# Ever Given blockage at Suez



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I've been following this for a few days now, but I wonder if we'll ever know the truth of what happened.

See screen shot


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

BBC advertises for a proof reader

"The 400m-long (1,312ft) ship Ever Given, operated by Taiwanese transport company Evergreen Marine, is one of the world's *largest biggest* container vessels."


----------



## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

All partially fixed now. Maybe?

"Efforts to shift the behemoth, which weighs the same as 22,988,822 adult badgers, had been hindered by wind conditions as Suez Canal tugs sought to remove its snout from the banks of the canal. The ship is 400 metres long, "the length of four football pitches," according to the BBC."

https://www.theregister.com/2021/03/24/evergiven/


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

How are we supposed to know what an adult Badger weights? It's like saying it's a high as 14 double decker busses. Daft comparisons. 
Might end up like this.

Ray.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

How did badges COME INTO IT?


----------



## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

Pudsey_Bear said:


> How did badges COME INTO IT?


They didn't - ffs it was 'BADGERS' - you really should sett up your snellchech .....

Anyway, we now know the culprit -


----------



## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Pudsey_Bear said:


> I've been following this for a few days now, but I wonder if we'll ever know the truth of what happened.
> 
> See screen shot


Well 30mph wind would not shift that mass much and only need a slight steering correction. As for the sandstorm reducing visibility, they have short-range radar to even see the dock past all those containers, so I am sure they could see the banks of the Suez on that.

Those excuses - 'Tell it to the marines', but not a LLoyd's Surveyor.

When everybody has had their say I may recount later the excuses our Aircraft Insurance Surveyors heard, even from accident investigators, but our lads were long enough in the tooth to just laugh.

Geoff


----------



## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

raynipper said:


> How are we supposed to know what an adult Badger weights? It's like saying it's a high as 14 double decker busses. Daft comparisons.
> Might end up like this.
> 
> Ray.


I never could work out the situation in that photo, because although some containers had fallen to starboard from the port side at the stern, their weight and position only seem to be displacing others on the starboard side which had presumably already been lost overboard. The containers for'ard of the 'castle' see be be stable.

Anyone know why she was listing so much?

Geoff


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I read something too a day or so ago about a chap who was writing a book about large vessels travelling the worlds oceans, he said that it's all done with minimal crew to keep costs down, and that all the bigger vessels had pilot crew quarters but that the pilot would go and sleep in there, and let his second do all the work and only come to get him if there was a problem, I wonder if this is the case here, we'll never know I suspect.


----------



## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

I see they haven’t asked the Brits or French to help out. ;- )

Terry


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

nicholsong said:


> I never could work out the situation in that photo, because although some containers had fallen to starboard from the port side at the stern, their weight and position only seem to be displacing others on the starboard side which had presumably already been lost overboard. The containers for'ard of the 'castle' see be be stable.
> 
> Anyone know why she was listing so much? Geoff


Stowaways Geoff.

Ray.


----------



## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

All the badgers ran to the side to see the dolphins flying by.


----------



## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

raynipper said:


> How are we supposed to know what an adult Badger weights? It's like saying it's a high as 14 double decker busses. Daft comparisons.
> Might end up like this.
> 
> Ray.


Hit a reef at full speed, crew error, broke its back then split in two.

https://gcaptain.com/rena-grounding-final-report/

Terry


----------



## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Just make the badgers get off it and bingo.


----------



## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

nicholsong;3148803[B said:


> ]Well 30mph wind would not shift that mass much and only need a slight steering correction. As for the sandstorm reducing visibility, they have short-range radar to even see the dock past all those containers, so I am sure they could see the banks of the Suez on that.
> [/B]
> Those excuses - 'Tell it to the marines', but not a LLoyd's Surveyor.
> 
> ...


Head of the Suez Canal Authority has said that weather was not the cause of the grounding and that mechanical failure or human error might be proved by the investigatin to be the cause.

Actually I think grounding might be the wrong description - rammed itself (all by itself of course) into the bank might be more accurate.:wink2:


----------



## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

*regional news latest*


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

KeithChesterfield said:


> *regional news latest*


We've all done that on the canals, found some idiots had built it narrower than the length of the boat.....

Best I saw was in locks at Chester, boater came in from below but did not move far enough forward as gates were shut, carefully trapping rudder into gates.

He then let the water into the lock and suddenly found the blunt end was lower than the sharp and water was gushing inside.

Cabin crew (wife, mother, 2 teenage children), shouted, threw things and then climbed off as he was happily chatting below the lock to another boater.......

Needless to say "the boat did not maintain positive buoyancy" so the lock was now blocked, with cushions, clothing, packets of food etc making a bid for freedom.

The paddles were shut but the boat did not regain much buoyancy.

The Fire Brigade were summoned, checked everyone was OK and then started to pump the lock out with three high volume pumps.

After 30 minutes the level was unchanged much to the White hatted Officer's consternation. He kept scratching his head and looking at the lock.....

I wandered over and was initially stopped from talking to anyone. I managed to talk to one of the teenagers and he relaid the conversation to the white hat....

I suggested it might drain faster if they put the water from the outfalls of the three pumps BELOW the downstream gate..... he listened, shouted and the pipes were moved to below.....

The lock drained in about 10 minutes, all the possessions were restored and the boat pumped out before the lock was correctly filled with the boat further in - problem solved.....

White Hat had a very red face when he came to thank me- which he did very quickly.


