white squall

The CBC’s ‘Land and Sea’ program today documented some of the events first reported here in February when the Canadian sail training ship Concordia capsized and sank off the Brazilian coast.  Unlike the US ship documented in the excellent film White Squall which documented the similar fate of the Albatross, all 64 hands aboard Concordia made it to life rafts, though with a microburst-induced capsize and open hatches leading to a lightning quick sinking, it’s likely blind luck is responsible for the crew’s good luck as much as anything.  Class Afloat, which ran the Concordia, has a new ship commissioned for the 2011 season, and we wish them luck (and no microbursts) – and we’ll post the official investigation report when it’s ready, said to be early in 2011.  Check out the 22-minute film here.