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Is the boat sinking in Italy..

Night StalkerNight Stalker Member Posts: 11,967
edited January 2012 in General Discussion
...indicative of America today?

the ship is sloooooowly sinking into the water as the land is clearly less than 25 meters away and yet they wait for someone to rescue them.

What ever happened to self perseverance?

Seriously?

NS

Comments

  • yoshmysteryoshmyster Member Posts: 22,051 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I heard the Captain was off the boat before most of the passengers got in to the life boats [:D]. Also he might be facing man slaughter charges. And before he made head cheese he was the "safety Officer". Like making Homer Simpson in charge of the Nuke Plant.
  • Night StalkerNight Stalker Member Posts: 11,967
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by yoshmyster
    I heard the Captain was off the boat before most of the passengers got in to the life boats [:D]. Also he might be facing man slaughter charges. And before he made head cheese he was the "safety Officer". Like making Homer Simpson in charge of the Nuke Plant.
    Clearly the difference is the CPT will be held responsible for his behavior, whereas most American's will not. [;)]

    NS
  • yoshmysteryoshmyster Member Posts: 22,051 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yeah I know it's like Katrina but how many of us who goes on a cruise know how to swim? Or tread water long enough to reach land 25 meters way[:D]? I know they say fat floats but not for 25 meters. Damn Nintendo Wii Swim didn't really teach the players how to actually swim.

    So I reckon in another generation they won't be doing what we can today. I reckon they'll all be plugged in "Matrix" style all veged out or dumb as stumps in "Idiotcracy".
  • Night StalkerNight Stalker Member Posts: 11,967
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by yoshmyster
    Yeah I know it's like Katrina but how many of us who goes on a cruise know how to swim? Or tread water long enough to reach land 25 meters way[:D]? I know they say fat floats but not for 25 meters. Damn Nintendo Wii Swim didn't really teach the players how to actually swim.

    So I reckon in another generation they won't be doing what we can today. I reckon they'll all be plugged in "Matrix" style all veged out or dumb as stumps in "Idiotcracy".
    Just my humble opinion, but I would NEVER put myself in ANY situation I have not thought of how to get out of... in great detail.

    But again, you mileage my vary.

    NS
  • v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    He waited a whole hour before deciding to evacuate.
  • Night StalkerNight Stalker Member Posts: 11,967
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by v35
    He waited a whole hour before deciding to evacuate.

    Himself, or the passengers?

    Seems he was looooong gone before that became an issue.

    The guy was/is a coward... period, end of discussion.

    NS
  • JamesRKJamesRK Member Posts: 25,670 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I wouldn't be a passenger on a cruise liner for any amount of money. They are not prepared for fire at sea, which is the most dangerous and most likely disaster they will run into.

    They claim they have the best fire fighting systems available and serious fire damage is all but impossible. What they have is installed CO2 systems which usually don't work.

    I've had the misfortune of assisting with two in-port fires on cruise liners. The most frustrating of the two was in Nassau. We were moored aft of the cruise liner when they had a fire. We offered assistance, which was taken as an insult and were told they could take care of their ship and we should mind our own business. I knew what was going to happen.

    They gave it plenty of time to get out of control, then asked if we could loan them some "smoke divers", their word for "OBA" (Oxygen Breathing Apparatus).

    Then they asked if we could provide personnel to show them how to use an OBA. At that point we called away the damage control party, who were already mustered and dressed out.

    One of the few things more dangerous than fighting fire onboard ship is fighting fire onboard somebody else's ship.

    The only thing I saw them do right was after the fire was out and the reflash watch set, they had open bar for everybody not in the duty section. Unfortunately the damage control party was in the duty section.
    The road to hell is paved with COMPROMISE.
  • spasmcreekspasmcreek Member Posts: 37,717 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    also almost all cruise lines are of foreign registry which allows them to circumvent many rules & regulations & also hire the cheapest help from the most backward countries... i wouldn't consider a cruise safe under any circumstances
  • givettegivette Member Posts: 10,886
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by spasmcreek
    also almost all cruise lines are of foreign registry which allows them to circumvent many rules & regulations & also hire the cheapest help from the most backward countries... i wouldn't consider a cruise safe under any circumstances

    Not if they wish to enter a U.S. port, they don't. They have to adhere to shipbuilding/maintainance/crewing in accordance to the Lloyd's standard or they are banned from U.S. ports.

    And, if truth be known, a ship laying on its side can be used allegorically for most anything, I suppose....


    Joe
  • Waco WaltzWaco Waltz Member Posts: 10,836 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    From what I understand, many of the passangers did end up taking matters into their own hands when the crew were not doing their jobs.
  • Spider7115Spider7115 Member Posts: 29,704 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Night Stalker
    quote:Originally posted by v35
    He waited a whole hour before deciding to evacuate.

    Himself, or the passengers?

    Seems he was looooong gone before that became an issue.

    The guy was/is a coward... period, end of discussion.

    NS

    Yep. They spotted him in a lifeboat singing "O Solo Mio".
  • ltcdotyltcdoty Member Posts: 4,184 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Cruise ships look top heavy to me, like they could capsize at the drop of a hat.
  • GuvamintCheeseGuvamintCheese Member Posts: 38,932
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Spider7115
    quote:Originally posted by Night Stalker
    quote:Originally posted by v35
    He waited a whole hour before deciding to evacuate.

    Himself, or the passengers?

    Seems he was looooong gone before that became an issue.

    The guy was/is a coward... period, end of discussion.

