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gCaptain has play-by-play analysis of Costa Concordia disastergCaptain has play-by-play analysis of Costa Concordia disaster

In a gripping play-by-play navigational analysis of what happened on Costa Concordia, the maritime site gCaptain.com uses AIS data to reconstruct the fateful actions that led to the ship’s capsize and, as of Sunday, 13 deaths.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

January 22, 2012

1 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

gCaptain’s Capt. John Konrad recaps Costa Concordia’s approach to Giglio island at a fast 15.5 knots and the ship’s late turn, which sent it crunching onto rocks. He chronicles how Capt. Francesco Schettino then maneuvered the damaged vessel closer to shore after losing steering control in the subsequent blackout. His use of the bow thrusters and the impact of wind and current are all detailed.

It’s a fascinating 14-minute analysis in which Konrad recounts the speed and course of the vessel, what he sees as Schettino’s mistakes and appropriate actions, and how factors like centrifugal force and momentum affected the ship’s movements.

The reconstruction even shows the tracks of rescue vessels streaming toward Costa Concordia as it comes to rest on a rocky shelf.

Konrad, co-founder and ceo of Unofficial Networks and editor-in-chief of gCaptain.com, is a US Coast Guard licensed master mariner of unlimited tonnage who has sailed a variety of ships from ports around the world since graduating from SUNY Maritime College.

For the Costa Concordia analysis, he used a nautical chart overlaid with AIS data that he said was captured by someone with an antenna on Giglio and processed via QPS Maritime Software.

In a disclaimer, Konrad notes that the exact details of what happened in the deadly disaster will not be known until the Voyage Data Recorder, or ‘black box,’ information is made public.

The analysis is at http://gcaptain.com/gcaptains-john-konrad-narrates-the-final-maneuvers-of-the-costa-concordia-video/?37941.

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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