Ships in stormy seas

[pete cain]

Havn't been able to find out yet , but am glad I wasn't there (bet it was a block of flats  on top of a hull though)

[andy liney]

It looks like the one that was featured elsewhere on this site (a pale blue-hulled ship in the Med., which lost power when a wave hit the bridge, and was one of two sister ships - the other had similar problems off Alaska). I can't recall the name, but another of the videos of her that I found contained a brief still from what looked like the same restaurant. Not a floating block of flats as it happens, but obviously "out of its depth" so to speak, in the conditions.

Having said that, I was on the QE2 transatlantic in bad weather when a freak beam wave hit her towards her stern, with water washing into the pools, and there was quite a lot of damage in the Lido with food everywhere, furniture overturned, and several injuries including a couple of broken limbs and a few dislocated fingers etc.

[Twynkle]

Were you there?!

Thanks to natalleh2003

[Peter Mugridge]

"TAXI!!! - Follow that liner!!"

[jdl]

Nice find indeed, is taking awhile to download but so far its thrown up some stunning videos

jdl

[Twynkle]

Very sad news about Costa Europa

'A Costa Cruises ship crashed into a pier early today as it was docking at the Red Sea port of Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, killing three crew members and injuring several passengers....'

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=80838.blog

[cunardqueen]

One assumes that most of the passengers would have been in bed at this time otherwise it could have been a lot worse, Not that lm saying it isnt bad already. But had it been a few hours later when everyone was wide awake.

The lifeboats seem to have been readied for launching or was this caused by what appears a very large side impact
 Three deaths among the crew, l wonder where they were, might they have been invloved with the ropes etc at this time, Or perhaps in the cabins...

[Twynkle]

One assumes that most of the passengers would have been in bed at this time otherwise it could have been a lot worse, Not that lm saying it isnt bad already. But had it been a few hours later when everyone was wide awake.

The lifeboats seem to have been readied for launching or was this caused by what appears a very large side impact
 Three deaths among the crew, l wonder where they were, might they have been invloved with the ropes etc at this time, Or perhaps in the cabins...

About the lifeboats - in any incident, wouldn't these be automatically made ready for launching - no matter whether they'd be necessary or not?

Do you think that her design could have contributed to the incident?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8538505.stm

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Egypt-Three-Sailors-Killed-And-Three-Britons-Hurt-After-Cruise-Liner-Smash-In-Sharm-El-Sheikh/Article/201002415560357?lpos=World_News_News_Your_Way_Region_8&lid=NewsYourWay_ARTICLE_15560357_Egypt%3A_Three_Sailors_Killed_And_Three_Britons_Hurt_After_Cruise_Liner_Smash_In_Sharm_El_Sheikh

[Louis De Sousa]

About the lifeboats - in any incident, wouldn't these be automatically made ready for launching - no matter whether they'd be necessary or not?

No, Rosie

[Jem]

Very sad. Here's an eyewitness report
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8539648.stm

[Twynkle]

'....Officials said that strong winds pushed the 54,763-tonne ship Costa Europa into a pier as it tried to dock at the resort. A 2m gash opened in its hull, allowing water to flood into a cabin and trapping the crewmen: an Indian, a Honduran and a Brazilian....'

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article7043301.ece

I wonder whether the use of bow thrusters in certain conditions can make manouvering in tight 'corners' more difficult, as opposed to the use of tugs?

(Mods, there's more on the new Costa Europa Topic!)

[highlander0108]

What a horrible incident.  With all the rash of Carnival owned ships recently hitting, bumping, and crashing into piers, one has to wonder if there is a bit of complacency or over confidence in the ability of these newer ships to manouver in ports with the bow and stern thrusters.  Another Costa ship, the Concordia, recently got caught up in a squall in port and got blown into the pier too, sustaining a gash to the bow.  You can see the wind in the water kick up in this video and also the churning water and black smoke as it appears they went to full power to try to avoid the pier.  Scary thing is at the stern was a small tanker!

 Not a valid youtube URL
Remember all the times that Captain McNaught skipped a port due to high winds while in command of QE2 even when he was at the helm of QV?  I do think incidents like this show his caution was justified.  Perhaps not having the ability to manouver with thrusters and relying on lots of tugs does have its benefits.  I am sure that there were some docks "kissed" or nudged in QE2's service life though.

[Louis De Sousa]

Remember all the times that Captain McNaught skipped a port due to high winds while in command of QE2 even when he was at the helm of QV?  I do think incidents like this show his caution was justified.  Perhaps not having the ability to manouver with thrusters and relying on lots of tugs does have its benefits.  I am sure that there were some docks "kissed" or nudged in QE2's service life though.

The QE2 did skip lots of port due to bad weather it is in the end the best decision.Safety comes first, ALWAYS!!!

And yes the QE2 did "kiss" a few piers.New York was very famous for it.

Louis

[Twynkle]

The Pacific is on watch for the tsunami that's already affecting the coast of Chile,
following the earthquake this morning (8.8 on the Richter scale)
Hope the ships and boat people will be OK.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8540621.stm

QE2 anchored off Easter Island in February 2 years ago on her final World Cruise.
Together with Hawaii, the Easter Islanders are waiting for the tsunami tonight.
http://vodpod.com/watch/2270121-qe2-world-cruise-2008-rapa-nui-easter-island
(from Cunardqueens)

[Pat Curry]

Remember all the times that Captain McNaught skipped a port due to high winds while in command of QE2 even when he was at the helm of QV?  I do think incidents like this show his caution was justified.  Perhaps not having the ability to manouver with thrusters and relying on lots of tugs does have its benefits.  I am sure that there were some docks "kissed" or nudged in QE2's service life though.

On the 2006 World cruise, I think it was,  he became known by pax and crew as 'no-ports-mcnaught  because he had skipped quite a few ports.  The ship was supposed to overnight in Dubai but he held the ship off for 24 hours because of high winds.  Something like 500 pax were due to fly out on day 1 and 500 or so due to embark.  Imagine the chaos, re organising the new flights and finding hotels.  They bussed many up the motorway to neighbouring Sharjahi because of lack of beds in Dubai.  We were with entertainers in a modest Dubai hotel, 2 or 3 star, in the old town where they don't put pax, but it was really good (suoper curries) and no pressure (it even had spare rooms).

PS.  Captain Perkins was know by crew as Polly Perkins. 

Does anyone else know any other  Captains' nicknames?