Does the captain have to go down with the ship?

The captain must go down with the ship

This phrase represents maritime tradition rather than an actual legal requirement. The legal obligation is not for the captain to die with the vessel, but rather:

• To exhaust all reasonable efforts to save the ship

• To ensure the safety of passengers and crew before leaving

• To be the last person to abandon ship when necessary

Above all else, the captain is responsible for the safety of the passengers. Once the captain has safely discharged his legal and ethical duties, he is free to care for himself.

So, what happened in January 2012 when the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia got into trouble?

Captain Francesco Schettino deliberately sailed the 950-foot ship close to shore in a maneuver called a "sail-by salute" or "inchino" to impress his passengers and locals ashore on Giglio Island, just west of Rome.

Captain Schettino left the ship before the evacuation was complete. In a recorded call, Italian Coast Guard Commander Gregorio De Falco ordered him to return to ship with one of the most famous radio transmissions ever:

Captain Schettino was convicted of manslaughter, causing a maritime disaster, and abandoning ship. Of the 4,000 crew and passengers, there were 32 deaths and 64 injuries. One of the dead was not recovered for two years from the wreckage of the hull. Schettino received a 16-year prison sentence.

The ship cost $570 million to build, but the salvage operation cost over $1.2 billion, making it the most expensive in history. The severely damaged ship was eventually towed to a shipyard for scrapping.

If you are in charge, you are responsible. Period. You generally are paid the most and have the most experience. Much is expected of you when you take a leadership role. Some, like Captain Schettino, are not made for it.

Key Takeaways

• Something I believe is that people know how to look good when things are going well, but their true character and capabilities come through in stressful or losing situations. Sometimes, it’s more about minimizing or containing the damage than it is about sticking to your story and not admitting and confronting the problem.

• The captain never should have been showing off with his fly-by maneuver. Was he thinking about the well-being of 4,000 people that were his responsibility? Or was he more interested in being a hotshot? Ego kills careers, companies, and sometimes, it kills people.

• When you have the opportunity to take a leadership position, remember that while your pay will go up, so will your burdens. Senior leaders share a disproportionate share of an organization’s stress because it is often the decisions of the senior leaders that have put the organization in a tough spot.

Things I think about

The Costa Concordia was 950 feet long and the Titanic was 883 feet.

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