The CBC’s program “Land and Sea” broadcast their documentary “Concordia: Tall Ship Down” today, focusing on the knockdown and sinking of the SV Concordia. It can be watched on-line at the link below. The documentary doesn’t answer the outstanding questions about the sinking, but is a fascinating account by those onboard when the ship was hit by what many believe was a microburst.
Concordia: Tall Ship Down
On September of 2009, the tall ship SV Concordia sailed out of Lunenburg NS. Joining the crew on board were students attending the Class Afloat program – a mix of academic studies and sailing skills.
Five months later, on a blustery day off the coast of Brazil, the unthinkable happened. Without warning, The Concordia was knocked over on her side and began to flood with water. 18 minutes later, she sank. For everyone on board it was a harrowing escape, a fight for survival, and an experience that will haunt them forever.
In this episode of Land and Sea, first-hand accounts of a brush with death on the high seas.
Microbursts, freak waves, on and on with the excuses. How about errors of seamanship under sail, lack of judgement like carrying too much sail in inclement weather. Not studying the weather correctly in the first place, pressing on with the voyage planned regardless of changing conditions and good rigging and shipboard maintenance. Actually being an informed Master making informed decisions with well trained crew.
Good Watch.
Microbursts and rogue waves do indeed exist. So far I don’t believe there has been any evidence of negligence or error by the officers or crew. Everyone made into the rafts without serious injury. When the official inquiry is completed, we will know more but in the mean time I will give the professional crew on the Concordia the benefit of the doubt.
RICK: My comment was deliberatly generic and no particular ship was mentioned. As to the completion of an Offical Inquiry this is one of the major problems. The STV’s being largely operated by private enterprises and regarded as ‘private yachts’ the incidents are being processed ‘in house’. This in turn means that there is really no Public Report to read, discuss and learn from for the future. While some Governments do publish reports it is usually a year or eighteen months later when the incident has been largely forgotten. Rather than try your patience here further NAUTICAL LOG will be publishing a Post on the in the near future.
Good Watch.