[Travis McGee]

It's an unbelievable morality tale on so many levels.
And the hulk is left as a monument to a man's hubris.

It won't be removed in one piece. It weighs more than an aircraft carrier. There are no barge/cranes in the world capable of lifting it.

[SMARTY]

On the radio news, I heard the captain said he fell into the lifeboat and couldn't return to the ship because there were too many life boats in the way.

Really?? If he couldn't navigate a life boat (small craft) how could he captain a huge liner?

This story gets goofier all the time.

[Travis McGee]

Cruise Ship: Costa Concordia. Stats: 114500 Tons ... Tonnage, 114500 Tons, Normal Crew Size, 1100. Length, 950 feet, Crew Nationality, N/A. Beam, 116 feet ...

USS CARL VINSON (CVN-70) – Displacement 91300 Tons, Dimensions, 1088’ (oa) x 134’ x 37’ 8”

[Ezekiel]

Thankfully, the accident took place close to shore

? Geez, that's why the ship crashed into the rocks.

[afraidfortherepublic]

And it comes out this AM that the captain was dining with an unauthorized (24 yo lady) passenger when the crash occurred.

I said that when it first happened. It reminds me of a Ferry Boat crash in Puget Sound in the 1980s. The Captain was steering close to shore to greet a lady friend on an island when he ran aground spilling cars and people into the icy waters. Idiot.

[Pollster1]

Commander William L. Herndon. In 1857 Commander Herndon was in command of the commercial vessel Central America, under assignment to the United States government, when it ran into hurricane force winds. Commander Herndon gave everything he had to the rescue of those in his care. He evacuated 31 women and 28 children before the ship sank into the stormy waters off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. He gave his watch to one of the women and asked her to get it to his wife, explaining that he could not leave the ship while anyone remained on board. Survivors told of seeing Commander Herndon go down with his ship, cigar chomped in his teeth, his head bowed in prayer — a portrait of courage, devotion to his charge, and defiance of fear. Two U. S, Navy vessels have since been commissioned in his memory.

I cried when I first read this story at Annapolis many years ago, and again today. The first time was both out of admiration for the Captain and out of sadness that America had lost such a great man. The second time was out of despair for our Navy, which has gone from naming ships for heroes to naming one the USS Murtha!

[pabianice]

What’s the problem? He was simply “leading from behind,” like Obama.

[Scotsman will be Free]

Hang the Merchant Marine captain.

[toldyou]

How sad....

More than 4150 lives were saved out of 4200 aboard, and people and the media have to dwell on the negative.