Costa Concodria - Recovery and Future?

[BestWestern]

Hi All,

I've been reading with some interest - and of course deep sadness - the ongoing reports on the fate of the Costa Concordia, which has of course capsized off the island of Giglio. Do we have any forum members with marine industry experience who might be able to take some educated punts on the future of the ship itself, once search & rescue and fuel recovery operations are completed?

I'm curious about the obvious challenges of recovering such an enormous vessel from such a perilous position, I'd imagine that even with the wealth of specialist knowledge available it will be an extremely difficult job? My guess would be that they'll break her up on site, but some media reports mention the possibility of her being refloated and towed. An initial statement from her owners even tenuously hinted that she may return to service, admitting only that she would be out of use for the rest of the financial year, though presumably this is in reality highly unlikely. Even if she were sold and renamed word would presumably soon spread of her past, and a certain stigma would make her an unattractive choice for passengers I would imagine. Of course all of this may well become academic if the suggestions that she may shift and fall into the deep come true.

Anybody have any thoughts?

 

[maxnod]

According to yesterdday's Daily Mail, she currently sits on a shelf in 60 feet of water.
If the sea gets rough she may slide into water 300 feet deep and seriously damage herself.
IMHO, the captain was a coward but he has been flung aside by the operating company to take the blame with indecent haste.

 

[mbonwick]

I can full well see her being refloated. SMIT Salvage are one of the biggest outfits out there, but it won't be cheap.

I know we can't see the submerged side of the wreck, but it does worry me that it listed one way then capsized the other. That suggests that either the internal ballast tank walls were breached and/or watertight doors were left open. I sincerely hope its the latter as that will make salvage much easier.

 

[BestWestern]

According to yesterday's Daily Mail, she currently sits on a shelf in 60 feet of water.
If the sea gets rough she may slide into water 300 feet deep and seriously damage herself.
IMHO, the captain was a coward but he has been flung aside by the operating company to take the blame with indecent haste.

I totally agree. They'd publically hung him way before they could possibly have had any firm idea of what took place. He may well have been to blame, and time will tell, but I don't like the whiff of scapegoat.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I can full well see her being refloated. SMIT Salvage are one of the biggest outfits out there, but it won't be cheap.

I know we can't see the submerged side of the wreck, but it does worry me that it listed one way then capsized the other. That suggests that either the internal ballast tank walls were breached and/or watertight doors were left open. I sincerely hope its the latter as that will make salvage much easier.

So presumably the reports are correct that she effectively 'fell over' rather than actually capsizing due to any water flooding into the hull? Would seem odd otherwise (to an uneducated observer!) how she rolled onto the opposite side to where the breach ocurred.

I'm guessing refloated and towed off for scrap rather than repaired?

 

[mbonwick]

It's impossible to know at this stage what exactly happened to make it capsize. However, ships don't just 'fall over'. All it takes is a small gust of wind to make the ship roll a little and thousands of tonnes of water to slosh from side to side (the free surface effect).

In light of the modernity of this ship I would actually expect it to be returned to service if it is refloated, though probably with a different operator.

 

[Schnellzug]

Haven't they supposedly been cutting through wreckage with explosives? That couldn't do it much good, surely.

 

[amcluesent]

though probably with a different operator

Sold the the Chinese either as scrap or refurbed.

 

[Schnellzug]

Sold the the Chinese either as scrap or refurbed.

That wouldn't surprise me at all, actually. Even if she was sold for scrap, I expect they could put her back into service, since almost certainly no Western company would buy her, would they. I mean, it would have been quite possible to put the Herald of Free Enterprise back into service, since she was hardly damaged, but they'd never have been likely to find a buyer.

 

[BestWestern]

That wouldn't surprise me at all, actually. Even if she was sold for scrap, I expect they could put her back into service, since almost certainly no Western company would buy her, would they. I mean, it would have been quite possible to put the Herald of Free Enterprise back into service, since she was hardly damaged, but they'd never have been likely to find a buyer.

Yup that'd be the biggest problem I would imagine, who on earth is going to want to sail on her? But as you say perhaps far off foreign lands might have an interest. I presume there is a growing cruise industry in China with their sudden leaps into the modern economy?

 

[umontu]

Haven't they supposedly been cutting through wreckage with explosives? That couldn't do it much good, surely.

They've blown small sections open mostly around windows. That'll be of no real issue to fix.

 

[Schnellzug]

Yup that'd be the biggest problem I would imagine, who on earth is going to want to sail on her? But as you say perhaps far off foreign lands might have an interest. I presume there is a growing cruise industry in China with their sudden leaps into the modern economy?

China, South Korea, Malaysia... there'd be bound to be interest in a ship just a few years old. I expect it'd depend on whether Carnival Corp would be prepared to see her sold for further service.

 

[BestWestern]

China, South Korea, Malaysia... there'd be bound to be interest in a ship just a few years old. I expect it'd depend on whether Carnival Corp would be prepared to see her sold for further service.

They'd presumably be willing to consider whichever option recovers the greater part of their substantial loss and costs?!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

That wouldn't surprise me at all, actually. Even if she was sold for scrap, I expect they could put her back into service, since almost certainly no Western company would buy her, would they. I mean, it would have been quite possible to put the Herald of Free Enterprise back into service, since she was hardly damaged, but they'd never have been likely to find a buyer.

