Few people will forget the 2012 media coverage dedicated to the cruise liner, Costa Concordia, and the images of her lying capsized on the rocks off the island of Giglio.
South African salvage expert ,Captain Nick Sloane, was commissioned to head up the operation of righting the ship and towing it to a nearby port for dismantling.
“The Parbuckling Project: the inside story of the challenges of the Costa Concordia” is the title of Nick’s presentation to the members of the Winelands chapter of Mensa South Africa at its monthly meeting tomorrow, Thursday January 25, at 7.15pm. He will talk about the epic task of saving Giglio from the devastating consequences of the Costa Concordia sliding into the sea one hundred metres away, which would have led to an environmental disaster.
A freelance salvage master, Nick holds a master mariner’s certificate that allows him to sail any ship of any size anywhere in the world. He has spent an inordinate number of man-hours studying the intrinsic challenges that engineers and technicians face in the marine disaster industry, and has an impressive resume of recovery operations around the globe.
The past two weeks have seen him assisting with the salvage operation of the passenger ferry Mestre Simao, which ran aground in the Azores on January 6.
Entry is free. If you would like to attend the meeting – or would like more information about Mensa, contact the Mensa Winelands secretary on wnl.secretary@mensa.org.za
