Well, Sports Fans, it was just a matter of time. And it happened this week: a very Large container ship zigged instead of zagged during a transit of the Suez Canal. Result: a halt in international shipping traffic on one of the world's most trafficked routes. The Egyptians have a VERY LARGE PROBLEM on their hands. How does this happen? Number One, few people work with ships of this size. Incidents involving a 1300 foot long ship loaded to the max with containers stacked to the moon are rare in real numbers. But, the characteristics of container ships are fairly well known. They are all affected by crosswinds. That means during a cruise, when exposed to those types of lateral forces, the ship becomes a bit unruly(difficult to hold a course). Now we all know that the Suez canal is a narrow canal( by definition=narrow) 120 miles overall transit length. There are a few choke points to be sure. At times(like now) ships can only navigate singly, or alternately without the luxury of opposite traffic space.
A few days ago, the SS Ever Given was cleared for transit, north bound for the Med. Weather anticipated: winds to 40 knots with obscure conditions at certain points(sand and dust-not uncommon in the region). And off we go. At 15 knots +/-, through a space that narrows to less than 100 meters. And then: whoops! Cross winds, loss of steerage, and carom off the bank and then WEDGED across the lane. Stay in your lane- the cliched response that peppers everyday speech today is appropriate here.
The message is sent out to the world: traffic halted through the Suez Canal: container ship runs into banks along the way. Waiting ships captains, crews, owners, shipping brokers go to the medicine cabinets all over the world and grab a handful of aspirins, some drink water with them, others just swallow, hoping for quick results.
When will it be freed? FREEDOM?????? Waiting game is being played out. No, not like the NCAA Tournament-no Sweet 16 here. Just anxiety, frustration, and financial pain, all in one.
The Captain? Probably in his bunk, talking to his loved ones as he sees his career take a turn(slightly) for the worst. As an old sailor, I would venture his owners gave him the word to proceed on course and timetable. The Canal owners(Egyptians) they gave him the word to proceed with regular rules applied. The pilot? Situation normal: All F***ed Up!
Brokers and owners are exploring the alternatives: Cape Horn to Gibralter; Cape Horn to London; Cape Horn to Rotterdam; Cape Horn to Dansk. Satellite navigation systems are crunching the numbers; fuel consumption is grinding the laptops. Dollars and Euros are flying around the icloud. It's a memorable time, like the Pandemic. Enjoy the show, and be happy the ship doesn't have the coronavirus onboard(or do we know yet?).
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