Click for YF Listing Service Click for Mulder Click for Mag Bay Click for Cross Click for Burger

Cruise ship accident

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by revdcs, Feb 26, 2010.

You need to be registered and signed in to view this content.
  1. revdcs

    revdcs Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2007
    Messages:
    498
    Location:
    Fowey in Cornwall
  2. revdcs

    revdcs Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2007
    Messages:
    498
    Location:
    Fowey in Cornwall
  3. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2008
    Messages:
    11,205
    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    I've only been on cruise ships a few times. So let me ask what may be seem a dumb question. I've notived that modern cruise ships are very maneuverable (given their size) and often dock themselves, but tugs have always (in my experience) been standing by. Was this ship under it's own control or was it being put on the dock by tugs?
  4. Yacht News

    Yacht News YF News Editor

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2006
    Messages:
    25,384
    Location:
    Caribbean
    Yes you are right, in many ports, the general rule is that a tug must be on station with a ship above a certain size. Yes most cruise ships maneuver themselves to and away from docks under normal circumstances however, the news piece said that it was during bad weather that "Costa Europa" was docking...and I believe that a Pilot should have been onboard.
  5. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2008
    Messages:
    11,205
    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    Yes, I assumed that a pilot would have been on board, which would probably put it mostly on him (as either way he'd be directing the action), but I was just curious that, since it was during bad weather, if the tugs were on it. Either way though, sad situation especially with the injuries and loss of life.
  6. Henning

    Henning Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2009
    Messages:
    940
    Location:
    Ft Lauderdale FL

    On many cruise ships the ships master often also has Pilotage in his regular ports of call and does the dockings.
  7. Yacht News

    Yacht News YF News Editor

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2006
    Messages:
    25,384
    Location:
    Caribbean
    Yes that is true but only certain areas. Here in Barbados, it is mandatory for a Pilot to be aboard for all maneuvering, whether docking, undocking, even winching up berths we require a pilot to oversee things. Entering, leaving or operating in the region of the harbour requires a pilot. So whether or not a master might be able to double as a pilot, one of our pilots will have to board the vessel. I don't know how that panned out in the situation in Egypt.
  8. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2005
    Messages:
    7,388
    Location:
    My Office
    Hi,

    I remember in 1984 the Nordic Prince coming into Charlotte Amalie in St Thomas during Hurricane Klaus, she went sideways through the anchorage damaging and sinking yachts as it went. Don't know if anyone ever got any compensation from that and was aware that ship stopped calling in STT afterwards.

    I got some pics from a guy who was on site when this cruise ship hit the dock, two of them have also been published in the Sun in the UK.

    You can clearly see Crew Bunks in some of the shots.

    Attached Files:

  9. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2005
    Messages:
    7,388
    Location:
    My Office
    and a few more

    Attached Files:

  10. Henning

    Henning Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2009
    Messages:
    940
    Location:
    Ft Lauderdale FL
    Interesting to see it openned up like that. Quite an unsubstantial plating on that vessel.
  11. Yacht News

    Yacht News YF News Editor

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2006
    Messages:
    25,384
    Location:
    Caribbean
    Well, the plating on cruise ships arent thick by any means, the slightest bump will result in a dent.

    Thanks for the pics K!W!
  12. AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2004
    Messages:
    5,375
    Location:
    Sweden
  13. Yacht News

    Yacht News YF News Editor

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2006
    Messages:
    25,384
    Location:
    Caribbean
    Thanks for the link Lars, that is bad, just on the heels of the "Costa Europa" incident.
  14. Yacht News

    Yacht News YF News Editor

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2006
    Messages:
    25,384
    Location:
    Caribbean
  15. Trinimax

    Trinimax Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2010
    Messages:
    237
    Location:
    Trinidad and Tobago Yacht club
    from this rogue wave accident it seems like the IMO regulations with regards to the strength of glass used in cruise liners in the forward superstructure need to be revised. that ship should have been capable of handling much bigger waves than 8 m without causing that sort of damage.
  16. Yacht News

    Yacht News YF News Editor

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2006
    Messages:
    25,384
    Location:
    Caribbean
    Well I can tell you, it is easy to say so but the pressure behind so much water is enormous and is capable of knocking out any forward facing windows with the right conditions. However, the design on this part of the ship called for a vertical stucture, which in the scenario would make it easier for the water that cascaded over the bow to breach the windows there.
  17. Marmot

    Marmot Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2007
    Messages:
    3,311
    Location:
    9114 S. Central Ave
    It is probably around 25mm thick. What do you want, an armor belt?

    Given the energy applied to such a small area I would say the shell plating did a pretty good job.
  18. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2005
    Messages:
    7,388
    Location:
    My Office
    Hi,

    Would you please provide the public with these regs ASAP?
  19. Henning

    Henning Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2009
    Messages:
    940
    Location:
    Ft Lauderdale FL

    Sure doesn't look inch thick to me, but that may be a perceived scaling issue, looks about 16mm to me. I don't have any real issue with it, I'm sure the structural engineering behind it is sound, I was just noting the difference to the old liners which were considerably thicker.
  20. Emerson

    Emerson New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2010
    Messages:
    59
    Location:
    Homer, AK
    Yet I'm pretty sure the new ones are safer ... When was the last time a big ship sank on launch?