re: schettino
I am aware that a lot people read this as defense of Schettino, but read it all and don,t nit-pick the pieces you like or not like.
I don,t want to defend Schettino with one word, that guy should have gotten back on
and nothing really would have happened to him ALONE law wise!!!
Does anyone know what happened to the officer on the bridge who actually ran the ship aground, after all he has also a Nautical Officer license which makes him a OOW (Officer of the Watch)which means he is certified to stand watch alone and any decision made on the bridge during his duty is HIS responsibility !!!! And his lookout and other bridge team members as it is nowadays called. What about Costa Lines which allowed knowingly such things as close pass by for the enjoyment of the passengers.
Peoples which took cruises coming home and you hear,, Our Captain did ....... what a fantastic Capt !!!! and so on,,it is a culture of laisse faire and pleasing passengers in order that they loved it and take another cruise. It seems as long nothing goes wrong everybody silently approves of it.
btw, there is no such law that the Captain has to leave the vessel last. Of course there is the duty of a Captain to do everything possible to get anyone off the ship as safe as possible up to the point that his own life becomes also endangered and that he by that can not do anything anymore for others. That he clearly did not fulfill.