The massive cargo ship “Ever Given” has run aground while transiting the Suez Canal, creating a massive traffic jam at a global shipping chokepoint:
The Ever Given, a ship owned by Evergreen Marine Corp, a Taiwanese shipping company, ran itself aground in the Suez Canal on Tuesday. https://t.co/nOuA66IhQ0
— IBTimes SG (@IBTimesSG) March 24, 2021
This is “one of the biggest cargo ships in operation”:
Update: still stuck.
How big is this #SuezCanal plug? Ultra big.
MV #EVERGIVEN
Size: 400m long / 59m wide
Gross tonnage: 219,079
Capacity: 20,388 TEUs (20ft container equivalents).One of the largest container ships in operation. pic.twitter.com/rJunpJrAKE
— John Scott-Railton (@jsrailton) March 23, 2021
From photos it appears that the ship’s bulbous bow has “impaled the canal shore”:
OUF: new pics suggest the #EVERGIVEN might have impaled the canal shore with its bulbous bow. Wild if true.
Bulbous bows look weird but modify how water flows around the bow, making ships more efficient.
Cant find credits on pics 1&2, 3 is shipbuilder Samusung Heavy Industries. pic.twitter.com/9c5CLgw3aa
— John Scott-Railton (@jsrailton) March 24, 2021
Guys you’re going to need a bigger excavator:
Still not going to do it!
A huge job for a small excavator…#Suez #shipping pic.twitter.com/oue4Q7Klvy
— Peter Sand (@BIMCO_PS) March 24, 2021
Recommended
Just keep pulling, just keep pulling. . .
It could take “days” to free the ship:
https://twitter.com/Habesh_/status/1374674097913860097
The NYT reported that the ship ran aground “amid poor visibility and high winds from a sandstorm”:
An enormous container ship became stuck in the Suez Canal late Tuesday, blocking traffic through one of the world’s most important shipping arteries.
The ship ran aground amid poor visibility and high winds from a sandstorm, local officials said.https://t.co/09rxdf0dFc
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 24, 2021
But another report says the ship suffered a blackout at the time:
Update: #EVERGIVEN still hard aground.
Reports from logistics company GAC say cause of grounding was a blackout.
This is worst-nightmare material when doing a canal transit.
Source: https://t.co/J2yMtcXLFD pic.twitter.com/NaHovOiu3D
— John Scott-Railton (@jsrailton) March 24, 2021
With shipping traffic halted, there could be an effect on oil prices:
Effect on oil prices? Yes, likely temporary says head of commodities at ING.*
(~10% of global seaborne traded oil transits Suez & SUMED . ~9% of LNG.)
So, what if this closure persists…
*Source: https://t.co/LgazpjlSdm pic.twitter.com/tCiHAcb2f3
— John Scott-Railton (@jsrailton) March 24, 2021
And on a lighter note, the ship appeared to sail in a giant d*ck pattern while waiting its turn to transit the canal:
OH NO: misfortune's unerring aim touched #EVERGIVEN's track as it departed the designated anchorage and steamed into the Canal.
(innocent, but terrible luck)
Source: https://t.co/MsTUgVgyTH pic.twitter.com/6YIrpz4i9C— John Scott-Railton (@jsrailton) March 24, 2021
Yes, everyone is making the same joke:
— Aurora Intel (@AuroraIntel) March 24, 2021
As for what happens if the canal stays blocked, there’s always the old-fashioned way:
Waze voice: traffic jam detected, recalculating… ?♂️ pic.twitter.com/VQsIwi6uLJ
— Laubstein (@laubstein) March 23, 2021
And that might not be the financial hit you think it is:
Apparently that's about 5,000 miles extra but, back in 2008 at least, the half a million dollar canal toll made the longer journey viable for some.https://t.co/kkgHAI9PoU
— Sam Coleridge (@TheSamColeridge) March 23, 2021
***