Concordia News: Please Post Here

[kingcruiser1]

The TV and web news reporting seem to be getting spottier. Info on some of the CC threads is often interspersed with off topic discussion. A "news only" thread makes good sense and would save time for those of us who wish to know the latest updates; thus, if you find news worthy info regarding Concordia, please post a summary of information (and a link address, if possible) here.

[madmax2010]

I was hoping someone could shed from light. Could someone tell me what was the captain doing once the ship left the dock? I assume he was on the bridge when they left at 7:00 ish ... the next we hear is that he was having dinner with officers and the young lady. When did the course change occur ( went to manual mode ) and where was the captain? When did the captain leave dinner and go to the bridge .. before 9:42? How did the captain order dinner at 10:30 including dessert for the young lady if he was panicking on the bridge? When did the young lady join him on the bridge?

Your help is much appreciated as I cannot seem to find a good timeline for the captain that coreates to the ship time log ...

1 final question - was the boat and all its engines out of power at 9:45 and if so, did the captain do anything or did the boat just float to its final destination with the current?

[SeaDog-46]

Firstly - Costa Concordia is a cruise SHIP - about 114,000 grt -
probably the largest vessel to run aground - sink - ever.
The boats are in davits on the ship's side.

This is my take after 45 years at sea & 15 as master.

The sail-by was planned & course set towards Gorgio at 15 knots.
After his dinner about 2130 the master goes to the bridge -
[or was called] & big-noting himself puts the steering into manual mode & steers the ship himself. [Officers statement to police]
2140 - co. is 302 deg. 15.3 knots. [from AIS]
2144 - vessel has hit rock & turning to stbd.
2146 - speed 7 kn. turning to port.
About this time lose all power - steering - engines - thrusters.
About 2149 one officer suggests to drop anchor - this is done - 4.5 kn.
Vessel starts to turn to starboard & about 2200 is nearly stopped -1.1 kn.
2202 - ship starts to drift towards shore - NNE wind.
2248 - Stern aground.
2255 - Aground on rocks.
2315 - First boat ashore.
2330 - Captain is ashore.
0330 - Helicopter lifts off final person.

Francesco Schettino is an absolute irresponsible, incompetent coward & a disgrace to the Italian Merchant Marine.
His officers on the bridge are not much better.
Costa will have to pay for the poor management of their ships.
I would not go on a Costa cruise if I was given one & that goes for several other companies to.

[Smurfette&Trojan]

Live webcam of Giglio / Costa Concordia lying on her side.

http://www.giglionews.it/20100224409...anoramica.html

[English_in_Spain]

An Italian Priest said he was going for 'a week of contemplation and prayer'. It was then discovered he was on a cruise on the Concordia.

He's going to have some explaining to do


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-disaster.html

[RuthlessBoss]

Originally Posted by kingcruiser1

The TV and web news reporting seem to be getting spottier. Info on some of the CC threads is often interspersed with off topic discussion. A "news only" thread makes good sense and would save time for those of us who wish to know the latest updates; thus, if you find news worthy info regarding Concordia, please post a summary of information (and a link address, if possible) here.

At this point, stateside news is becoming non existant. The news in Europe or the Mediterranean must be reporting something due to location. For instance, we in Florida were forever getting updates on the Casey Anthony trial and events, but I'm sure the rest of the states didn't.

[Milaandra]

Originally Posted by SeaDog-46

2330 - Captain is ashore.
0330 - Helicopter lifts off final person.

According to the harbour master's report:

0253 - Captain is seen heading to shore
0317 - Captain is identified on shore
0446 - evacuation complete

Sorry, OP! I'm not sure you can have a news link only thread without people wanting clarification.

[ISLANDCRUSO]

The media have little to say now on the Concordia apart from every now and again when a body is recovered, it is no longer current news.

[greg-nc]

Originally Posted by Milaandra

According to the harbour master's report:

0253 - Captain is seen heading to shore
0317 - Captain is identified on shore
0446 - evacuation complete

Sorry, OP! I'm not sure you can have a news link only thread without people wanting clarification.

Based on the earlier entries in Harbor Master log and the recorded conversations with the Coast Guard commander, it is clear that Captain Coward was off the ship far earlier than 2:53.

00.34 Schettino says he is in a lifeboat and can see three people in the water.

00.42 Schettino and all his officers are in a lifeboat. Captain De Falco [in charge of Harbour Master’s office] orders them to get back on board to coordinate evacuation.

01.45 Officer confirms rope ladder strung across the hull is safe to use.
01.46 De Falco orders Schettino back on board using rope ladder.
02.29 Three people reported hanging from the prow of the ship.
02.53 Guardia di Finanza boards ship using rope ladder and that Schettino had been seen heading towards port in a lifeboat.

I believe at the times Schettino claims he was in the lifeboat he was already standing on the rocks on shore. I am pretty sure that it will be proved when he is tried that the captain left the ship between 10:55pm to 11:50pm and was standing on shore by 12:05am. This is affirmed by statements made in the indictment documents.

