Suez blocked.

Kukri said:
Next refloating attempt will be at this evening’s high water. I’ve seen some pictures of the bow from Evergreen but I don’t have permission to post them. She is about two metres out of her draft forward so a good salvage man will already have calculated the ground effect. The SCA seem to be working on clearing the sand under the bow bulb and in way of the thrusters (which obviously she can’t use). I’m sure they know what to do.

edited to add - from photos taken from the bank on the north (port) side one can see these she made quite a spirited attempt to invade Sinai and her bow bulb is actually ashore by about a metre. Seeing this, the use of the digger is not silly, the SCA have been cutting a channel round the bow bulb so the current can flow round it and scour away the sand.
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1280.jpg
 
So it woz the wind wot dunnit. I know those things have a fair bit of windage, but really? Enough to embed both ends? I get that the wind can be a problem coming alongside or leaving port, but under way? Is there a reason why they might not want to admit to a steering failure?

Anyone who knows what they're talking about (which I certainly don't) got an opinion on that?
 
I think we have to wait and see. It suits Bernard Schulte to say that she was, in the words of Michael Greene, “seized by a giant hand” (?) and it suits the SCA to say that she had a black out.

Both seem improbable to me. I am guessing that she sheered off the south bank, due to bank effect.

This may not be relevant, but she does look to be almost down to her marks, as most boxboats have been since November, she is a very big ship and she may not have been handling as she did when at normal container ship draft.
 
I recall a much smaller vessel being caught across the River Nene at the port of Sutton Bridge. When the tide retreated she broke her back. The cargo and ship became the problem of the owners of the Port, Fenland Council. It took a couple of weeks and about £3million to clear it up.
 
WoodyP said:
I recall a much smaller vessel being caught across the River Nene at the port of Sutton Bridge. When the tide retreated she broke her back. The cargo and ship became the problem of the owners of the Port, Fenland Council. It took a couple of weeks and about £3million to clear it up.
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Very definitely a risk. If you wanted to make a model. one metre long, of the “Ever Given”, exactly to scale, you would need to use kitchen foil for the hull.
 
Interesting video, that.
I was wondering what would happen to following traffic in such a situation and that partly explained it- the one right behind also lost control and hit the bank at an angle and the next one either rammed it or very nearly did so.

But how does a similar ship stop in a hurry in a canal without running aground too, or doesn't it? Anchoring isn't likely to be an option (except as an emergency brake if necessary) as there is no room to swing and as soon as you stop the wind's presumably going to pin the ship on the leeward bank. How then do you get off? Tugs? Does going aground like that cause any damage? Are water intakes and outlets affected if they're stuffed into the mud?

Any big ship drivers here to explain the situation?
 
Slowboat35 said:
Interesting video, that.
I was wondering what would happen to following traffic in such a situation and that partly explained it- the one right behind also lost control and hit the bank at an angle and the next one either rammed it or very nearly did so.

But how does a similar ship stop in a hurry in a canal without running aground too, or doesn't it? Anchoring isn't likely to be an option (except as an emergency brake if necessary) as there is no room to swing and as soon as you stop the wind's presumably going to pin the ship on the leeward bank. How then do you get off? Tugs? Does going aground like that cause any damage? Are water intakes and outlets affected if they're stuffed into the mud?

Any big ship drivers here to explain the situation?
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Captain Holden, post 74 above
 
BurnitBlue said:
How do they get the tugboats to the other side of the ship? Cape of Good Hope?
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The suez canal is run as an employment scheme, so there are lots of tugs
Bilgediver said:
The camels have been mobilised and on the way along with an army of tug boats. Interesting times for all the other ships stopped north of the blockage. Wonder if they have giant sized clips and pins for mooring to the sand embankments.
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They can anchor in the Bitter Lakes like the poor barstewards caught there after the 6 Day War; hopefully it won't be 7 years to unplug it this time.
 
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