Having some experience at sea and experience going through canals, chokepoints, and whatnot, this is gnawing at me about the ship that went aground in the Suez Canal. I've never gone through the Suez, but have gone through the Panama Canal, Strait of Malacca (biggest Asian waterway), Strait of Gibraltar (in and out of the Mediterranean Sea), and the Strait of Hormuz (passage into and out of the Persian Gulf). Take a look at this picture. Does this look like a strong wind pushing the ship aground or does it look more like right full rudder?
From the BBC article (link) and the only explanation I seen given: “Evergreen Marine said the ship was "suspected of being hit by a sudden strong wind, causing the hull to deviate... and accidentally hit the bottom and run aground".
I’d imagine the ship would have a pilot onboard that is an expert on the Suez and maneuvering in it, etc and the ship would be manned for restricted maneuvering (all hands-on deck – aft steering manned, etc in case there are engineering or steering mechanical casualties). The pilot would be the person giving commands in terms of engine orders and rudder movements and interacting directly with the Captain of the ship.
And I also remember that the ship’s profile above the water, etc can act as a sail for the wind to catch, but that is not, IMO, going to push the bow 30 degrees… 45 degrees in such a short distance and space. Yet, we have seen weather on the planet get strange and very uncharacteristic at times in the recent past.
Also, if I remember right from my Navy days when you go aground like this you do not try to maneuver, since you may just make things worse, so the ship may in general be angled and in the same position when the ship went aground.
And anyone with time in a military navy knows the significance of shutting off chokepoints at sea and whatnot in relation to strategic maneuvers related to conflicts and wars, which the Suez Canal is one of the most important.
Seems to me to some degree that the world by sea just got cut in half. Shut off the Strait of Gibraltar, as well, and you hamper activities at sea if anything happens in Syria and/or the Ukraine. And then maybe a little ‘helter skelter’ with the Bosphorus strait and…
There is also the significance to commerce and the supply chain of goods and oil to Europe and the eastern US, etc. This is just another thing to pile on top of very real problems with the supply chain of the world.
I messaged a friend who has gone through the Suez a few times and he also shares that same opinion that things don’t seem to add up with the given explanation of a sudden strong wind. They have specific safety precautions in place in case ships have rudder or engine issues or casualties during passage and those precautions both on and off ship might have to be violated for something like this to happen.
Maybe it was a strong wind, but something possibly smells to me.
From the BBC article (link) and the only explanation I seen given: “Evergreen Marine said the ship was "suspected of being hit by a sudden strong wind, causing the hull to deviate... and accidentally hit the bottom and run aground".
Egypt's Suez Canal blocked by huge container ship
A ship the length of four football pitches is wedged across one of the world's busiest trade routes.
www.bbc.com
I’d imagine the ship would have a pilot onboard that is an expert on the Suez and maneuvering in it, etc and the ship would be manned for restricted maneuvering (all hands-on deck – aft steering manned, etc in case there are engineering or steering mechanical casualties). The pilot would be the person giving commands in terms of engine orders and rudder movements and interacting directly with the Captain of the ship.
And I also remember that the ship’s profile above the water, etc can act as a sail for the wind to catch, but that is not, IMO, going to push the bow 30 degrees… 45 degrees in such a short distance and space. Yet, we have seen weather on the planet get strange and very uncharacteristic at times in the recent past.
Also, if I remember right from my Navy days when you go aground like this you do not try to maneuver, since you may just make things worse, so the ship may in general be angled and in the same position when the ship went aground.
And anyone with time in a military navy knows the significance of shutting off chokepoints at sea and whatnot in relation to strategic maneuvers related to conflicts and wars, which the Suez Canal is one of the most important.
Seems to me to some degree that the world by sea just got cut in half. Shut off the Strait of Gibraltar, as well, and you hamper activities at sea if anything happens in Syria and/or the Ukraine. And then maybe a little ‘helter skelter’ with the Bosphorus strait and…
There is also the significance to commerce and the supply chain of goods and oil to Europe and the eastern US, etc. This is just another thing to pile on top of very real problems with the supply chain of the world.
I messaged a friend who has gone through the Suez a few times and he also shares that same opinion that things don’t seem to add up with the given explanation of a sudden strong wind. They have specific safety precautions in place in case ships have rudder or engine issues or casualties during passage and those precautions both on and off ship might have to be violated for something like this to happen.
Maybe it was a strong wind, but something possibly smells to me.