Giant Cargo Ship Jams Suez Canal

[Mark P]

I'll bet this captain had an interesting day. I had the opportunity to pass a sister ship to the Ever Given near the entrance to the Savannah river last year- see pic. These things are absolutely monsters, it is hard to imagine how big they actually are until I got up close and slid by this one at idle speed in the channel. Apparently, the Ever Given encountered big winds in the Suez canal that it could not handle. At least we didn't get the same result as what happened in Brunswick last year, although as I type this post the news reports that 10 tugs are working to free it from its grounding.



https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/24/container-ship-runs-aground-in-suez-canal-causing-traffic-jam.html*

 

[Larry M]

She is huge! I like this satellite photo. No one is going up or down until she's out of there.

 

[Woodland Hills]

This ship was in a convoy of twenty or more similar vessels yet it was the only one who rammed the bank. They all have similar sized rudders and propulsion with only the software and the human input different between them. I call operator error, but time will tell.

 

[Comodave]

One aw sh*t outweighs 1000 atta boys.

 

[Arc]

This ship was in a convoy of twenty or more similar vessels yet it was the only one who rammed the bank. They all have similar sized rudders and propulsion with only the software and the human input different between them. I call operator error, but time will tell.

May have lost rudder command. It does happen

 

[High Wire]

At least they didn't flip her and dump the containers in the drink. Need more tugs and a dredge maybe.

 

[Fletcher500]

May have lost rudder command. It does happen

I was on a 600 ft ship (small potatoes compared to this one) loss of rudder to a mechanical in a fairly narrow area of the Columbia River. Anchor drop saved the day.

 

[MurrayM]

A freighter close to Kitimat had a catastrophic gyro failure in the steering system (pretty sure that's what they called it) before making a 90 degree turn and bonking/buckling the bulbous bow against the steep rocky shore.

 

[caltexflanc]

According to reports a dredge was dispatched as well, in case it is needed. There is a whole lot more money involved there than there was in Brunswick.

 

[BruceK]

A freighter close to Kitimat had a catastrophic gyro failure in the steering system (pretty sure that's what they called it) before making a 90 degree turn and bonking/buckling the bulbous bow against the steep rocky shore.

The Inquiry here into a catamaran ferry mounting a pleasure cruiser on a mooring buoy called that kind of maneuver "an uncommanded turn". Nice turn of phrase covering a multitude of mess ups( ?messes up).

 

[PPandE]

I'm never one to give the benefit of the doubt unless it's to a personal drinking buddy, but I have experienced uncommanded autopilot turns in both boats and airplanes. When flying close to the ground on AP I always have my thumb next to the disconnect button. The boeing 737 accidents were really not much different. Automation is wonderful. Right up until is isn't. "Open the pod Bay door Hal."

 

[Woodland Hills]

Two questions:

1. Do ships in convoy in the Suez Canal operate under autopilot.

2. Is there a Suez pilot onboard and is he/she in command?

 

[Portage_Bay]

Two questions:

1. Do ships in convoy in the Suez Canal operate under autopilot.

2. Is there a Suez pilot onboard and is he/she in command?

A pilot is required. Source Suez Canal Rules of Navigation

Art., 6 – Pilotage: (1) Pilotage is compulsory for all vessels, whatever their tonnage may be when entering, leaving, moving, changing berth or shifting on Canal water or Port Said and Suez harbors.

Regarding use of autopilot. I can only speculate that the ship is hand steered by an experienced helmsman under the direction of the pilot.

 

[Woodland Hills]

A poster on the Cruising forum says there was an engine failure. If this is accurate information that explains it.

Update: a Press Release from the ship owner rules out any mechanical failure.........

 

[Fletcher500]

I have the transited the Panama Canal on a ship (a long time ago), but have never been through the Suez. I would bet there are some mariners on here who have, and know a lot about the process. There are some really good Vlogs by pro mariners on YouTube. One is “Chief MAKOi”, who I subscribe to. He is a Chief Engineer from PMMA who has some great content, and he does quite a few engine room videos for us gear heads. Anyway, he made one about the Suez Canal awhile back that is worth watching IMO.

 

[Yahoo 1]

Suez Canal blocked.

Suez Canal remains blocked after huge container ship runs aground.
Tailback of vessels threatens to disrupt global trade flows and worsen container shortage.

https://www.ft.com/content/eec9f3a6-2817-45f5-b007-a290f3e530c6

 

[Lollygag1]

Check out the backhoe trying to dig this out.

