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Media does not know how to report about M/S Costa Concordia. BBC 8 July 2013 is one example. Most of what BBC reported is wrong: What BBC
reported: Correct
description: 1. Thirty-two passengers and crew members died in
the accident, which unfolded just off the small
island of Giglio on Italy's west coast on Friday 13
January 2012. Nobody died Friday 13 January 2002 on Costa
Concordia. 32 persons died after the ship capsized and sank
Saturday 14 January 2012. 2. Capt Francesco Schettino is believed to have
steered the ship too close to shore while trying to
show it off to islanders, and hit a rock. It is an established fact that the helmsman
supplied by the ship owner actually steered the
ship. A planned turn was badly executed. Then there was an accidental
'contact' at 21.45 hrs but the ship
was stable and floating afterwards. Only the power
system was damaged by inflow of water. Nobody
died. 3. The huge vessel then partially capsized with
more than 4,000 people on board. There is no such thing as a partial
capsize! The floating ship capsized Saturday 14
January at 00.34 hrs after most persons aboard had
been evacuated using the lifeboats. Only a few life
rafts were used at evacuation, as crew didn't know
how to launch them, so maybe 300 persons incl. the
master were left aboard, when the ship capsized.
Most then got down via ladders to assisting boats.
32 drowned. 3. Eighteen months on work to remove the
Concordia's hulk continues apace. The ship is lying
in around 50 ft of water, its carcass increasingly
rusty. The wreck is lying in at least 80 ft of water,
more, >100 ft, at mid-length of the hull. 5. Appendages, steel cables and anchor chains have
been welded to the hull by the 400-strong salvage
crew, who are working round the clock. You do not weld anchor chains to hulls! 6. The latest phase of the operation, described by
salvagers Titan-Micoperi on their website as 68%
complete, will see 11 vast metal containers called
caissons welded onto the ship's exposed flank. Or maybe 40% complete? Four more caissons shall
be fitted on the port side underwater and 15
caissons on the starboard side, underwater, etc,
etc. 7. These will then be filled with water and help
rotate the ship upright. Maybe - they will also add to the weight and
increase the pressure on the sea floor and crush
the wreck below. 8. The rollover operation itself - known as
parbuckling - is expected to take at least two
days, as it must be done painstakingly slowly to
prevent further damage to the weakened hull. Actually, as soon as the rollover starts, all
weight is carried by the bilge structure in contact
with the sea bed that will be crushed. It is
possible that any pull wires below the bilge are
cut or slice the wreck, etc, etc. 9. More caissons will then be attached to the other
side, and water will then be pumped out and
replaced with air to give buoyancy, allowing the
vessel to be towed away. All remaining caissons will be attached fully
submerged to the wreck under water. The other side
is damaged. If caissons can be attached there and
how long it will take are not certain. The wreck will rise/floa,t when the caissons are
deballasted. If the wreck can be towed away is not certain.
It may still break apart. 10. One of the project's directors, Franco
Porcellacchia, told the BBC: "This is a very
delicate and unusual operation. We have no
reference here". Correct. Conventional removal methods are
probably faster, cheaper and safer and put no load
on the sea bed and little loads on the wreck. 11. Earlier this year five huge metal platforms were
lowered to the sea bed to cradle the ship's 114,000
tonne bulk once rolled upright. The platforms are just supporting the pull
wires. The wreck weighs only
45.000
tons. 12. Prior to this, the salvage team created a "false
sea bed" from bags containing special cement to
strengthen the sea floor below the support
platforms. If the 'false sea bed' of cement is strong
enough remains to be seen. The sea bed flora below
the cement is evidently destroyed. The work is
still going on. 13. In December 2012, the ship's funnel was removed
to allow better access from the right-hand
side. Correct. BBC got it right. The funnels was no
more needed on the wreck. 14. During the early phases of the operation, there
were fears that the wreck could slide into deeper
water and sink completely, so divers have attached
heavy steel anchor cables to stabilise it. Correct. But it seems the wreck has also sunk 3
meters vertically as the ship's side structure is
deformed in contact with the rocky sea bed. 15. The vessel still contains tonnes of rotting
food, furniture, bedding and passengers'
belongings, and Franco Porcellacchia told the BBC
that the risk of environmental contamination was a
big concern. The food is inside sealed refrigerated rooms or
store rooms. 16. With the ship considered beyond economic repair,
its final destination is expected to be a dry dock
in Sicily, where it will be cut up. The wreck + caissons will have breadth >60
meters and draught >18 meters, so any dry dock
have to be really big to handle the wreck. 17. "The salvage is a joint venture [between
Titan and Micoperi], but that contract is
terminated when the ship is raised," Mr
Porcellacchia said. So who is going to tow away the wreck full of
water? And where? It is quite disturbing that BBC gets most info wrong.
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