Deck-Officer.com

[peterpan]

Well it just gets more interesting - does it not ?
At yesterdays pre trial hearing the Italian Court was presented with a statement from the ships 1st Officer, which according to media reports contained the following:-
At the time of the incident, Capt Schettino was not wearing his glasses, and was not in charge of the vessel when it approached and hit the rocks which tore a hole in it's side.
If true, then we must ask, if the Captain was not in charge, then who was.
From the First Officers Statement it would seem reasonable to suspect that it was not the First Officer either, - indeed the timing would also suggest that.
I think we have to return to the underlying theme of the relevant postings on this website: -
Where was the Chief Engineer at the time, what was he doing, and where is he now ?

[denshipdick]

Now that is a good posting p.p.
It is a question which has to be asked and answered.
So much may depend on it.
Was he in the wrong place, playing with toys he should not have been playing with.
Was he, inadvertently perhaps, ( or perhaps not,) subtly intimidating/coercing/influencing a junior deck officer, or one with limited experience, - wearing fewer gold bars than himself - it happens,
BUT IT CERTAINLY NEVER USED TO.
As yet we don't know - but as sure as hell we have to find out, by whatever means we can.
Your futures depend on it - Not ours.

[peterpan]

Well would you believe it - I just read another media version, - The first Officer was on the bridge at the time, and it appears he too is now under investigation, as are some Costa "Officials".
It seems the back stabbing may have started.

[denshipdick]

You are not wrong there p.p.
Certainly there is some eyebrow raising stuff beginning to surface.
Just amazing - so it is, - hardly believable in fact.
One thing for sure though, out of it all I think we will see the last of terminolgies such as "Tourist Navigation" and "Saluting" as they call it.
What astonishes me is that such terminologies where ever permitted to arise in the first place - Surely the IMO must have condoned the same, even ratified it.
It beggars belief so it does - What the hell were they thinking of ?
Just outrageous - no wonder the guys in the Merchant Navy will be choosing to disassociate themselves with the " cowboy cruisers".

[peterpan]

Oh boy - it just gets worse.
I just read a report which says that when the Captain arrived on the bridge, he did not have his glasses, he had a lady in tow, and he asked the First Officer to set the radar up for him - as he had left his glasses below.
This tends to substantiate some of the accounts given to the media on day 1.
Now we must ask, was this guy set up ?
What range scale did he ask for, and what range scale did he actually get.
It sure is beginning to stink to high heaven.
How long before he hit the rocks did he actually arrive on the bridge, and how did that come about ?

[denshipdick]

Was he set up ?
Well I don't think the possibility should be completely excluded.
This day and age all things are possible.
It seems however that there was a complete lack of awareness on board, and indeed competence, for some reason.
So much for ISM and all the rest of the garbage.
Indeed the role of ISM in actually contributing to this disaster should be looked at very closely indeed.