A closer look at the Costa Concordia cruise ship

Okay, by now I am sure we've all read and heard some things about the Cruise Ship and it's apparent hot rodding Captain who ran it aground and killed several people.

I came across this photo series this evening and I believe the full size ones show details the media sets have not been released with high enough quality to show. This set also gives a few new angles at very close range I'd not seen before. I've posted a few and the link to see the full series. Enjoy..

First up is a straight scale comparison to the U.S.S. Nimitz in length and beam. Length is nearly the same, as the image shows.




Now I am still baffled as to how and why they didn't simply shuttle people the couple hundred yards to dry rock, if conditions on the ship were not acceptable. I can understand people not realizing the ship couldn't fully sink due to the fact it's healed over ONTO solid rock...but land ahoy! RIGHT THERE!....



And finally, it wouldn't be complete without a pic showing the guest of honor to this whole mess. The offending rock, still sitting IN the middle of the wreck of what used to be the Hull of the ship.



Here is the source link for the full series of full quality/size images. What a MESS!

Cruise Ship Photo Series

As to why not shuttling people to shore my first question would be how where the seas at the time and how much does low and high tide effect the area, that could answer that question.

Beyond that it certainly seems to be a bizarre accident.

reply to post by benrl

Weather showed clear with a light breeze the night this happened...but it could have simply been too chaotic to fully realize they were that close to land the night it happened.

Now something that got my attention in the photo series is toward the end where they show multiple enclosed motor boats being used in the rescue. The reason they got my attention was the name stenciled across their stern. 'Costa Concordia'. So...This captain had enclosed cabin type motorized launches to work with that night..and he STILL turned tail and literally argued with shore control about returning. Wow.... I hope they throw the book at him.

He's a captain.. How about community service? (grin) What is the absolute worst type of large ship currently sailing the seas to work as a worthless deckhand on? Sentence this captain to several years on THAT ship..whatever it may be...and find the worst, most verbally and emotionally abusive crusty old Captain to run it as they can while THIS 'Captain' is serving his time off...doing the worst jobs the ship has to offer.

Who needs prison? The bowels of a large ship at sea is all the prison anyone needs, eh?

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Ironically, one of the photos, the one with the Helicopter hovering over the ship, has a couple of boats in the foreground.

One is named Posidens Son.

It seems to me by the reports I have heard is it happened fairly quickly and the problem was the new orientation of the boat. Everything was flipped on its side making it hard to get to and down corridors exiting the boat. Divers looking for remains are reporting being disorientated.

All I can say is a big fat FAIL on the part of the captain!

odd note
the web bot report for 2012 out in december '11 forcast a greek ship wreck would be heavily featured in the nooze

This is a great link. I have been looking for better pictures.

Can someone explain to me how the water is still in the pool on top? Maybe I didn't pay enough attention in Science class. Don't get me wrong, I'm not shouting conspiracy or anything outlandish, it just made my mind do a double-take.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


There are many more close up photos appearing from that cruise ship, Mail Online seems to have some of the best.

Some shocking stories are now developing what really went on and the saddest part other than loss of life some husbands/fathers shunned their own wives and children to save themselves. No doubt there will be some divorces on the horizon for a number of families.

Like they said, it was every man for himself aboard that vessel however there are afew heroes, one of a young British man who stood 6'3 and used the length of his body for women and children as a plank for women and children to get across a dangerous gap. The young man, bless him, survived.

Here's part of the transcript between Captain Coward and the Italian Coastguard.....

www.dailymail.co.uk...

No doubt, 60 Mins will do a documentary from among some of the survivors.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Why didn't they shuttle the people to the rock?

The captain abandoned ship with all the high ranking officers (completely # faced from the sounds of the recordings..)

The crew that remained were not charged with organizing an evacuation, and with the entire officer staff gone there was no one to tell them what to do. So there seems to have been crew members running every which way giving conflicting statements. Then the boat tipped. At that point half the life boats are lost, most of the people climbed onto the hull or swam to the rocks.

Had this happened in the middle of the ocean thousands may have died.

It was also really dark, and with the boat on it's side, the confusion, the panic, I'm betting most didn't even realize that the island was so close.

reply to post by Rockpuck


It was mostly the passengers working with the Italian Coastguard helping people; the crew members were among the first to jump. The Coastguard was already at the haul while Captain Moron and his officers were out in their life rafts whining at the Coastguard when he was ordered back to the ship.

reply to post by benrl


I would also add to that the screeching sounds the ship was making, the fact it was night and lights were going out due to the water rushing into the ship all add up to make it a very confusing situation for those involved.

For example, for those who jumped into the sea to swim to shore, if they jumped on the opposite side tot he shore they may not have realised it was so close.

With any disaster of this nature, people split into 2 main distinct camps. Those that flap and panic (probably me if at sea!) and those that take it in their stride (the group that provides the heroes).

Thanks for the comparison to Wrabbit - the pics certainly help. When i was reading the initial reports over the weekend i was thinking the water displacement was similar to aircraft carriers in World War 2 so it must be a huge ship.

Have to say, the whole thing is just another reason for me never to go on a cruise anywhere! The sea is totally fascinating and absorbing but frankly scares the beejesus out of me!