However, the Herald's two sister ships were sold and remain in service to this day, one each with two different operators. Within Europe!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

So presumably the reports are correct that she effectively 'fell over' rather than actually capsizing due to any water flooding into the hull? Would seem odd otherwise (to an uneducated observer!) how she rolled onto the opposite side to where the breach ocurred.

That could be a result of free water in the hull shifting during a turn to port to line her up with the harbour entrance.

 

[newbie babs]

Have they figured out what is leaking from the ship yet ??

I lost several friends on the Herald, it was a sad time for all concerned.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Have they figured out what is leaking from the ship yet ??

Stuff from the kitchen, apparently. Whether that means cooking oil or washing up liquids I have no idea - I'd suspect the former.

 

[newbie babs]

Thanks for that

Is it harmful to any of the waters inhabitants ?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

No idea, but I'd guess not as it's very thin and there isn't much of it.

 

[BestWestern]

Stuff from the kitchen, apparently. Whether that means cooking oil or washing up liquids I have no idea - I'd suspect the former.

An interesting point made in one of the papers was the need to remove the substantial food stocks on board the ship, before they begin to rot and smell. Not something you'd think of in all the chaos

 

[newbie babs]

It could be because fruits and vegetables are living organisms. As they rot ,biochemical changes result in a breakdown of carbohydrates with the production of carbon dioxide and
methane.

I suppose that then could become dangerous.

 

[BestWestern]

Nasty

 

[swt_passenger]

Hi All,
I'm curious about the obvious challenges of recovering such an enormous vessel from such a perilous position, I'd imagine that even with the wealth of specialist knowledge available it will be an extremely difficult job? My guess would be that they'll break her up on site, but some media reports mention the possibility of her being refloated and towed...

The refloating could be fairly straightforward IF the hull isn't damaged all round, ie on the starboard side. Working from the outside of the hull they can relatively easily weld on a steelwork 'patch' backed by hefty girders (ie strengthened on the outside) over the entire port side opening, and then pump out the ship. The patch wouldn't need to match the hull curvature exactly or be streamlined at all, as they only have to get the vessel to a dry dock.

 

[BestWestern]

The refloating could be fairly straightforward IF the hull isn't damaged all round, ie on the starboard side. Working from the outside of the hull they can relatively easily weld on a steelwork 'patch' backed by hefty girders (ie strengthened on the outside) over the entire port side opening, and then pump out the ship. The patch wouldn't need to match the hull curvature exactly or be streamlined at all, as they only have to get the vessel to a dry dock.

Not a job for the faint hearted then; patch up, pump out and refloat circa 115,000 tons of capsized ship! My understanding (admittedly from the common media, so in no way expertly informed!) was that she had ended up on her side as a result of the shallow water she ultimately sailed into, which wasn't sufficient for her draught and couldn't keep her afloat, with the result that she toppled over - rather than her having gone over due to the water that she took on?

Either way, it sounds as though she's there for some time to come.

 

[mbonwick]

For anyone who's interested in the salvage side of things, Nat Geographic channel had a program called "Salvage: Code Red" - if you can find any of the episodes they're well worth a look.

 

[WatcherZero]

Shes a bit big to refloat with traditional methods, they could do it but they may decide to instead extract the sections above the ships waterline then cut her hull into half a dozen sections and refloat them individually, like sliced bread.

 

[Schnellzug]

They'd presumably be willing to consider whichever option recovers the greater part of their substantial loss and costs?!

Logically, but they may consider that the harm that might be done to their reputation from a PR point of view by having the ship still sailing around Europe might outweigh that; sometimes PR can over-rule financial logic. As a smaller example, the Pendo in the Grayrigg derailment; that could have been quite easily repaired, but Virgin decided to withdraw it.

 

[IanXC]

As a smaller example, the Pendo in the Grayrigg derailment; that could have been quite easily repaired, but Virgin decided to withdraw it.

I seem to remember a thread on this, I'm sure the conclusion was that whilst it could be viably repaired the cost of certifying it being safe to operate was prohibitive.

 

[kylemore]

I think it will depend on the Insurance situation, if she is written off then I can't see her returning to service even if it is feasible and/or economic.
The priority is removal of the fuel and lubricating oil and any other harmful substances such as chlorine, at the same time recovery of the deceased will be going on.
After that has been completed then depending on the state of the hull and whether she's shifted she may be refloated and be towed away for scrapping or cut up into sections for removal.

 

[WatcherZero]

Indeed as she had just left port at the start of her cruise shes carrying 3000 tonnes of fuel, they are planning to drill a hole through the hull and outer decks to reach her fuel tanks which will take a couple of weeks.

 

[Blindtraveler]

how wil they handle things if she does shift and sink totally? I know nothing about these things but am v interested

 

[kylemore]

how wil they handle things if she does shift and sink totally? I know nothing about these things but am v interested

Apparently she could slip into 300ft of water, she's currently lying in about 60ft, in which case theres danger she could break up, the bit above where the lifeboats were stowed is lightly built and mostly fresh air it would'nt take much for that to start dis-integrating. In fact I'm surprised the funnel has'nt started to show signs of strain, the angle it is at.