Refloating the Concordia

Figured a new thread is in order about the Concordia and how to raise it as the other one is very deep and wide.

How would one refloat the concordia?

Air bags?
What happens when the ship gains bouyancy and starts to slide off the rocks into deeper water?

 

Complex task. Review the history of Smits salvage of the nuclear sub Kursk and the use of giant barges. I would think that first the salvage experts plug the holes and then whatever barge or flotation device is used to bring her back on her lines will be customized to the task and huge.

http://www.smit.com/kursk/photos/index.htm

 

I would guess that the best solution is to re-float and scrap in a dry dock.
Isn't the procedure to patch then pump?
She will continue to downflood as long as she is over on her side... patch the port tear, roll upright, patch starboard and pump? All the while trying to keep her on the shelf.
Yikes.


Could the starboard rail be coffered to surface so as to allow pumping while still over?
Fabric, steel, membrane coffer or combination of all?
Or perhaps plate over all of the windows doors etc...?

Early on there talk of girding the ship with cabling run from port rail, under ship to shore as a means of keeping her on the shelf.
Engineering offices have computers modeling it all as we speak-It will be interesting to see how the problem is approached.

Edit- OK, just glanced at a photo- whew, she is really settled over on her side. Forget coffering or getting all of the submerged openings sealed..

 

It can be refloated and made to work again. They did in WW2 to most of the ships sunk in Pearl Harbour. Not only were they more sunk, and hit by bombs, they had old technology using hard hat divers. Now will anyone ever sail in her? That is a different question. All the electronics are shot, so much for hybrid/electric propulsion.

To refloat all you need are a few large barges, a lot of air compressors, and some welders willing to risk their lives.

 

A further problem is that now she is laying on a verge of an underwater cliff and, according to news reports I've read last week, the rocks are starting to crack beneath her. The countdown for her plunging to 100 m depth has already started, we just don't know how much time is left...

 

Why cant they chain the vessel to shore ?

 

She is too heavy to lift or chain, but she is easy to float. I have done salvage before, and in spite her size this shouldn't be that hard. The only problem is liability. Specially with fuel on board.

You work with tides, but basically seal her up, flip her over, pump the water out using air pressure, but cliff may go. That is what problem is, then again cliffs can be very strong and ship can break. They just better hurry before storm season comes or all bets at off.

 

Sure...a chain will keep her from sliding down slope just as it keeps a vessel from being blown with the wind.

They cant float the vessel on her side..she must be returned to upright, lifted and pumped.

How they lift is the question.

Obviously Big equipment and very many marine engineers with pencils.

I would think that at present the engineering solution is at hand...only a skilled salvage crew and equipment must be located.

 

And is it worth it to try?

If they fail, they loose millions.

Risky business.

-Tom

 

Blast the pillars and create an awesome dive park

 

She should be easy to raise by classic salvage pontoon with patch and pump methods, but she would be a constructive total loss as the cost of refitting would far exceede the cost of new construction.

The ships were salvaged at Pearl Harbor because it was literally a "throw money at it" problem; i.e. what the US Navy was lacking was time, not money. It takes 4-6 years to construct a capital ship, but you could refit one in two at twice the cost. It is interesting to note that of the belligerents of WWII, very few capital ships (5-6 CV's and 2-3 CA's all US) laid down after the start of the war were finished before the war ended. For naval construction it is very true that you have to fight the war with what you have at the start.

 

VERY TRUE "that you have to fight the war with what you have at the start."
That is why a strongish military is better than less.

 

Have been searching for other large ship refloating ops.

The Cougar Ace
http://www.enmalayalam.com/home/en/topic/general/5522

"It would also be difficult to prevent the ship from being dragged instead of turned when pulling it. The ship needs a pivotal point which is able to withstand strong force.

Van Rooij said that if one anchor can hold 200 to 300 tonnes, a 45,000-tonne ship would require at least 150 anchors for support, making it impractical to work around it ."

???

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/27/costa-concordia-disaster_n_1236029.html

 

The Islands inhabitants should buy the ship.

Use explosives on the supporting rocks . Sink the ship in deep water. This small island will re coupe far more in diving than the ship is worth.

 

Costa would be far ahead donating ship and sinking, so people forget about this. The cruise industry is scaring away their customers with all their stupidity.