How this happened...sad because a number of people have lost their lives.
Cruise Ships Are Much Too Top Heavy
A little problem and over she goes.
It is my understanding that they were showing "The Poseidon Adventure" in the theatre.
The Captain is currently in jail.
Paul in PA
Having spent some time atCruise Ships Are Much Too Top Heavy
Having spent some time at sea with a few stressful moments, I never understood how anyone could ever get so many sheep on board one of those top heavy, thin hulled, with little compartmentalization wind sails. A disaster just waiting to happen. They have hotel clerks making up the majority of the crew and the ships officers are picked because of their social skills rather than their seamanship. Would rather head out for Hawaii on an LCVP with enough food and fuel aboard, than put to sea on one of those things.
jud
Having spent some time atCruise Ships Are Much Too Top Heavy
Why on earth would he be that close to the cost and not in a shipping lane?
I understand the physics behind them being top heavy...but I don't see that being the main problem here.
Having spent some time atCruise Ships Are Much Too Top Heavy
Could the wind have pushed him into the rocks, maybe he lost power or steering, all common hazards any one alone could have done it or the mechanical with the wind in combination could have done it. Ships run aground, have been on ships that have lost power and steering, in congested areas you hope there is an anchor watch at the anchor so they can let go quickly if needed. Cars wreck, ships collide and run aground a fact of life and the reason I won't board one of those floating hotels, I don't consider them ships.
jud
Having spent some time atCruise Ships Are Much Too Top Heavy
My understanding from reading the Sky News story (British), is he drove it into the rock. The Captain says the rock is uncharted; he was in what he thought was deep water. Also where you see the ship now is not necessarily where it hit the rock.
The thing about it, though, is I didn't think they would just make it up as they go. You would think a Captain with 4000 souls aboard would use established routes. Certainly in Aviation the airliners have to follow designated IFR airways and fly under positive control. VFR airline flying ended in the 1950s after two met up in the same piece sky over the Grand Canyon killing a bunch of people.
The Captain and First Officer left the ship at 11:30pm, the rescuers were removing people until 3am and there are still missing people trapped aboard. That's at least part of the reason the Italians are holding the Captain and First Officer.
Having spent some time atCruise Ships Are Much Too Top Heavy
If you look carefully at the pictures of the gash, you can see a very large rock embedded in the hull at the right (stern) end. It appears to be about as large as one of the life rafts.
Having spent some time atCruise Ships Are Much Too Top Heavy
Heard that statement by the Captain this morning, sounds like they were depending on a self steering navigation system that was programed or a software package was created without a close look at the proper charts. Human error also causes ship wrecks. What got the Ammen DD 527 was human error. Fresh out of the yards captain following orders prepared for sea trials in advance and not having the intelligence or courage to take prudent action. Running 22 knots, a zig-zag course in the fog with uncalibrated radar. We were creeping south with good radar, had just unloaded all our explosive ordnance and on our way to San Diego at about 7 knots. The Collett DD 730 was picked up on radar and tracked until radar interference stopped that ability. A fog horn to port, the captain ordering a hard left rudder is all that prevented the ship from being cut in two, the stern was swinging rapidly to Starboard when we were hit just aft of amidships. We did not sink far, good damage control shoring up bulkheads along with handy billy pumps. Emergency generator was a problem getting stated and keeping on line because of damage to the electrical circuits amidships.
jud
Having spent some time atCruise Ships Are Much Too Top Heavy
People make mistakes.
Andrea Doria vs Stockholm. 46 died. Andrea Doria rolled over and sank 11 hours after the collision.
Cruise Ships (at least in America) normally use pilots that are very familiar with the port to guide the ships in to and out of deep water. If you watch, after leaving port and getting into deep water, and fast little boat will pull up next to the cruise ship, they lower a rope ladder to the boat, the pilot climbs down. The ship doesn't slow down or stop for this. Likewise, a pilot will board the ship before it enters the channel on the way to port.
Seems like here the Ship Captain was in charge and still in shallow water, but they said it happened a couple of hours after they left port. Seems like they should have been in deep water by then, but I know some ports in Florida (Tampa, for example) the Pilot stays on until the ship is out of the Bay, which may take a couple of hours (under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge) ...
Having spent some time atCruise Ships Are Much Too Top Heavy
> VFR airline flying ended in the 1950s after two met up in the same piece sky over the Grand Canyon killing a bunch of people.
The Tony Hillerman Novel Skeleton Man is based on that plane crash.
Exactly Pseudo, and I disagree with the premise that cruise ships are top heavy. All the weight is at the bottom of the boat. The boat can't flip over unless the hull is breached and the upper decks aren't sealed off.
