Suez Canal

[Sharpie]

Have seen on the news today that a massive container ship has gone crosswise on the Suez Canal blocking all movement. The forecast here is if the blockage takes a longer time, this will be another negative affect on the price of gasoline prices which have already taken a steep rise.

 I found it particularly interesting because it shows bridges across the Canal. When I was there no such thing existed, they were being talked about but whenever  any move was made to start one activists took action to make sure it didn't happen. After all these years it is interesting to see the magnificent one at El Ferdan, done many  guards there protecting the site, which because of the actions never looked like happening. I also recall and there is now a bridge close to El Ballah. 

During these guards we had lots of time to watch the passing traffic on the Canal. It was always discussed that French soldiers thought to be bound for Vietnam jumped off the ships and headed into the desert.

It is interesting for me to think that for twenty months from age eighteen to nineteen 1953/54 I saw that same Canal pretty well at some time every day. Memories what would we elderly do without them

[A Boy Named Crow]

Highlight of the story for me was the graphic of the ship's course prior to running aground. Top work!

 

https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/world-economy/catastrophic-oil-prices-spike-after-grounded-mega-ship-blocks-suez-canal/news-story/19d9322de92f703442b3aecccf8a7ffd

Edited March 25, 2021 by A Boy Named Crow

[ri Alban]

Just in time for independence.

 

 

[John Findlay]

Having transmitted the Suez canal 4 times whilst going to and coming from the Persian Gulf. Convoys are formed at either end for transit. Port Said the North end, Port Suez the other end. The start of at the sametime in each direction and all transit at the same speed. Each ship keeps the same distance apart from the one ahead. All ships also have a pilot onboard.

This is because there are passing points along the canal in order that ships can transit in both directions.

Entering the Med at the Norther end, and the Red Sea at the Southern End. If Moses  did indeed part the Red Sea then he was some boy.

[King prawn]

[Beni]

6 hours ago, A Boy Named Crow said:

Highlight of the story for me was the graphic of the ship's course prior to running aground. Top work!

 

https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/world-economy/catastrophic-oil-prices-spike-after-grounded-mega-ship-blocks-suez-canal/news-story/19d9322de92f703442b3aecccf8a7ffd

 

That'll explain why it's surrounded by tug boats.

[A Boy Named Crow]

29 minutes ago, fancy a brew said:

 

That'll explain why it's surrounded by tug boats.

Cracking 😁

[Maple Leaf]

I had a similar experience when I rented a houseboat several years ago.  On the first day I learned two valuable lessons about boats. One, you change course by swinging the stern about not the bow and, two, boats don't have brakes!  Normal people are aware of those things, but I've never claimed to be normal.

 

The result was that I finished up stuck sideways in a lock, much to the amusement of the locals who quickly gathered to watch the show.  The lock master, however, was not amused, muttering darkly about "****ing city folks."

[ri Alban]

Insurance companies are like. 

[Dennis Reynolds]

On 25/03/2021 at 03:44, A Boy Named Crow said:

Highlight of the story for me was the graphic of the ship's course prior to running aground. Top work!

 

https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/world-economy/catastrophic-oil-prices-spike-after-grounded-mega-ship-blocks-suez-canal/news-story/19d9322de92f703442b3aecccf8a7ffd

 

😂

[Carl Fredrickson]

[trotter]

Someone, most probably the Master, the pilot and the Suez crew (all ships transiting the Suez have 4-6 additional crew onboard as lookouts basically) will soon be extremely fired. 

 

On a funnier note, I work for a company that owns a fleet of LNG carriers, and I know a lot of marine engineers. So the memes this week have been beautiful:

 

 

[John Findlay]

[jack D and coke]

https://www.vice.com/en/article/dy8n9q/suez-canal-qanon-cargo-ship-conspiracies-are-getting-wild?utm_source=vicenewsfacebook&fbclid=IwAR1gpX6la68YKSWDC_dLM-SMd4s8of-dD8ZVkLzYGiKkYe6h2l1i03ebWIQ
 

[Bindy Badgy]

[kila]

 

 

 

They'd be as well just digging a diversion around it for the wee boats first

 

[John Findlay]

The canal was closed between 1967-75. The world survived then. I'm sure the world will survive again.

