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[Aleksi & Tane Lindström]

Now in tow, speed 1.5 knots so far.

[victor radio74]

She is flying alone

[Paul Bradshaw]

Yes 7.1 knots. I wonder what forces were at play when she was bridging the canal at low tide?

[victor radio74]

Ships in Great Bitter Lake are moving towards Suez,YM WISH followed by MAERSK ESMERALDAS and EVER GLOVE

[Brent]

As an exporter it will be interesting to learn of the cause of the grounding, fortunately we have no cargo on this vessel but various news reports put the issue down to bridge error or wind effects. Even if insurers cover the GA, it is still irksome that others have to pay for a shipboard error, if that proves to be the case. But we do have cargo on subsequent vessels that now will be affected, just another nightmare for exporters these days starting with ships being full, then sliding schedules, then equipment shortages, then carriers finding they have over-booked slots and shortshipments follow, then delays in ships berthing at destination, and finally delays in getting containers off port, and for refrigerated cargoes hopefully coolstores have space. And all the way along, arguing detention with carriers after it was their ships that were late, and some customers are suffering vastly inflated freight rates. Not easy. 

[Oldkayaker]

Now that the Ever Given is finally free of its snag, it may be a good time for Egypt to get better at dredging the Canal and more frequently.

[Oldkayaker]

Paul Bradshaw... great question.  My guess is that dredging operations need to be improved.  Sand is always going to be accumulating and dredging is a proven deterrent for sandbar build up.

[Captain Ted]

My take on it is....When I look at the AIS track and assuming as reported they got strong winds from her stb side, it seems at the time of entering they had 9plus kn and were pushed towards the port side bank. I can easy imagine that the pilot gave then orders for more rpm to maintain steering as closer to the bank was less water. Then the vessel got clear of that bank and went for the other side, going back and forth from side to side until grounding. Once a ship that size picks up speed, which can be seen too as just before grounding the speed was 13kn plus they can,t be slowed easy anymore. What saved her from grounding in the beginning, more rpm, doomed her later as the vessel got out of control for too much speed-rpm and the banking effect and the squad effect took her the steering away.

[davidships]

Indeed, speed may well prove to be a factor exacerbating both squat and bank rejection.  I am reminded of the terrible tragedy in 1972 of the ROYSTON GRANGE which collided with the tanker TIEN CHEE in the poorly maintained channel in the Buenos Aires fairway - an immediate fire and explosions led to the death of all 74 crew/passengers/pilot on board ROYSTON GRANGE as well as 8 of the tanker's crew.  At the time it was usually said that the ship "bounced" off the edge off the channel, but neither squat nor, particularly, bank effect were so widely understood then. The ship was forced too close to the edge of the channel, not by wind, but by the approaching tanker.

For the untrained like me, I found this helpful in understanding "squat":
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squat_effect
And, in relation to "bank effect" and interaction, this 2012 analysis in The Pilot is pertinant, noting also a similar collision in that year (though thankfully without the tragic consequences):
https://www.pilotmag.co.uk/the-royston-grange-trgedy/

[csaba]

My take on it is....When I look at the AIS track and assuming as reported they got strong winds from her stb side, it seems at the time of entering they had 9plus kn and were pushed towards the port side bank. I can easy imagine that the pilot gave then orders for more rpm to maintain steering as closer to the bank was less water. Then the vessel got clear of that bank and went for the other side, going back and forth from side to side until grounding. Once a ship that size picks up speed, which can be seen too as just before grounding the speed was 13kn plus they can,t be slowed easy anymore. What saved her from grounding in the beginning, more rpm, doomed her later as the vessel got out of control for too much speed-rpm and the banking effect and the squad effect took her the steering away.

How come there are no tugboat escorts for these huge ships?

[Captain Ted]

Well,, first those big ships with 8kn speed (the official max speed in the canal) the tug boats would be useless. second, on the side of them there would be no place for a tug and total useless and at risk to be pushed into the banks by the ship, damaging the ship as it goes over the tug.(Oilspills ?) The same is for a tug in front of them. A tug aft would work as the tug
could slow the ship down that it would at least run aground with less speed. BUT,,, who pays ? First how much extra tugs the canal would need,, 100 ?,, then who pays for them,,the Canal Authority would charge the ships,,the charterers of the ships would tag it onto the average container price. and so on.

third, Who is then in charge, responsible when a ship anyhow runs aground and lets say runs the tug over and sinks it. Whoms fault it is,,the tug pulled wrong ?  the ship steered wrong ? the WHO is responsible question expands greatly if it happens. From my point of view nobody involved wants that.

[Jens Heri]

Magleby Mærsk imo 9619957 took the long route and passed the southern most point of Africa today.

The ship has an ETA April 14 Algeciras. 

[Brett Bachmann]

First one round the Cape this morning was ironically an Evergreen contr ship.."Ever Greet". MarineTraffic shows MAERSK has quite a few of them heading this way...wonder what the carriers who chose to divert must be thinking...should we go or should we stay...nevertheless, they pass to far out of Cape Town so don't see them.Magleby Maersk just off Cape of Good Hope right now...local time 20h04.

[Paul Bradshaw]

Bank effect! Thanks Ted. Very much seems to be a debated phenomenon but in fact needs to be accepted. We had a recent event in my neck of the woods on the Welland Canal with the Florance Spirit and in spite of the bank effect in play many, many uneducated and ignorant accusations were made toward the crew of both vessels involved. Thanks Ted for your ongoing contribution.

[aerochago]

Would anyone know as the ship is being held until recovery costs are met how long this will take?
As a railway modeller in one container is a shipment from Dapol of O gauge coaches and DMUs for the UK.

Thanks

Alan

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