NavList:

Correction:
From better pictures available now, the gash in the side is about 150 feet long. It's near the stern on the port side. And the rocky reef didn't fare well either. There's a big boulder, I would say about twenty feet across, actually lodged in the hull at the stern end of the tear in the hull.

If anyone's interested, I estimate the bow of the vessel is about here:
42.3637 N, 10.9219 E,
and the stern about here:
42.3663 N, 10.9218 E.

Italian press are reporting that the vessel struck the rocks known as Le Scole about a half mile south of the little harbor. This is consistent with the damage on the port side since the vessel was northbound. They also say that the ship continued past the harbor and then turned back towards it after the severity of the damage became clear, presumably so that they could lower the lifeboats very close to shore and safety. The turn led to a sharp list to starboard, and the vessel ended up grounding just north of the harbor entrance and settled on her starboard side but now heading almost due south.

How does this happen? There has to be some navigational error here. Obviously the electronics would have told them exactly where they were and exactly how far from the rocks. I have this terrible feeling that someone used that unlucky phrase "I know these waters like the back of my hand".

-FER

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