[davemclaren]

On 25/03/2021 at 01:32, Sharpie said:

Have seen on the news today that a massive container ship has gone crosswise on the Suez Canal blocking all movement. The forecast here is if the blockage takes a longer time, this will be another negative affect on the price of gasoline prices which have already taken a steep rise.

 I found it particularly interesting because it shows bridges across the Canal. When I was there no such thing existed, they were being talked about but whenever  any move was made to start one activists took action to make sure it didn't happen. After all these years it is interesting to see the magnificent one at El Ferdan, done many  guards there protecting the site, which because of the actions never looked like happening. I also recall and there is now a bridge close to El Ballah. 

During these guards we had lots of time to watch the passing traffic on the Canal. It was always discussed that French soldiers thought to be bound for Vietnam jumped off the ships and headed into the desert.

It is interesting for me to think that for twenty months from age eighteen to nineteen 1953/54 I saw that same Canal pretty well at some time every day. Memories what would we elderly do without them

My Father did his National service in the Canal Zone in the late 40s. Much later in life he visited Egypt on holidays a couple of holidays. 

[Sharpie]

20 minutes ago, davemclaren said:

My Father did his National service in the Canal Zone in the late 40s. Much later in life he visited Egypt on holidays a couple of holidays. 

 I didn't meet too may guys who had served in Egypt prior to the Suez Crisis. bases though and there were many from one end of the canal Port Said to Suez. I landed there at Fayid which was an enormous RAF base and airport, my first camp was in Port Said, then moved to Moascar which was close to Ismailia. That was also a massive military area many Regiments with camps there. There is also a large Commonwealth Cemetery in Moascar. Most of those facilities were leftovers from WW2 and I guess being British the old practise of if you have your foot in the door don't back out. As the Korean war was easing many of the no longer required troops were basically dumped in Egypt , there was no where else for them to go. Its little wonder the Egyptians hated us, but we misinformed youngsters didn't understand that and returned the ill feelings.

[NANOJAMBO]

6 minutes ago, Sharpie said:

 I didn't meet too may guys who had served in Egypt prior to the Suez Crisis. bases though and there were many from one end of the canal Port Said to Suez. I landed there at Fayid which was an enormous RAF base and airport, my first camp was in Port Said, then moved to Moascar which was close to Ismailia. 

My old man was there for a short while in the late 40s en route to Burma . he said it was grim. 

[davemclaren]

1 hour ago, Sharpie said:

 I didn't meet too may guys who had served in Egypt prior to the Suez Crisis. bases though and there were many from one end of the canal Port Said to Suez. I landed there at Fayid which was an enormous RAF base and airport, my first camp was in Port Said, then moved to Moascar which was close to Ismailia. That was also a massive military area many Regiments with camps there. There is also a large Commonwealth Cemetery in Moascar. Most of those facilities were leftovers from WW2 and I guess being British the old practise of if you have your foot in the door don't back out. As the Korean war was easing many of the no longer required troops were basically dumped in Egypt , there was no where else for them to go. Its little wonder the Egyptians hated us, but we misinformed youngsters didn't understand that and returned the ill feelings.

Port Said was where my father was. He was in the Royal Engineers. There were still German war prisoners there when he was there. 

[Sharpie]

Good chance it was the same camp. Of all things when I was there it was called Golf Course Camp, I never saw a golf course.  There was one building where the officers mess staff bunked, the rest of us were in tents. Directly across the highway from us was the Egyptian prison, we often heard the inmates screaming in terror. The Paras were in the same brigade but were down the road a bit and the Marine Commandos were on the other side of the canal. Interesting to hear of your Dad being if not in the same camp somewhere pretty close. Our Battalion moved in there about 1951.

