The canal

[carrie]

Apparently the Suez canal has been blocked by a large ship that has slewed ( can ships slew) across the canal and blocked it.
I thought the President said that the canal had been improved and widened, it must be one hell of a big boat.

[crewmeal]

It's still stuck. The wind apparently blew it 'off course' due to a power failure.

https://news.sky.com/video/egypts-suez- ... d-12255524

Talk of price rises for everything from oil and everything from China as ships now have to go around the Cape.

[Who2]

At approx £350,000 per ship passing through the canal, it won't take them that long to shift it..
Ps: I must say it's a pretty efficient marine business servicing the canal, quite a surprise for egypt.
Pss: And it has the best al fresco fish restaurants in Egypt by far..Oh! and a place that resembles a derelict
Butlins 50's holiday camp, they assured me they were out of season at present, but got a drink after half an hour or so..
P*ss: And that's 50 ships a day, you do the maths...

[Who2]

His daughter Kate is as mad as O'Toole was, you can see where she gets it from.
He even taught the Bedu a trick or two, quite a character and hell of an actor.
A snippet..
'The first time O'Toole tried riding a camel, blood oozed from his jeans. "This is a very delicate Irish arse", he warned his instructor. He finally mastered his camel-riding technique by adding a layer of sponge rubber under the saddle to ease his bruised backside--a practical innovation quickly adopted by the actual Bedouin tribesmen acting as extras during the desert location filming. O'Toole was nicknamed "ab al-'Isfanjah" ("father of the sponge") by the Bedu.
'He also lived with them for 3 months before filming, not a lot of people know that!

[hatusu]

OK so I admit to being a bit of a numpty when it comes to anything technical (OK I admit it – absolutely hopeless) so can anyone explain to me in VERY simple terms how something weighing 220,000 tons and 1300 ft long can get blown over by a gust of wind? (It’s to be hoped it never goes sailing past Scarborough……..)

[newcastle]

OK so I admit to being a bit of a numpty when it comes to anything technical (OK I admit it – absolutely hopeless) so can anyone explain to me in VERY simple terms how something weighing 220,000 tons and 1300 ft long can get blown over by a gust of wind? (It’s to be hoped it never goes sailing past Scarborough……..)

Quite easily I think.

Firstly, the vessel is very tall ( with all those containers piled high) and vulnerable to strong cross winds.

There were very strong winds in that area a few days ago...sandstorms etc....and it’s very open.

The ships engines failed and, on water, there’s little resistance to a side wind.

As you can see from the picture, the canal is very narrow. It wouldn’t take much of a swing to embed the bows of the ship in the bank.

4C047C19-C853-40AC-8C66-0C438E92E969.jpeg

[hatusu]

Excellent - Thank you!

[Ruby Slippers]

It seems odd that a gust of wind would be strong enough to topple a cruise ship on the Nile - but it happens! Something to do with the shallow draft of the boat I believe.

[newcastle]

It seems odd that a gust of wind would be strong enough to topple a cruise ship on the Nile - but it happens! Something to do with the shallow draft of the boat I believe.

After the train crash, building collapse and canal blockage....yes, a Nile cruise disaster is long overdue.

[Who2]

Quote: "At approx £350,000 per ship passing through the canal, it won't take them that long to shift it.

Well it's easy to forget that it's Egypt, but fear not they have called in the Dutch....

Quote:
The 20,000 TEU container ship Ever Given may be a feature of the landscape at the Suez Canal for days or weeks, according to professional salvors. Salvage experts say that the boxship's position - wedged between both of the canal's banks like a closed butterfly valve - will make this operation more complex than simply pulling a stranded vessel off a beach.

An eight-tug refloat attempt on Thursday morning was not successful, according to ship manager Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement. Dutch conglomerate Boskalis (SMIT) has been contracted to lead the salvage operation, and CEO Peter Berdowski told media that the refloat will take time, depending upon how stuck the ship really is. "I can't exclude that it might take weeks," Berdowski told Dutch outlet Nieuwsuur TV.

Bet they are on a right little earner, best salvors in the world are the Dutch...

[newcastle]

Ah well......

DA476954-ED36-4C7D-81AA-45AD443C7178.jpeg

[Teddyboy]

What happened to the second canal which they dug in record time, then? Or did I just dream that?

[A-Four]

What happened to the second canal which they dug in record time, then? Or did I just dream that?

You make an interesting point here Teddyboy, so I shall try to give a simple straightforward answer,.....

Imagine if you will a 120 mile narrow country lane with room for only one vehicle to pass for its whole length, this was the case with the Suez. The second canal as you called it, was not really so, it was certain areas along that 'narrow country lane' that they produced a sort of 'dual carridgeways', so as to bring about a sort of two way traffic system, thus attempting to ease the 'bottle neck' traffic at either end of the canal and increase traffic flow', thus hopefully double profits.

This ship, which in my opinion should have never been allowed through the Suez was caught in one of the 'narrow country lanes', thus blocking the whole system. The Suez Canal Authority is a shambles, its investment a disaster, and profits on return of capital is dreadful.

Being that the pubs and clubs are still closed in London, I'll perhaps find time to write more why this crazy situation was allowed to happen, I see no one is blaming the Egyptian authorities yet. .

[newcastle]

To give you some idea of the scale of the problem.....

9001AB24-9D2F-4F75-8F93-910F35491D7B.jpeg

[Major Thom]

Calling in the Dutch, will make things ok will it, they are mainly used to irrigation canals, and making a quick buck. I think it may take a bit of doing, and I don't know how long it would take to do, but how about lightening the load to see if it would raise the boat from the sand banks. I believe they are dredging around the bows to release it, but would that nor disturb the sands further, because the canal is tidal....

[carrie]

SMIT are one of the best salvage companies in the world. Bet they have never thought of lightening the load. Get over there MT and give them the benefit of your expert advise.

[Yildez]

SMIT are one of the best salvage companies in the world. Bet they have never thought of lightening the load. Get over there MT and give them the benefit of your expert advise.

You’re on form this morning Carrie!

[newcastle]

SMIT are one of the best salvage companies in the world. Bet they have never thought of lightening the load. Get over there MT and give them the benefit of your expert advise.

The trouble is lightening the load would take weeks....even if MT helped

I wonder what’s happening to any vessels held up which are carry livestock. Pretty grim for them.

So one of the largest ships in the world, in a configuration that makes it maximally susceptible to winds, going down a very tight canal during a storm... sounds like exactly the kind of thing you'd expect....especially if you throw in the “Egyptian” factor.

[crewmeal]

Even if MT went to help with his shovel, I doubt whether he'd be allowed back into Cyprus due to the current restrictions, so he'd be lumbered in Egypt. Best stay at home.

[newcastle]

Even if MT went to help with his shovel, I doubt whether he'd be allowed back into Cyprus due to the current restrictions, so he'd be lumbered in Egypt. Best stay at home.

Aaah....but he’s a fully paid up Cyprus resident now so he’d be allowed back in.

Getting to Egypt might be more of an issue. Is he a strong swimmer?