Marine Salvage - Costa Concordia.

[Pete W.]

Hi there, all,

I was excited yesterday to learn that the operation to parbuckle the Costa Concordia was scheduled to start this morning.  I've been eagerly searching the on-line and the television news to see how things are going.

My predominant impression so far is that there is a profound disconnect between the professional salvage engineers and the media news reporters.  Does that read across from the general public's disregard for and ignorance of engineering?

I have been reminded of the wreck of the Torrey Canyon on the Seven Stones Reef, off Land's End.  Lots of people were saying 'why don't they ... ', some of them well considered but remote from marine experience and some out and out crackpot!
I think it was the then science reporter of the Times newspaper who summed things up when he wrote 'Marine operations are seldom as easy as they sound.'  How's that for a masterpiece of understatement?

[sbwhart]

I've been keeping an eye on things, its going slowly bit like watching paint dry but if you keep an hour between visits you can see changes, the whole scale of the procedure is mindboggling. It reminds me of Izanbard Brunels efforts to launch the SS Great Britain at that time it was the largest ship built and he just couldn't get it to go down the slip way, in the end he resorted to good old hydraulic jacks.

If any one wants to check its progress this is the link to BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24104643

Stew

[awemawson]

Been watching off and on all afternoon. I shudder to think what this operation is costing. The team apparently have been on site all year, there must be at least 100 of them, and they'll be on good money. Plus the exotic kit they've brought in.

Presumably after all this it will be rebuilt and given another name.

[Pete W.]

SNIP
 It reminds me of Izanbard Brunels efforts to launch the SS Great Britain at that time it was the largest ship built and he just couldn't get it to go down the slip way, in the end he resorted to good old hydraulic jacks.
SNIP

Stew

If I remember correctly, the firm who made the hydraulic jacks was Tangye.  They subsequently used the advertising slogan: 'We launched the "Great Britain" and the "Great Britain" launched us'.

[porker]

It's cost about 500 million so far I believe. Don't know whose paying though!

[around]

She has been declared a "constructive total loss" by the insurance company. She will be scrapped once refloated.  With half of the ship flooded for over a year, the costs to repair would exceed building a replacement.

Cheers,

Adrian