"The theory being examined by prosecutors last night was that Capt Schettino's attempt to honour the Concordia's long-standing tradition of the Giglio salute could be to blame for the tragedy.
Reports suggested that one of the ship's senior crew members has a friend in the Italian Merchant Navy who lives on the island, and wanted to get extra close before sounding the traditional greeting.There were also claims that a similarly close "sail-past" last year had prompted the local mayor to send a congratulatory email to the captain for helping entertain the island's tourists.
Sergio Ortelli, the mayor of Giglio, explained: "Costa ships often pass close to the island – tourists and locals gather on the jetty to see the ships go by. We light up the Saracen tower [a stone tower built to spot pirate raids during medieval times]. It's a great sight."
But Italo Arienti, a 54-year-old sailor who has worked on the ferry service between Giglio and the Italian mainland for more than a decade, said: "This was too close, too close."
An Italian cruise ship captain, who did not want to give his name, said:
"During the summer it is easy to see the rocks because they are illuminated by a small tourist resort. But in winter, all the lights are off."
Franco Verusio, the procurator of Grosseto who is leading the investigation into the disaster, said questions remained as to why the ship had been so close to shore. "It was a deliberate but carelessly clumsy manoeuvre," he said.
Some maritime experts also criticised the captain for attempting to turn the ship around and bring it into port once he realised the vessel was taking on too much water and could be in trouble. Within 15 minutes of the collision, the ship had started to list badly and Capt Schettino made the decision to change course and head into Giglio port. But before the ship was able to reach safety, the stricken Costa Concordia ran aground on a rocky shelf.
Modern design means that even if the vessel is holed beneath the waterline, it can still stay afloat. But in grounding the Costa Concordia, further damage to the hull appears to have been caused, resulting in the catastrophic capsizing.
However, Dr Richard Shaw, a specialist in Maritime Law at the University of Southampton, said the captain's actions could have helped save many of the 4,000 people on board. He said: "It looks like the captain has tried to beach the ship in shallower water. If the ship had not been brought into shallower water, there would have been a much greater loss of life."http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9016774/Italy-cruise-ship-disaster-did-island-sail-past-put-ship-on-course-for-disaster.html