[jb102]

[Jambo92]

How tf does that thing even float?

[Maple Leaf]

2 hours ago, Jambo92 said:

How tf does that thing even float?

 

I think it's called buoyancy.  Or maybe it's Beyonce.

[trotter]

3 hours ago, Jambo92 said:

How tf does that thing even float?

Archimedes principle. 

 

As long as something weighs less than the equivalent volume of water it displaces, it will float. 

 

In effect, the ship as a whole is less dense than the water it moves out the way. Same thing makes icebergs float

[Maroon Sailor]

Due to go through the Suez shortly as part of CSG21.

 

Hopefully it's still blocked then - prefer to go the long way round

[John Findlay]

1 hour ago, Maroon Sailor said:

Due to go through the Suez shortly as part of CSG21.

 

Hopefully it's still blocked then - prefer to go the long way round

Yeah, get a run ashore in Cape Town😉

[Maroon Sailor]

Just now, John Findlay said:

Yeah, get a run ashore in Cape Town😉

 

👍🤣

 

It's up there in my top 5 run ashores

[John Findlay]

1 minute ago, Maroon Sailor said:

 

👍🤣

 

It's up there in my top 5 run ashores

👍👍👍

[davemclaren]

On 26/03/2021 at 21:51, Sharpie said:

Good chance it was the same camp. Of all things when I was there it was called Golf Course Camp, I never saw a golf course.  There was one building where the officers mess staff bunked, the rest of us were in tents. Directly across the highway from us was the Egyptian prison, we often heard the inmates screaming in terror. The Paras were in the same brigade but were down the road a bit and the Marine Commandos were on the other side of the canal. Interesting to hear of your Dad being if not in the same camp somewhere pretty close. Our Battalion moved in there about 1951.

Though my dad was in the Royal Engineers he actually worked as a clerk in the Army post office. 😂

[John Findlay]

2

[Sharpie]

2 hours ago, davemclaren said:

Though my dad was in the Royal Engineers he actually worked as a clerk in the Army post office. 😂

   When you are still not far from being a child miles away from home with people not wanting you to be there, the ones who get you your mail were  heroes, no nell phones, no internet just a letter in an envelope from Mum.

[Tazio]

My dad was in Egypt for a while and based in various places. Sadly he’s no longer with us so I’m not sure where. His one take on his time there was a lifelong belief that, in his words, Egyptians would steal your eyes if they thought they could. 
His favourite story involved being stationed in a base that had the stores in it that supplied smaller camps. There was a problem with trucks arriving at their destination with less supplies than they’d left with. Him and a couple of other senior NCOs guessed that when the trucks were slowing at junctions on night runs people were climbing in the back and throwing stuff out the back for their friends to collect and then jumping out at the next junction. So that night they hid in the back of the truck with hammers. Sure enough a few minutes from base hands appeared on the tailgate as the truck was moving at walking pace. A few well placed hits later they looked out the back to see a couple of the locals rolling around in the road clutching their by now badly damaged hands. 

[John Findlay]

1 minute ago, Tazio said:

My dad was in Egypt for a while and based in various places. Sadly he’s no longer with us so I’m not sure where. His one take on his time there was a lifelong belief that, in his words, Egyptians would steal your eyes if they thought they could. 
His favourite story involved being stationed in a base that had the stores in it that supplied smaller camps. There was a problem with trucks arriving at their destination with less supplies than they’d left with. Him and a couple of other senior NCOs guessed that when the trucks were slowing at junctions on night runs people were climbing in the back and throwing stuff out the back for their friends to collect and then jumping out at the next junction. So that night they hid in the back of the truck with hammers. Sure enough a few minutes from base hands appeared on the tailgate as the truck was moving at walking pace. A few well placed hits later they looked out the back to see a couple of the locals rolling around in the road clutching their by now badly damaged hands. 

Arab justice.

