# Any chance they can get the grounded Italian ship back upright? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 14, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541 "2012-01-14T23:02:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/81 "2012-01-17T17:55:22Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Schettino [is condemned by his own words](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16599655), for his actions afterwards anyway. WOW, I am not at all knowlegeable about ships, but it sounds like the captain was just scared and didn’t want to leave a lifeboat. The coast guard guy was NOT playing around either. ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/82 "2012-01-17T18:08:22Z")
> [@rogerbox](#): > > WOW, I am not at all knowlegeable about ships, but it sounds like the captain was just scared and didn’t want to leave a lifeboat. The coast guard guy was NOT playing around either. Um, no. He gives the impression of wanting to carve a few lumps off someone. Hard to tell if it’s completely justified from that excerpt, but the last bit is certainly suggestive: > [@](#): > > De Falco: "You’ve been telling me this for one hour. I can buy not being able to get on board because for various reasons, but for an hour?:dubious: Be interesting to see what the deal is once the investigation is finished and the books are published, but so far it looks like either Mr Schettino has either been the victim of a very efficient character assasination, or he’s screwed the pooch so hard it split. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/83 "2012-01-17T18:09:12Z")
I suppose too, if he’d beached it in time in a flat harbour, it would have settled upright? As it is, he’s created another hazard that’s not on the charts. Why would they float it and do a refit? Unless they completely change some of the floorplan, or will they have a special deal if you book a cabin where bodies were discovered? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/84 "2012-01-17T18:14:23Z")
Well, if the captain is some fat old guy getting near retirement, I can understand not wanting to climb up a sketchy rope ladder in the dark onto a ship that might still be sinking. But I really do like the coast guard guy giving him a good ass kicking over the radio. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/85 "2012-01-17T18:23:47Z")
> [@slaphead](#): > > I can buy not being able to get on board because for various reasons, but for an hour?:dubious: Since the conversation commences just a few moments before with “I’m De Falco from Livorno” the “hour” thing is probably hyperbole. My late grandfather was a naval commander and the sweetest man you could meet, but on his boat his personality completely changed, even towards us grandchildren. There was an unarguable chain of command that stopped with him, and when something was going on, he spoke exclusively in barked orders. It was drummed into us from a very early age that if you are a junior you do what you are told, immediately and without question, because your and everyone else’s safety depends on it. De Falco’s tone sounds a lot like my grandfather’s. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/86 "2012-01-17T18:43:01Z")
Kevbabe knows that tone. It means do it now and ask why and complain about my tone later. She learned that the time she didn’t stop when I said STOP NOW! and backed into another car. ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/87 "2012-01-17T18:57:34Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Since the conversation commences just a few moments before with “I’m De Falco from Livorno” the “hour” thing is probably hyperbole. Unfortunately, there’s no way of telling if they’ve had one or more conversations before this one, either directly or via another person. There aren’t even any timestamps so we can figure out when in the timeline this takes place. If it was at half-past midnight or at half-past one would put a different spin on things. Like I said, the post-inquiry books on this will make for interesting reading. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/88 "2012-01-17T19:01:52Z")
> [@slaphead](#): > > There aren’t even any timestamps so we can figure out when in the timeline this takes place. If it was at half-past midnight or at half-past one would put a different spin on things. 01.46 according to [La Repubblica](http://video.repubblica.it/edizione/firenze/la-capitaneria-a-schettino-torni-subito-a-bordo/85914/84303). ETA: which is saying “De Falco is the real Italy” and “for every Schiattino, there is a De Falco”. The Italian audio is fantastic, even though I don’t understand it. That guy is kicking ass. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/89 "2012-01-17T19:04:01Z")
There’s some closeup pictures of the ship at the end of this article. The one showing this huge rock still stuck in the hole is amazing. There’s a diver standing next to it and gives a idea of the size. I’d estimate that rock in the ship is maybe 10 to12 foot tall? It must have acted like a plug and held back some of the water. > **[Captain Coward: 'I only left because I FELL into lifeboat when ship listed...](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2087704/Costa-Concordia-Captain-Francesco-Schettino-I-left-I-FELL-lifeboat.html)** > > Francesco Schettino's (pictured) excuse comes as a German woman feared missing has been found alive, according to reports, reducing the number of missing to 23. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/90 "2012-01-17T19:14:36Z")
OK, a bit more about the communications from [here](http://www.repubblica.it/cronaca/2012/01/17/news/de_falco_giornata-28301199/) making it sound like it really had been a hour: Captain Schettino received a call around 00.32. A few minutes later (00.42) a new call. De Falco asks how many people are still to be evacuated. Schettino answers a hundred people. He begins to contradict himself, and has left the ship. De Falco is angry, he realizes that he’s lying, but he does not change his tone, [but tries to] stir the commander, who seems lost. “Commander, have you left the ship?” asks De Falco … At 01.46 communications become more heated. My girlfriend, who is in Rome, says the press is saying that the ships had a tradition of ‘saluting Giglio’ twice a year by passing close to it, which is what Schettino was apparently doing. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/91 "2012-01-17T19:23:53Z")
The chart on that Daily Mail page looks completely misleading compared to the official Lloyd’s one. Dude’s [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/pages/Francesco-Schettino-comandante-Costa-Crociere/116536945134050) is being torn up. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/92 "2012-01-17T19:31:35Z")
The [BBC site](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16576630) has an interview with a guy from Lloyds List (and thus presumably knowledgeable in marine insurance matters) who at the end says “the likelihood is that this is going to be declared a total loss.” It should be noted that he earlier says the ship cost $5 billion, which can’t be right. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/93 "2012-01-17T19:33:11Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Dude’s [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/pages/Francesco-Schettino-comandante-Costa-Crociere/116536945134050) is being torn up. Correction: that appears to be a fake page set up by someone else on which people are venting. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/94 "2012-01-17T19:37:29Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > It must have acted like a plug and held back some of the water. Some - but given the huge extent of the “unplugged” gash, likely not enough to make much difference. ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/95 "2012-01-17T19:48:15Z")
> [@slaphead](#): > > Um, no. He gives the impression of wanting to carve a few lumps off someone. Hard to tell if it’s completely justified from that excerpt, but the last bit is certainly suggestive I’m not sure if either I misunderstood you, or you misunderstood me. What do you mean? ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/96 "2012-01-17T20:14:38Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Wow…that thing is HUGE! For some perspective, MS _Costa Concordia_ is 70 feet longer than, and has nearly identical displacement as … [spoiler]the RMS _Titanic_. The _Titanic_ was 882 feet long with a displacement of 52k tonnes, and the _Costa Concordia_ is 952 feet long with a displacement of 51k tonnes. [/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/97 "2012-01-17T21:07:25Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > The question isn’t whether they can do it – they can – but whether the cost of doing it is justified. Consider the battleships at Pearl Harbor. Every single one was damaged or sunk by bombs and torpedoes, and all but the _Arizona_ were eventually afloat again. The _Utah_ is still there also. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/98 "2012-01-17T21:18:31Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > The _Utah_ is still there also. I didn’t count it because it was already obsolete and no longer in service as a battleship. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/99 "2012-01-17T22:25:31Z")
> [@Randy\_Seltzer](#): > > … the _Costa Concordia_ is 952 feet long with a displacement of 51k tonnes. Where do you get 51,000? Most sites (e.g. [this one](http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=371)) give the displacement as 114,000 tons, or thereabouts. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541/100 "2012-01-17T22:37:12Z")
114,000 would likely be GRT (gross registered tonnage) which is very different to displacement tonnes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-chance-they-can-get-the-grounded-italian-ship-back-upright/609541.md?page=6)