    NS

    Yep. They spotted him in a lifeboat singing "O Solo Mio".
    Chicken of the Sea.
  • yoshmysteryoshmyster Member Posts: 22,051 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by ltcdoty
    Cruise ships look top heavy to me, like they could capsize at the drop of a hat.


    Not too long ago I was in S/F there was a pair of them big * cruisers docked at the pier. Must've been like 30 stories tall from the water line. I was thinking they had to roll in with the low tied to limbo under the Golden Gate. Now that was top heavy.
  • stegsteg Member Posts: 871 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Having been a sailor-both merchant marine and US Navy from AB and Navy deck gang to Ships Captain, all I can say is that I hope the Eye-Tais hang the SOB by his balls, and that expresses my opinion with a good dose of Christian charity.
    That man's actions from A to Z were not only excrable but violated every law of the sea for Ship Captains since ancient times.
    On another note, I hope this * situation leads to the banning of these mega-story self-propelled hotels from the sea. We are just lucky none of them got caught in a severe typhoon or hurrican on the high seas. If that ever happened- even if the ship were at anchor in a seaport, the loss of life would rival that of the Titanic...since few of the crew or staff, and certainly none of the passangers have the experience or training to weather such events at sea. These things are not only ugly, they are floating disasters waiting to happen.
  • Alan RushingAlan Rushing Member Posts: 8,805 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Italian Captain Francesco Schettino of the cruise liner, Costa Cordia, the Big Tuna of the Tyrrhenian Sea?

    No, NO he is the greatest big quivering Chicken of all the Seas!
  • TrinityScrimshawTrinityScrimshaw Member Posts: 9,350 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I know they want to try and pump the remaining fuel from the ship, but after that, and after all attempts at trying to recover the victims, will there be any way the ship can be yanked or drug out further so it can sink the rest of the way under water?

    Trinity +++
  • stegsteg Member Posts: 871 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I met my ex-wife after I swallowed the anchor and came ashore for good. She was an admiral's daughter and often bugged me to take her on a cruise.
    One time, at my ex-mother in laws dinner table, she launched into one of her demands for a cruise. I then told her that after two days at sea as a passanger, I would probably disappear, and after searching the ship for me she would find me either drinking coffee on the mess deck and swapping lies with the crew, or would be on the bridge kibbitzing with the navigation of the ship.....and when we reached a port I would probably go ashore with the crew and do things she wouldn't approve of.
    She got really insulted, especially when her mother told her" funny thing, your father told me the same thing before he died."
  • CSI21CSI21 Member Posts: 1,206 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The difference between the sheep, the wolves and the sheepdogs, NS.
    You and I are the sheepdogs, most folks are sheep.
  • River RatRiver Rat Member Posts: 9,022
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by TrinityScrimshaw
    I know they want to try and pump the remaining fuel from the ship, but after that, and after all attempts at trying to recover the victims, will there be any way the ship can be yanked or drug out further so it can sink the rest of the way under water?

    Trinity +++


    To me, a salvage operation of this scope would be more fascinating than the actual sinking. You bet they'll right the ship, if the weather and ocean doesn't break it up first.
  • River RatRiver Rat Member Posts: 9,022
    edited November -1
    Just got this from Huff Post:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/18/satellite-photo-costa-concordia_n_1213202.html

    I think that image is pretty cool! It shows booms set in place to intercept oil and other fluids. Some of the stuff onshore might already be staging for the salvage effort.
  • spasmcreekspasmcreek Member Posts: 37,717 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    one similarity i suppose is both are captained by incompetents
  • JnRockwallJnRockwall Member Posts: 16,350 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by steg
    Having been a sailor-both merchant marine and US Navy from AB and Navy deck gang to Ships Captain, all I can say is that I hope the Eye-Tais hang the SOB by his balls, and that expresses my opinion with a good dose of Christian charity.
    That man's actions from A to Z were not only excrable but violated every law of the sea for Ship Captains since ancient times.
    On another note, I hope this * situation leads to the banning of these mega-story self-propelled hotels from the sea. We are just lucky none of them got caught in a severe typhoon or hurrican on the high seas. If that ever happened- even if the ship were at anchor in a seaport, the loss of life would rival that of the Titanic...since few of the crew or staff, and certainly none of the passangers have the experience or training to weather such events at sea. These things are not only ugly, they are floating disasters waiting to happen.


    they do have incredible radar capabilities and communications. I can tell you that when Katrina was blowing in, most cruise ships that were 5 or 7 day cruises in the Gulf became 8 or 10 day cruises as they steamed full speed to the furthest southwestern part of the gulf to dock.

    The plan was if the cane happen to turn to come that way, they would evac the ship 18 hours before land fall. I know this from talking to crew on the 2 cruises I have been on.

    Cruise's rule.
  • tjh1948tjh1948 Member Posts: 434
    edited November -1
    [/quote]It's probably worth several billion dollars. I'm sure every effort will be made to salvage it.[/quote]

    It cost $570 Million in 2006; probably a Billion at least to replace it.

    I wonder what the insurance deductable would be on it?
  • KEVD18KEVD18 Member Posts: 15,037
    edited November -1
    Current opinions from smit(company involved in, but not yet contracted for the salvage) and that the vessel will not be able to be righted and towed off. Most likely, the possible contaminants will be removed and the vessel will be broken up in place.

    Of course tomorrow they could change their mind or another company could get tapped who wants to right it. We wont know till we get there.
  • TrinityScrimshawTrinityScrimshaw Member Posts: 9,350 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    River Rat,

    What is the most shocking is that you read the Huffington Post.[:D]

    Trinity +++
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