There may be a delay in some deliveries ...

Oh no, it's happened in Yorkshire now!

Progress !!

**LINK**

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/cargo-unloaded-ship-blocking-suez-canal-ever-given-b926688.html

MichaelG.

Smaller vessels are now moving past the ‘refloated’ ship. Inspection of the vessel won’t take too long - if it is not too damaged.

Looks like nature came to help : **LINK**

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/14484562/suez-canal-ship-refloated/

... makes a refreshing change !

MichaelG.

My dad was on HMS Victorious as it was transiting the Suez Canal on its way to the Med. from Aden as the forces were assembling on either side of the canal. As you can imagine an aircraft carrier in the Suez Canal was a sitting duck if things kicked off. The Captain took it seriously enough to order the ship's crew to all write their wills.

Fortunately, they made it out of the canal unharmed before hostilities began and were safely berthed in Malta chuckling at the newspaper headlines about our boys in peril in the Suez Canal!

The Captain was right to be so concerned. Egypt alleged that planes from HMS Victorious had fought along side the Israelies, making the ship a legitimate target.

Graham,

It was a similar situation when I transited the canal in 1957, was on a British ship and we had just had a military campaign to retake the canal, albeit unsuccessfully, so very hostile situation. I went to Egypt in 1960, visited Cairo and there was still a coolness to British people. We were warned by our tour guide not to go out after dark alone as very likely to get knifed, such was the strength of feeling then. I would put Egypt at the bottom of my list of favourite countries. Dave W

I wonder is the Captain reading "Situations Vacant" ?

I think I am right in saying that those wills would have been "privileged" in the sense that the normal formalities of execution/witnessing would not have applied.

The question then arises, who is a "sailor" for this purpose and to the headline "typist held a sailor on board ship"!

This is a bit of fun, an web page that allows you to superimpose the ship anywhere on a world map to get the sheer scale **LINK**

Ships in the canal only travel at about 5 knots, otherwise the wash would destroy the banks of the canal, hence why it takes nearly a day to transit the length of the canal. Dave W

Has anyone any idea of the sort of charge to transit the Suez Canal? With 20,000 containers on it what sort of price for each? £5 makes it £100k. £50 makes it £1m

I assume that, just as when entering ports worldwide, the ship is under the command of the local pilots, who instruct the ship's crew..
DaveD

I thought there was a parallel canal to the original one, if so why did the stranded ship cause a problem?

Bill D.

The southern section below the lakes only has one channel. North of the lakes there are two channels.

https://www.wilhelmsen.com/tollcalculators/suez-toll-calculator/

Putting some figures into here seem to suggest about 13,500 $ which doesn’t seem bad so less than a $ per container

In my merchant navy days the ships captain was always responsible for the ship the pilot was there for advice. The only exception was the Panama Canal. But that was the 1970,s

IT'S EASY WHEN YOU KNOW HOW ! NOEL