Grounded ‘Mega Ship’ Blocking Suez Canal in Both Directions

[IslandHopper]

https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-...25-p57e46.html

Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, the company that manages the Ever Given, said the ship’s 25-member crew were safe and accounted for. The ship had two pilots from Egypt’s canal authority aboard the vessel to guide it when the grounding happened around 7.45am on Tuesday, the company said.

Evergreen Marine said in a statement that the Ever Given had been overcome by strong winds as it entered the canal from the Red Sea but none of its containers had sunk.

An Egyptian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorised to brief journalists, similarly blamed a strong wind. Egyptian forecasters said high winds and a sandstorm plagued the area on Tuesday, with winds gusting as much as 50 kilometres per hour.

An initial report suggested the ship suffered a power blackout before the incident, something Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement denied on Thursday.

“Initial investigations rule out any mechanical or engine failure as a cause of the grounding,” the company said.

[Simon.Sails]

Could always become an airline pilot for Malaysian Airways.

[S-V SAGA]

Too funny, Qualified Captain!

http://https://www.instagram.com/p/C..._web_copy_link


Maybe someone could figure out how to post it here

[GordMay]

https://www.instagram.com/thequalifiedcaptain/?hl=en

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by S-V SAGA

Too funny, Qualified Captain!

http://https://www.instagram.com/p/C..._web_copy_link


Maybe someone could figure out how to post it here

That link's not working for me, this one does though....

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMzrvxhj...=149uu555ca2u2

Edit: posted at same time Gord

[LittleWing77]

Just listened to a Maritime Expert being interviewed on CBC.

They tried last night to get her off at high tide (fail) and are now bringing in the best salvage company in the world - from the Netherlands - didn't catch the name, but it is the same salvagers who did the Costa Concordia cruise ship off of Italy.

He also indicated the best chance will be on the Spring tide in a few days (March 28th here).

If they don't achieve it then, the Canal will be blocked for months while they carefully reduce the weight (the bow is grounded; the vessel is floating) + drege around the boat.

He noted that such a weight-reduction combined with dreging would have to be managed extremely carefully so the boat won't break apart due to unequal loads/forces.

Wow. Just wow.
LittleWing77

[MicHughV]

It is surprising to see so little in the line of mechanical assistance at this event...if this had happened in the USA, there would be every type of mechanical device show up there....those little backhoe's and bulldozers I see in the pic seem inadequate to do much of anything..

Considering how many ships are being "held up" by this event, and the lost revenue, one would think the Egyptians would throw everything that they had to fix this mess...

[NaClyDog]

I wonder at what point shipping companies will decide to just bypass (via Cape Horn) this area until the issue is resolved.

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

.....bringing in the best salvage company in the world - from the Netherlands - didn't catch the name,

Boskalis.......one of largest, if not the largest, dredging companies in the world and ironically already working on the Suez expansion project.....

Check out the corporate video towards the bottom of the page in the below link...

https://boskalis.com/



.

[Montanan]

Wow, three pages into a thread regarding a grounding and the discussion hasn't evolved to a COLREGs discussion. As the image below reveals the ship is not displaying the three black balls in vertical alignment at its bow.

I suspect that the bridge crew are probably using the day shape interpretation chart that I have attached.

Truly they mistakenly chose a rather narrow channel to attempt to turn around in; should have just backed it south instead of trying to end for end her. Nothing like turning about a 400 meter long ship, in a channel that is 225 meters wide [measured at the edges of the 11 meter deep portion]

So how many hundreds of containers are they going to need to toss overboard to lighten the ship enough to get it off the banks. Just chalk it up to spillage and be on your way.

I see that the canal authority has already started work at digging a newer side channel to the new channel; going to take a while using that little excavator. "Go dig out the EVER GIVEN. It will be easy and fun, they said."

[MicHughV]

that photo of the little backhoe next to that big ship is laughable...seriously laughable...

[HeinSdL]

Originally Posted by IslandHopper

Boskalis.......one of largest, if not the largest, dredging companies in the world and ironically already working on the Suez expansion project.....

Check out the corporate video towards the bottom of the page in the below link...

https://boskalis.com/



.

The salvage company is Smit International, Boskalis is indeed big in dredging.

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

Considering how many ships are being "held up" by this event, and the lost revenue, one would think the Egyptians would throw everything that they had to fix this mess...

They *are* throwing everything they have at it. One must also consider that the Egyptians are not the owners of the ship.

The Owners of the ship have called international Netherlands salvage experts - which (from the interview I heard this morning) is the correct next step to manage the situation cautiously - as explained above.

And the reason those bulldozers and excavators look so small is because that boat is so FRIGGIN' BIG!

LittleWing77

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by HeinSdL

The salvage company is Smit International, Boskalis is indeed big in dredging.

HeinSdl is right. Now that I recall the interview, the Maritime Expert did say "Smit" .

Thanks, Hein!
LW

[Mickeyrouse]

Originally Posted by Benz

If the ship did a dance inside the canal, isn't the pilot responsible, at least partially? When a ship hit the Golden Gate Bridge fenders a while ago, the entire focus was on the pilot, not the ship's captain. I wonder how things will shake down here...

Pilot responsibility varies by locale. Several years ago I had a very specific reason for learning about pilot liability in Texas after they were a party to the sinking of my boat. Each port has its own pilot organization. Even though a licensed pilot is required for all vessels entering ports from offshore ( there are probably other criteria as well) carrying cargo or passengers for hire above specified minimums, Texas pilots are statutorily exempt from any liability arising from accident while they are engaged. In Texas at least, pilots are advisers, and final responsibility rests with the master of the vessel.