[Maple Leaf]

4 hours ago, davemclaren said:

Though my dad was in the Royal Engineers he actually worked as a clerk in the Army post office. 😂

 

My dad was also in the Royal Engineers and he spent about a year in Egypt and Libya, 1940/41.  His job was building roads and airfields.  He got there by going around the Cape of Good Hope, so went through the Suez Canal but didn't talk much about it.

He talked a lot about the flies, and that there were billions of them, everywhere.  The flies would swarm soldiers as they were eating, and the men had to be careful when they were taking a mouthful that there wasn't a fly included.

He also insisted that the term WOGS was not pejorative.  He said that locals employed by the army wore armbands with those letters on them, which meant Worker On Government Service.

[Sharpie]

1 hour ago, Maple Leaf said:

 

My dad was also in the Royal Engineers and he spent about a year in Egypt and Libya, 1940/41.  His job was building roads and airfields.  He got there by going around the Cape of Good Hope, so went through the Suez Canal but didn't talk much about it.

He talked a lot about the flies, and that there were billions of them, everywhere.  The flies would swarm soldiers as they were eating, and the men had to be careful when they were taking a mouthful that there wasn't a fly included.

He also insisted that the term WOGS was not pejorative.  He said that locals employed by the army wore armbands with those letters on them, which meant Worker On Government Service.

 I can attest to the flies. We done night patrols on a Bren gun carrying Land Rover, it was to prevent cable cutting and was an all night duty. In the morning we slept in our tents. I decided to lie outside and take some sun and fell sound asleep, when I woke up my neck felt funny, I put my hand up and a large lump of flies were on my Adams Apple where I had made a tiny nick whilst shaving. About a week later I had a large infected sore on my neck right where the flies had been, it took lots of antibiotics  and treatment to have it cured. Not having admitted I slept outside I was threatened with charges for not using my issued fly net on my bed. If I had admitted to lying outside I would have spent some time in the guardroom cell.

[Boof]

A seafaring chum has posted this explanation on Facebook:

 

Those 60m wide box boats need to be in the exact middle of the canal, if they’re off by more as a few metres they are prone to sheering. So a sand storm blowing through would easily push a ship like that off centre with the resultant consequences! Those sand storms come out of nowhere, and they’re pretty wild.

 

I would've thought that dynamic GPS would keep them where they're meant to be but clearly not in the case of Evergreen.

[zorba74]

Evergreen Truck Blocks Chinese Motorway Just Days After Evergreen Ship Jams Suez Canal - UNILAD

 

[kila]

So when will they decide just to blow it up like a beached whale?

 

[Cade]

Dredging hasn't worked.

New plan is to offload some containers to reduce weight.

This is going to take weeks.

[narre]

Reported this morning on Aussie news,it's costing about $400 million per hour!

[A Boy Named Crow]

25 minutes ago, narre said:

Reported this morning on Aussie news,it's costing about $400 million per hour!

I wonder if the massive insurance payouts on this will eventually filter down to higher premiums for us average punters. 

[Sooperstar]

They have it mostly moved now. Looks like they'll be able to get it done today.

[Cade]

Got the back end floating, twisted it around so it's straighter but this just ground the bow into the mud even more. 

Progress, but still along way to go.

 

[Beni]

[PortyJambo]

1 hour ago, Cade said:

Got the back end floating, twisted it around so it's straighter but this just ground the bow into the mud even more. 

Progress, but still along way to go.

 

 

[hughesie27]

5 hours ago, Sooperstar said:

They have it mostly moved now. Looks like they'll be able to get it done today.

 

3 hours ago, Cade said:

Got the back end floating, twisted it around so it's straighter but this just ground the bow into the mud even more. 

Progress, but still along way to go.

 

I know who I'm backing in this battle of wills. Rhymes with spade.

[redjambo]

3 hours ago, fancy a brew said:

 

[Sooperstar]

1 hour ago, hughesie27 said:

 

I know who I'm backing in this battle of wills. Rhymes with spade.