Cruise Ship Skipper Gets 16 Years

The 18-month trial of Captain Francesco Schettino finally ended this week, with the flamboyant Italian mariner being convicted of manslaughter and other charges related to the deaths of the 32 passengers who perished when the 952-ft cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground on the Italian coast in January 2012. The controversial captain was given a 16-year sentence. 

Although the ship would normally have stayed five miles offshore, Schettino admitted that he drove the vessel in close to the Tuscan island of Giglio to impress his passengers — and perhaps also his girlfriend, who was on the bridge with him. The ship was holed by a rock that Schettino claims is uncharted, then ran onto a rocky ledge.

Prosecutors reportedly characterized Schettino as a fool and a coward for abandoning his ship while many passengers were still aboard, struggling to find a way to get ashore safely.

Although commercial maritime laws don’t necessarily apply to recreational boaters, this sad incident does serve as food for thought for all of us. As we’ve seen in a variety of tragedies during races and offshore adventures, boat owners or the ‘person in charge’ are generally responsible for the safety and well-being of their crews. And in many countries captains are responsible for the behavior and ‘repatriation’ of the sailors on their crew manifest. 

We’d like your thoughts on this subject. What measures do you take to insure the safety — and safe behavior — of your passengers and crew when daysailing, racing or cruising? And do you ask them to sign a liability release before leaving the dock? Email us here.