 

[koliver]

Much more here:
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/worl...-take-days-to-weeks/ar-BB1eWHC2?ocid=msedgntp

 

[SteveK]

Vessel Traffic view

AIS tracking view

 

[Lepke]

https://www.marinelink.com/news/tug...medium=email&utm_campaign=MaritimeToday-ENews

The ship is twice the tonnage of a US super carrier. The picture with the backhoe shows the bulbous bow, normally under water when the ship is loaded. So it must have ran into the bank while still moving and is hard aground and partially out of the water. They're going to probably bring in water cannons or a dredge to wash away the mud around and below the bow.
In 1950 the battleship Missouri (1/4 the tonnage of the container ship) went aground on Thimble Shoals in the Chesapeake Bay. It took unloading ammo, fuel, and dredging a channel over a 2 week period to get her afloat.

 

[Jeff F]

I've read a couple of reports that the ship was going 13 knots. Not a gentle grounding.

 

[Mark P]

Hopefully this post won't get censored by the TF team, but here goes. I am always amazed by what appears to be very small isolated events can make huge impacts on the world. This news story barely made the news a few days ago, and now it has the attention of the world because of its impact. I've read news reports that 30% of the world's container goods go through the canal each year. If this things rolls over with a cargo shift (similar to the Golden Ray), or takes months to clear, we could see a huge economic impact for mankind, shortage of goods, inflation, etc. Let's hope for the best but it will be interesting to see how it unfolds.

 

[Woodland Hills]

There are two livestock carriers stuck in the queue, I wonder how long the food will last or the water! They will start dying a day or two after the water runs out unless they can make their own. If they are stuck at the south I doubt there is any port within a reasonable distance that can supply enough feed for that many cattle or sheep. The Red Sea is not known for its hay and silage.

They are only a day or two away from a huge disaster. I would NOT want to be aboard either of those vessels now, knowing what is coming.

 

[Lollygag1]

Hope he renewed his Sea Tow membership. :lol:

 

[koliver]

Hopefully this post won't get censored by the TF team, but here goes. I am always amazed by what appears to be very small isolated events can make huge impacts on the world. This news story barely made the news a few days ago, and now it has the attention of the world because of its impact. I've read news reports that 30% of the world's container goods go through the canal each year. If this things rolls over with a cargo shift (similar to the Golden Ray), or takes months to clear, we could see a huge economic impact for mankind, shortage of goods, inflation, etc. Let's hope for the best but it will be interesting to see how it unfolds.

No worries Mark. This topic is highly relevant to us all, as you have pointed out. Despite not being a trawler, the Ever Given affects us with her impact on all users of all of the oceans. Cargos bound for almost anywhere in the world will be severely affected should the removal of this giant from its present grounding take more than just a few days.
This story is also fascinating, as we get to watch, almost in real time, the methods used to free a giant vessel from grounding on a soft shoreline. Remember our fascination with the removal of the car carrier on the Carolina Coast.

 

[Lepke]

The economic effect will mostly happen in Europe and to a lesser degree the US East Coast. Ultra large crude carriers go around Africa.

 

[Benthic2]

I read that they want to remove weight to float her. The problem is that they do not have a crane tall enough to unload the shipping containers, so the only weight they can remove is water and fuel....but if they remove weight down low and leave the shipping containers up high, her stability will suffer and she could roll over.

 

[oscar]

The Dutch salvors, masters at this game, are on scene. Listening to Dutch news /talk I heard they called home and said they "may be a while".

 

[oscar]

I'm never one to give the benefit of the doubt unless it's to a personal drinking buddy, but I have experienced uncommanded autopilot turns in both boats and airplanes. When flying close to the ground on AP I always have my thumb next to the disconnect button. The boeing 737 accidents were really not much different. Automation is wonderful. Right up until is isn't. "Open the pod Bay door Hal."

Have you ever piloted a 737? Or any other transport category aircraft?

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
As a slight aside, the conspiracy sites are going wild. Clever plan by the NWO to disrupt world trade. Call sign of Ever Given is H3RC (Hillary Rodham Clinton). Evergreen was Clinton's CIA code name. Blah, blah, blah...Tinfoil hat futures must be going through the roof. They certainly can't get through Suez.