unfolded.html



I wouldn't take it all for facts...

 

I'm still amazed the death toll is so low.

 

is there a thread on the mechanics of raising this thing. Its going to be quite the process and it would be very interesting to be able to follow its progress

 

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/travel/...uld-be-refloated/story-fn32891l-1226246043110

The 290-metre-long 114,500-tonne vessel "could be righted by means of balloons and once refloated towed away by tugs," Pier Luigi Foschi head of the Costa Crociere line said.

 

that's more than a deep bow, or a curtsey. That's PROSTRATING oneself before the island!

 

A video has surfaced showing that ship passing the same island, very close in, on another occasion. Sure to figure in the wash-up, that this appears to have been a habit.

 

most "habits" are dangerous! They're done without thinking.

 

Il capitano will find there are più squalo a terra.

Sad. All this waste of lives for a saluto. What a brutta notte.

He will have to learn new habits now.

 

The audio recordings of the two phone calls from the Coast Guard (CG - commander De Falco) to commander Francesco Schettino (FS) of the ship Costa Concordia. Very interesting and impressive. It tells us two things:
1) Francesco Schettino has tried to lie in every occasion, to protect himself and to justify his actions.
2) don't trust the reconstructions done by journalists (ref. to my post #140).

First call: http://video.corriere.it/schettino-...ti-acqua/a5aa6c02-40ff-11e1-b71c-2a80ccba9858

The audio starts with the commander De Falco (CG) talking to his men, while the phone is ringing: "Ok, find out how much time will the divers need to get there. I've asked at Civitavecchia to send me more divers".
FS: Hello?
CG: Commander, I am De Falco from Livorno.
FS: Yes, ok - I have allerted the Costa too. They have told me that there are passengers on board, it looks like there around a hundred persons. But I repeat...
CG: Commander, you cannot give me the exact number? "Around hundred persons", "looks like"...?
FS: Well, I cannot give you the exact number becasue, let me explain... We were evacuating all the passengers, but now the officials are all around here.
CG: Where are you? On the lifeboats, all the officials?
FS: Yes, there are myself, my second...
CG: But previously you have claimed to be there with just one sailor. If the officials have managed to reach your liferaft, it means that it is still possible to walk aboard the ship?
FS: Yes, in fact. Now...
CG: And then why don't they get back on board to examine the situation and then report back? Thanks.
FS: Now it is impossible...
CG: Send them back on board. Get one person on board, to coordinate the rescue.
FS: I am coordinating them.
CG: I am giving you an order, commander. You have to send someone on board.
FS: We will get on board to coordinate.
CG: Exactly. You have to get back on board, and coordinate the evacuation. Is that clear?
FS: But we cannot climb on board anymore now. The ship is...
CG: Why did you let them leave the ship, comander?
FS: What do you mean "let them leave"? We have abandoned the ship. The ship has heeled...
CG: And with still 100 persons on board you abandon the ship, dammit?
FS: I have not abandoned the ship with 100 persons on board. It's just that the ship has heeld quickly, we have finished in water.
CG: (a moment of surprise) We will determine later what has happened, ok? Now you have to let me know every single thing that is happening there. Remain under the ship with your liferaft and don't move away, is that clear?
FS: We are here, commander, we are here.
(the phone hangs down)


Second call: http://video.corrierefiorentino.corriere.it/telefonate-il-comandante-capitaneria/cf-167017

CG: Hello?
FS: Tell me...
CG: I am De Falco from Livorno, commander
FS: (hardly understandable but sounds like: "sh*t, the commander" with a scared voice)
CG: Hello?
FS: Yes... G... Good evening commander.
CG: Listen, I am De Falco from Livorno, am I talking to the commander?
FS: Yes, good evening commander De Falco, I am...
CG: Tell me your name, plase!
FS: I am commander Schettino, commander.
CG: Schettino?
FS: Yes.
CG: Listen, Schettino. There are persons trapped in the ship. Now you go with your lifeboat under the stem of the ship, starboard side. There is a jacob. You will climb that jacob and board the ship. You board the ship and then will tell me how many persons are still there. Is that clear? I am registering this communication, commander Schettino.
FS: Well, commander, let me tell you one thing...
CG: Talk louder!
FS: Ok, the ship now... I am here in front of...
CG: Talk louder, put a hand around the microphone and talk louder! Is it clear?
FS: (talking to someone close to him: "Sit down. Let him come here, let him come here!"). Commander, in this moment the ship is listed.
CG: I understand that. Listen up. There are persons who are decending the jacob at the stem. You will now move over that jacob in the opposite direction, get on board and will tell me how many persons there and what (equipment) do they have. Clear?
FS: (silence)
CG: You will tell me if there are women, children or persons who need an assistance. And you will tell me the number of persons in each one of these categories. Is that clear?
FS: (silence)
CG: Look, Schettino. You may have saved yourself from the sea, but I will get you in a sea of troubles. Get on board!
FS: Commander, please...
CG: No! Please, now you go and get on board! And let me know that you are on board.
FS: I am aboard the liferaft and am not going to leave or get away, I am here...
CG: What are you doing, commander?
FS: I am coordinating the rescue, I am here...
CG: What are you coordinating from there? Get on board and coordinate the resue from the ship!
FS: (silence)
CG: Are you refusing to comply?
FS: No, no, I am not refusing...
CG: Are you refusing to get on board, commander?
FS: I am...
CG: Tell me the motivation for not going there
FS: I am not going there because there is another lifeboat halted there
CG: You get on board, this is an order! You don't have to say anything else, you have declared the abandoning ship, now I assume command. And get on board! Is that clear?
FS: Commander...
CG: You can't hear me? Go! There is my rescuer there.
FS: Where is your rescuer?
CG: My rescuer is on the stem. Move on! There are already dead people, Schettino! Move on!
FS: How many dead people?
CG: I don't know. I know about one. YOU have to tell me that, for Christ!
FS: Do you realize that it is dark here, we don't see anything?
CG: And what do you want to do? Get back home, Schettino? It's dark, you want to go home?
FS: Look...
CG: Climb up that jakob on the stem, and tell me what has to be done, how many persons are there and what are their needs!
FS: I am going there. (incomprehensible)
CG: What?
FS: I am together with the second in command here.
CG: Then climb on board both of you. What is his name?
FS: Dimitri
CG: Dimitri what?
FS: Dimitri Christidis
CG: You and your second get on board now. Is that clear?
FS: Look, I want to get on board. But there is this second lifeboat with rescuers which has stopped there. Now they have called other rescuers...
CG: You, it's been an hour since you are repeating the same thing. Now you get on board. Get on b-o-a-r-d. And you will have to tell me immediately how many persons are there.
FS: All right, commander. I am going...
CG: Move on, now! (Da Falco hangs down)

It took me a nice effort to translate the conversation. Any jobs available at the Echelon?

 

cobarde codardo

 

De Falco from Livorno will certainly get it sorted.

 

I saw a flash report on TV of a Filipino crew of Costa Concordia being interviewed. He said he saw the Master dining with a woman at the time of accident.

Was it somewhere that he claimed he was on the bridge at the time? Boy, he must be lying.

 

It seems women will be scarce where he is going.

Non far cadere il sapone.

 

maybe not. They still segregate prisoners by sex. Woosies together