Suez blocked by stuck ship!

[tim0409]

normalbloke said:

So, what would the toll fee be for the Evergreen? How much lost revenue so far?

I’ve seen between $500-$700k quoted. Apparently they’ve had to lower the toll fees due to low oil prices, as some shipping lines have decided it’s cheaper to go around Africa (unless they are in a hurry!)

[Cyder]

motco said:

BBC reported that an old channel has been opened to bypass the blockage.

I think they were wrong, the second channel is on the. Or there section, not the southern section where this ship is stuck.

[DAVEVO9]

[GliderRider]

Presumably the phone is off the hook on Tracy Island, or they are still awaiting their jabs?

When they do finally answer; please ask them to pop Pod 5 into Thunderbird 2, with as many recovery vehicles as they have serviceable.

[kowalski655]

Surely Thunderbird 4 would go underneath and blow up the blockage

[GliderRider]

kowalski655 said:

Surely Thunderbird 4 would go underneath and blow up the blockage

Possibly, although explosions next to ships are usually used to make them sit lower in the water.

I'm just wondering what would happen if a wall of, say polythene sheet were hung in the canal either side of the ship, from the surface to the bottom, and a large amount of salt were to be added to the water, thus increasing the water density. The ship would then float higher and, hopefully come unstuck. A little like letting the tyres down on a truck stuck under a bridge...

One for the physicists to explain why it wouldn't work. I'm off to the Science forum to let them ridicule me!

Edited by GliderRider on Friday 26th March 00:24

[saaby93]

Or
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Torrey_Canyon

[JohnCarlisleApeiron]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/fears-of-uk-...

Bloody rags using the blockage to get a run on bog roll again. The article even quotes the biggest supplier of hardwood pulp as Brazil in the same article. Ships from Brazil don't even come via Egypt. FFS.

[andy_s]

saaby93 said:

Or
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Torrey_Canyon

The Cautionary Tales podcast on this was very good. Tim Harford.

[Blackpuddin]

DeltonaS said:

williamp said:

For such an important route, why not build a second canal, parrallel to the first?? Genuine question: I know this is a one off incident, but for auch an important trade route, to be reduced to one canal which seems to be one-way..

They've done just that recently, except this part is still one canal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suez_Canal_Area_Deve...

Wonder if they race to get ahead of each other before it goes back to one lane?

[Blackpuddin]

GliderRider said:

Presumably the phone is off the hook on Tracy Island, or they are still awaiting their jabs?

When they do finally answer; please ask them to pop Pod 5 into Thunderbird 2, with as many recovery vehicles as they have serviceable.

I remember that episode! Brilliant.

[Piginapoke]

andy_s said:

saaby93 said:

Or
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Torrey_Canyon

The Cautionary Tales podcast on this was very good. Tim Harford.

It really was; how poor decision on poor decision steadily built up to a disaster

[Blackpuddin]

motco said:

williamp said:

For such an important route, why not build a second canal, parrallel to the first?? Genuine question: I know this is a one off incident, but for such an important trade route, to be reduced to one canal which seems to be one-way..

BBC reported that an old channel has been opened to bypass the blockage.

Is it actually one way? Does that mean it's only used for goods coming to Europe from Asia, and that the ships go back to Asia the long way round when there's less time pressure?

[anonymous-user]

andy_s said:

The Cautionary Tales podcast on this was very good. Tim Harford.

He’s got a new series out now also.

[V41LEY]

Cant they just fly in ‘The Gang from Alang’ ? They have it in bits in a week.

[paralla]

Blackpuddin said:

Is it actually one way? Does that mean it's only used for goods coming to Europe from Asia, and that the ships go back to Asia the long way round when there's less time pressure?

Before the 2015 expansion was in operation it was one way but the traffic was managed to allow ships to transit it in both directions. Ships from Port Said and Suez entered the canal at the same time from either side, spend the night anchored in the Bitter Lakes then continue on the next morning so all the ships pass each other in the much wider lake section.

[AlexIT]

normalbloke said:

So, what would the toll fee be for the Evergreen?

No idea on this, professionals may have the answer, but if the ship was conducted -as reported- by 2 Suez Canal pilots I don't know how far Evergreen can be deemed responsible.

[anonymous-user]

When a 4x4 gets stuck, they use other 4x4s in tandem to pull it out...

So why not link tankers togeather to pull it out?

[yellowjack]

Blackpuddin said:

Is it actually one way? Does that mean it's only used for goods coming to Europe from Asia, and that the ships go back to Asia the long way round when there's less time pressure?

One way in so far as it isn't wide enough to support such large vessels passing in opposite directions. Ships are batched together and go through in convoys, as I understand it. First one way, then the other. There are lakes part way along too, so that convoys don't have to reach the other end before ships can come from the opposite direction. Like a passing loop on a railway. But I'm sure someone on PH will have more experience and could explain it better. Especially if I've got it all wrong...

[tertius]

The Spruce Goose said:

When a 4x4 gets stuck, they use other 4x4s in tandem to pull it out...

So why not link tankers togeather to pull it out?

As posted above tankers are really unwieldy beasts, especially at low speed in reverse ... I should imagine the chances of a further disaster and putting another ship (or ships) across the canal would be huge.

That's what they have tugs for, but I suppose its too firmly aground for the tugs to get it off.