Posted on 01/20/2012 5:40:20 PM PST by BfloGuy
"What do you do with a 1,000-foot wreck that's full of fuel and half-submerged on a rocky ledge in the middle of an Italian marine sanctuary? Remove it. Very carefully. Stuck on a rocky shoal off the Tuscan island of Giglio, leaving the wreck where it is probably isn't an option but removing a massive ship that's run hard aground and incurred major damage to the hull involves logistical and environmental issues that are just as large. First there's the fuel. A half a million gallons of fuel could wreak havoc on the marine ecosystem — the ship is smack in the middle of the Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals. Engineers may need to go in from the side using a special drill to cut through the fuel tanks in a process called hot tapping. 'You fasten a flange with a valve on it, you drill through, access the tank, pull the drill back out, close the valve, and then attach a pumping apparatus to that,' says Tim Beaver, president of the American Salvage Association. 'It's a difficult task, but it's doable.' Then if it's determined that the Costa Concordia can be saved, engineers could try to refloat the ship and tug it back to dry dock for refurbishing. The job will likely require 'a combination of barges equipped with winches and cranes' to pull the cruise liner off its side then once the Concordia is off the rocks, 'they are going to have to fight to keep it afloat, just like you would a battle-damaged ship.' Another alternative is to cut the vessel into smaller, manageable parts using a giant cutting wire coated with a material as hard as diamonds called a cheese wire in a method was used to dismember the 55,000-ton Norwegian-flagged MV Tricolor. Regardless of how the Concordia is removed, it's going to be a difficult, expensive and drawn-out process. 'I don't see it taking much less than a year, and I think it could take longer,' says Bob Umbdenstock, director of planning at Resolve Marine Group."
They can’t afford to spill even a pint of the stuff or environuts will go stark raving crazy.
I believe the ship displaces in more than 100,000 tons. When she's not three-quarters full of water.
One Sikorsky Skycrane (2x5000hp engines) can lift about ten tons. Fewer than twenty were built, according to Wikipedia.
First they’ll have to remove the rock and weld plates over the damaged portion of the hull. Then they’ll need to displace the water from the starboard side using air bags. Once the water is displaced (the air bags are all filled at once) it’ll right itself near the water line. Pumping should take care of the rest of the water bringing it off the bottom since all the crew, passengers and fuel are off. Then they can tow it whereever.
Shouldn’t take more than a month. Oh, wait, Europe + Italy. Better make that a year for the permits, then....
If one could get get 25 heavy lift helos close enough together to try I doubt they could move it.
That’s a really scary pic
Vacation spot for Guantanamo detainees?
I beleive the procedure is to put a giant air bag in the sections of the hull that are not air tight, then blow up the air bag. Then pump out any remaining water they can get to...as in all ballast and maybe even all fuel too. Tada, ship floats. Then tow it to dry dock.
The problem I see is getting it off the rocks without either
a. sinking it in deeper water, or
b. doing more damage and then sinking it in deeper water
Well, scuttle that idea. I guess it would have to be a floating platform, or maybe one custom built at the site?
A great site for wreck diving. And it becomes an artificial reef too boot.
After the war, she was sold for scrap, but sank in deep water midway between Hawaii and California, a fitting resting place for such a tragic ship.
10000 cans of fix a flat
Salvage diving for treasure.
Hopefully they can get the plates on without having to get clearance between the ship and the rock. Done from inside? Or just a partial covering, letting the air bags do the rest?
Seal the holes and pump the water out. Itll pop right up
Keep what you bring up. I’m sure some dive operators are looking forward to the prospect of this being a dive site.
That is hysterical, RC! Either duct tape or WD 40... fixes most things.
I thought the hull was stuck (pierced) on rock outcroppings, which is why it hasn’t sunk. Or is it lying on a rock shelf? If it’s pierced you got a dilemma — cutting off the rock would let the ship sink.
lol
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