UPDATE: It worked!

This picture has been posted online; 

 


and an excellent time-lapse video.

 



Some Italian engineers will face the project of a lifetime; tasked with righting the shipwrecked Costa Concordia, currently lying on its side after colliding with rocks off the Tuscan island of Giglio.

Italy’s Civil Protection agency has confirmed its top people in safety along with international salvage contractors will try to level out the vessel if air and sea conditions permit. Never before have engineers attempted to refloat such a massive ship so close to shore.

As court cases continue over the disaster which left more than thirty people dead, engineers are faced with the incredible task of salvaging the ill-fated ocean liner. Reports say the operation is due to begin sometime on Monday. Head engineer on the super-sized salvage, Nick Sloane, said it could hardly wait any longer as the ship has begun to weaken. Sloane said the deteriorating hull would not survive another winter.

The $860 million mission to bring the Costa Concordia back to level footing will be an astounding achievement if it is successful. Teams of engineers have come up with a plan to yank the ship upright (called ‘parbuckling’) using cables and the weight of water in boxes welded to its hull. Following this the boxes will be filled with air to create buoyancy while others are attached to the opposite side. Once suspended in the floating fortress, the Costa Concordia will be towed away to be broken down for scrap.

Local environmental groups will be watching with hawk-eyed focus for any leaks or spills of harmful chemicals still present on board. The salvage operation will be welcomed by residents of the nearby island of Giglio; its tourism industry has suffered immensely from the omnipresent memories created by the sunken liner.