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| Costa Concordia: slow work to raise ship continues as island looks to future | Costa Concordia: slow work to raise ship continues as island looks to future |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| All along the street, past the shops selling children's fishing nets and the boats bobbing on the water, the seafront of Giglio Porto was a eclectic whirl of locals and logisticians; police and press officers; engineers and emergency workers; doctors, divers and dogs. | All along the street, past the shops selling children's fishing nets and the boats bobbing on the water, the seafront of Giglio Porto was a eclectic whirl of locals and logisticians; police and press officers; engineers and emergency workers; doctors, divers and dogs. |
| Though their roles were very different, however, their reasons for being there were all the same. Before them, just metres from the shore, the discoloured, water-marked hull of a once-grand cruise ship was inching, hour by hour, degree by degree, out of the depths in which it had been buried for 20 long months. | Though their roles were very different, however, their reasons for being there were all the same. Before them, just metres from the shore, the discoloured, water-marked hull of a once-grand cruise ship was inching, hour by hour, degree by degree, out of the depths in which it had been buried for 20 long months. |
| For many, it could not come soon enough. The small Tuscan island is desperate to move on from the memory of that night in January last year, when 32 people died just several hundred metres from the shore. The youngest victim was a five-year-old girl. | For many, it could not come soon enough. The small Tuscan island is desperate to move on from the memory of that night in January last year, when 32 people died just several hundred metres from the shore. The youngest victim was a five-year-old girl. |
| "Certainly, this is an important day," said Biagio Mortola, a retired local who was watching the events unfold with his two golden retrievers. "The community wants to be lifted of this weight." | "Certainly, this is an important day," said Biagio Mortola, a retired local who was watching the events unfold with his two golden retrievers. "The community wants to be lifted of this weight." |
| After months of preparation, 15,000 individual dives, the use of over 30,000 tons of steel, 22 vessels and eight barges, the day had finally come to parbuckle the Costa Concordia. The focal point of a more than €600m operation to tow the cruise ship from the rocks onto which it crashed, the ambitious plan was unprecedented not only because of the size of the 300m-long vessel but because of its position on a steep underwater slope. | After months of preparation, 15,000 individual dives, the use of over 30,000 tons of steel, 22 vessels and eight barges, the day had finally come to parbuckle the Costa Concordia. The focal point of a more than €600m operation to tow the cruise ship from the rocks onto which it crashed, the ambitious plan was unprecedented not only because of the size of the 300m-long vessel but because of its position on a steep underwater slope. |
| Although Franco Gabrielli, the head of the Italian civil protection agency, had declared the day before he was "100%" sure of the operation's success, no one knew quite what was going to happen. | Although Franco Gabrielli, the head of the Italian civil protection agency, had declared the day before he was "100%" sure of the operation's success, no one knew quite what was going to happen. |
| At dusk on Monday, as the light faded, the Concordia was keeping everyone guessing. But at a midnight briefing a visibly more relaxed Gabrielli confirmed that they had entered the final phase of the parbuckling and would expect to bring the ship fully vertical within three or four hours. | At dusk on Monday, as the light faded, the Concordia was keeping everyone guessing. But at a midnight briefing a visibly more relaxed Gabrielli confirmed that they had entered the final phase of the parbuckling and would expect to bring the ship fully vertical within three or four hours. |
| Franco Porcellacchia, representative of owners Costa Crociere, said the wreck had been rotated by about 25 degrees and would enter the stage of "rotation by ballasting". This was "an important milestone", he said, as from now on the parbuckling would continue helped by the entrance of sea water into the sponsons which would help push the ship downward and onto to the underwater platforms. In the final stage, gravity was expected to take over . | Franco Porcellacchia, representative of owners Costa Crociere, said the wreck had been rotated by about 25 degrees and would enter the stage of "rotation by ballasting". This was "an important milestone", he said, as from now on the parbuckling would continue helped by the entrance of sea water into the sponsons which would help push the ship downward and onto to the underwater platforms. In the final stage, gravity was expected to take over . |
| There was still no sign of the bodies of the two people – Russel Rebello, an Indian crew member, and Maria Grazia Trecarichi, an Italian woman- who are still missing, presumed dead. | There was still no sign of the bodies of the two people – Russel Rebello, an Indian crew member, and Maria Grazia Trecarichi, an Italian woman- who are still missing, presumed dead. |