[Milaandra]

Originally Posted by greg-nc

Based on the earlier entries in Harbor Master log and the recorded conversations with the Coast Guard commander, it is clear that Captain Coward was off the ship far earlier than 2:53.
<snip>

I believe at the times Schettino claims he was in the lifeboat he was already standing on the rocks on shore. I am pretty sure that it will be proved when he is tried that the captain left the ship between 10:55pm to 11:50pm and was standing on shore by 12:05am. This is affirmed by statements made in the indictment documents.

I didn't mean to seem like I was biasing the information. The original posting didn't reference a time for being in the lifeboat, just ashore, so I included the first sighting of Schettino heading to shore.

I just read the indictment document again, and I really can't see where you found that timeline. Can you direct me to the relevant part of the document?

[greg-nc]

Originally Posted by Milaandra

I didn't mean to seem like I was biasing the information. The original posting didn't reference a time for being in the lifeboat, just ashore, so I included the first sighting of Schettino heading to shore.

I just read the indictment document again, and I really can't see where you found that timeline. Can you direct me to the relevant part of the document?

I would read all the quotes throughout the English document about Schettino standing on the reef. I would also read any quotes from the Italian documents which contain the testimony of the witnesses. At this point the timeline for the captain does not add up unless he was on the shore much earlier. I expect when this case goes to trial, it will become clear that Schettino was on the reef even when he was communicating with the coast guard claiming to be in a life boat.

[greg-nc]

After the wreck, cruise ship crew hanker for the sea

One interesting point in the article not related to the crew...

"Italy's top-ranking Coast Guard official, Marco Brusco, said last week that the ship's captain, Francesco Schettino, lost "a precious hour", which made evacuating the ship more difficult.

Had the order been given earlier, "the lifeboats could have been launched calmly, people could have been reassured," Brusco said in testimony to a committee in the Italian Senate."

[greg-nc]

Concordia waitress hailed as a hero

A waitress who guided passengers to safety and gave away her life vest before perishing on the Costa Concordia has been hailed as a hero.

[greg-nc]

Lawyers Jump Into Cruise Ship Disaster Cases

Soon after Mitchell Proner, a New York personal-injury lawyer, heard about the capsizing of the Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy, he sprang into action.

Proner, who specializes in motorcycle-accident lawsuits, has never litigated a maritime case. But he has at least one advantage over other U.S. lawyers who might want to sue over the disaster: He speaks Italian. Within days of the accident, he hopped a flight to Italy.

Once there, Proner met with an Italian consumer group, Codacons, which ultimately agreed to refer potential clients to Proner’s firm and listed the firm on its website. Proner also set up his own website (http://www.costaconcordialegaladvice.com), which features a photo of a gleaming, pre-disaster Costa Concordia. Proner’s site claims he will file a suit seeking at least $160,000 in damages for any passenger he represents, and notes that some victims “may be able to collect multiple times that amount.”

(more at above url)

[greg-nc]

Schettino planning legal defense

Translated article provides information on the dates of the upcoming court hearings for Schettino.

[Smurfette&Trojan]

Originally Posted by English_in_Spain

An Italian Priest said he was going for 'a week of contemplation and prayer'. It was then discovered he was on a cruise on the Concordia.

He's going to have some explaining to do


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-disaster.html

Haha. Well now let's be fair. You can take a
sabbatical on board a luxury liner. Afterall,
his services were needed!

[bluesy]

Giglio islanders threaten to sue Costa Concordia owners

The islanders of Giglio are threatening to sue Costa Cruises and its American parent company amid fears that the presence of the crippled Concordia liner will ruin their summer tourist season and deter big-spending celebrities.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...ia-owners.html

[Milaandra]

Originally Posted by greg-nc

I would read all the quotes throughout the English document about Schettino standing on the reef. I would also read any quotes from the Italian documents which contain the testimony of the witnesses. At this point the timeline for the captain does not add up unless he was on the shore much earlier. I expect when this case goes to trial, it will become clear that Schettino was on the reef even when he was communicating with the coast guard claiming to be in a life boat.

Greg, this is the only one I've seen
http://download.repubblica.it/pdf/20...a_grosseto.pdf

I haven't seen any with witness testimony. Can you give me a link?

[sidari]

Greg ... The link you provided did not work!

Sorry, this URL is invalid

http://www.la****one.it/grosseto/cro...a_legale.shtml

[Smurfette&Trojan]

Originally Posted by bluesy

Giglio islanders threaten to sue Costa Concordia owners

The islanders of Giglio are threatening to sue Costa Cruises and its American parent company amid fears that the presence of the crippled Concordia liner will ruin their summer tourist season and deter big-spending celebrities.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...ia-owners.html

I don't know. I watched Italian tv last night and the locals
were pretty stoked at the tourism. It's their off-season and
people from all over are flocking to Giglio to pose in front of the
stricken ship.

As they say... don't believe the hype. Or what may be a nuisance
to one is a gift for others. Or something like that!