| But, as the public saw the practical results of what had previously sounded an almost outlandishly difficult and delicate task, most in the port were not concerned by the slow progress, confident that, eventually, the plan would end well, and that the ship would finally be pulled upright again. | But, as the public saw the practical results of what had previously sounded an almost outlandishly difficult and delicate task, most in the port were not concerned by the slow progress, confident that, eventually, the plan would end well, and that the ship would finally be pulled upright again. |
| "These are the guys that make the impossible possible," said Virginia Veldkamp, from New Jersey, whose boyfriend was involved in the parbuckling. "These guys are like the rock-stars of salvage diving." The day had not started well, with a delay of three hours after a fierce overnight storm that prevented the proper positioning of the control room – the hub from which the entire operation was directed, led by senior salvage master Nick Sloane. | "These are the guys that make the impossible possible," said Virginia Veldkamp, from New Jersey, whose boyfriend was involved in the parbuckling. "These guys are like the rock-stars of salvage diving." The day had not started well, with a delay of three hours after a fierce overnight storm that prevented the proper positioning of the control room – the hub from which the entire operation was directed, led by senior salvage master Nick Sloane. |
| It was exactly this kind of weather that had convinced the 52-year-old South African it was essential to carry out the parbuckling this week ahead of a worsening of Giglio's unpredictable weather. It was not thought that the wreck would be able to withstand the buffets of another winter balanced precariously on its side, with more than 60% of its hull underwater. | It was exactly this kind of weather that had convinced the 52-year-old South African it was essential to carry out the parbuckling this week ahead of a worsening of Giglio's unpredictable weather. It was not thought that the wreck would be able to withstand the buffets of another winter balanced precariously on its side, with more than 60% of its hull underwater. |
| And if the locals had to see it lying there for another season, they would not be pleased. The wreck has changed the nature of the island completely, turning it from a cheerful seaside destination to a place synonymous with tragedy and so-called "disaster tourism". "I came to see the dawn," said Antonella Billocci, the owner of a beach club as she looked out at the wreck as the sun rose, "and I hope that this will be a new day for the island as well." | And if the locals had to see it lying there for another season, they would not be pleased. The wreck has changed the nature of the island completely, turning it from a cheerful seaside destination to a place synonymous with tragedy and so-called "disaster tourism". "I came to see the dawn," said Antonella Billocci, the owner of a beach club as she looked out at the wreck as the sun rose, "and I hope that this will be a new day for the island as well." |
| For several anxious hours after the green light was given at 9am, the operation gave no reason to cheer. Then, said project manager Sergio Girotto of Italian partner Micoperi, when the force reach 6,000 tons, the much-anticipated "distacco", or detachment, took place. | For several anxious hours after the green light was given at 9am, the operation gave no reason to cheer. Then, said project manager Sergio Girotto of Italian partner Micoperi, when the force reach 6,000 tons, the much-anticipated "distacco", or detachment, took place. |
| The most challenging part of the plan had been accomplished. "Large deformations" had been observed on the starboard side, said Girotto, but for the moment, the parbuckling was succeeding. Waters were clear and there was no sign of "significant or visible spills" of polluting liquids, said Gabrielli. | The most challenging part of the plan had been accomplished. "Large deformations" had been observed on the starboard side, said Girotto, but for the moment, the parbuckling was succeeding. Waters were clear and there was no sign of "significant or visible spills" of polluting liquids, said Gabrielli. |
| As they watched the operation unfold from the harbour wall, an array of locals, curious and nervous in equal measure, met to swap memories of the Concordia. | As they watched the operation unfold from the harbour wall, an array of locals, curious and nervous in equal measure, met to swap memories of the Concordia. |
| "We're all hoping they pull it off. Because if they don't we're ruined. We're just hoping," said Luca, who did not give his surname. He was standing with Giancarlo Fanni, who had taken part in the rescue of 13 January, 2012. | "We're all hoping they pull it off. Because if they don't we're ruined. We're just hoping," said Luca, who did not give his surname. He was standing with Giancarlo Fanni, who had taken part in the rescue of 13 January, 2012. |
| Luca, too, had a memory. It was in the aftermath of the disaster that he met a woman called Eleonora, who is now his partner and the mother of his child. "Because of the Concordia he was born. Something good came out of the tragedy," he said, carrying a baby boy. "He's Francesco," he said. "After the Pope." | Luca, too, had a memory. It was in the aftermath of the disaster that he met a woman called Eleonora, who is now his partner and the mother of his child. "Because of the Concordia he was born. Something good came out of the tragedy," he said, carrying a baby boy. "He's Francesco," he said. "After the Pope." |
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