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

As kids we used to cycle up to Molesey lock or down to Teddington lock to just sit and watch the nice pleasure boats going through.
Occasionally a hire boat would be heading down river and being novices once in the lock someone off the boat would tie one end of the boat to a bollard. As the level dropped the rope would shorten and be impossible to undo again all the time one end of the boat was now out of the water while the other end was lowering. 
It was about this time the renter would panic and call the lockkeeper in desperation. Typically the lockkeeper just picked up an axe and sauntered over to the boat and swung the axe cutting the rope and allowing the boat to go crashing down into the water again.
I think it was a regular occurrence with the casualness the lockkeeper did this.

Ray.


----------



## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Penquin said:


> We've all done that on the canals, found some idiots had built it narrower than the length of the boat.....
> 
> Best I saw was in locks at Chester, boater came in from below but did not move far enough forward as gates were shut, carefully trapping rudder into gates.
> 
> ...


Dave

That reminds me off the time I was taking my sailing boat from Southampton to Greece, We had demasted at Le Havre, stopped at Rouen and the L'arsenal marina in Paris and upstream had just branched off into the start of the Canal de Briare to climb over the watershed into the Loire valley, got to the first lock. STOP. - several boats moored up waiting, no action, wander up to the lock, upper gates jammed, Dutch barge coming down had somehow dropped his rudder, which had jammed under the lock gates.

Les Pompiers duly called, with their diving equipment. Nothing else for it for us waiting spectator boaters than to break out the wine and beer in the Spring sunshine.

Two jolly hours of entertainment and bonhommie, followed by great thanks to Les Pompiers, profuse apologies from Dutchman skipper, glasses stowed and onwards and upwards.

Good start to a wonderful transit of 168 locks, with not one operated manually and in those days all for nought. Vive La France!

One memorable day was in pissing rain and eventually got moored up in the dark at, I think La Charite, not wanting to cook we staggered along to the village, which looked deserted, but there was a light in the bar, pushed open the door - C'est possible a manger? - Answer in thiick Liverpuddlian accent 'I can do you a couple of steaks', from La Propriataire who had run it for 20 years.

And so started 30 years of adventure with that boat.

Never blocked a canal though.

Geoff
.


----------



## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

raynipper said:


> As kids we used to cycle up to Molesey lock or down to Teddington lock to just sit and watch the nice pleasure boats going through.
> Occasionally a hire boat would be heading down river and being novices once in the lock someone off the boat would tie one end of the boat to a bollard. As the level dropped the rope would shorten and be impossible to undo again all the time one end of the boat was now out of the water while the other end was lowering.
> It was about this time the renter would panic and call the lockkeeper in desperation. Typically the lockkeeper just picked up an axe and sauntered over to the boat and swung the axe cutting the rope and allowing the boat to go crashing down into the water again.
> I think it was a regular occurrence with the casualness the lockkeeper did this.
> ...


One reason why a pilot friend of mine, but also a yachtsman and ex-Merchant Marine would never put a riding turn on a cleat. Problem is most builders now do not fit large enough cleats to secure a boat with only loose turns.


----------



## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

What are you doing at ten past eleven this morning?

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz/uri-geller-urges-you-use-23804317


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Ha ha ha Great....................................... might bend the ship to fit the canal.

Ray.


----------



## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

dghr272 said:


> I see they haven't asked the Brits or French to help out. ;- )
> 
> Terry


Probably because the Dutch are *the* experts when it comes to salvage operations. I bet the insurers are ****ing themselves over what the compensation bill for all of the delayed ships is going to be, let alone the salvage bill.

Glad it's not my problem


----------



## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

I bet mine's at the bottom .....


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Apparently, partially refloated with only part stuck now. Various reports say “bows freed” others say “still stuck at the bows” and those two conflicting reports came from the BBC Breakfast within two minutes; one UK based from the studio, the other from an Egyptian contact, so your guess is as good as theirs....

There were reports yesterday that the bows had been impaled on a rock - the vessel will have to be inspected urgently to ensure it remains buoyant, but that could be after it has been towed to a wider part so other vessels can pass.

Handling a vessel that is 400 m long must be a nightmare through that very restricted waterway, yet the crew consists of less than 30, not easy to see how so few can manage such a large item in such difficult conditions.


----------



## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Penquin said:


> Handling a vessel that is 400 m long must be a nightmare through that very restricted waterway, yet the crew consists of less than 30, not easy to see how so few can manage such a large item in such difficult conditions.


It's not like an old sailing ship! There are not hundreds of ropes to pull to adjust the sails etc, everything is mechanically operated and many tasks are fully automated. They don't even have a "wheel" to steer with, it's a tiny joystick. However as most of the systems are automated they are controlled by a computer and if *that* goes wrong or plays up?? Boeing Max 8 springs to mind :wink2:


----------



## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

_


Mrplodd said:



They don't even have a "wheel" to steer with, it's a tiny joystick.

Click to expand...

_


Mrplodd said:


> About 25 years ago we went on a cruise on Lake Nasser to see the Temples at Abu Simbel.
> During the trip we were given the chance to go and see the Captains Cabin and the Ships controls.
> A very large and impressive ships wheel was centre stage in the cabin and obviously steering the ship, wasn't it ?
> Well no, the Captain was actually using a small toggle switch to steer the vessel.
> ...


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Mrplodd said:


> It's not like an old sailing ship! There are not hundreds of ropes to pull to adjust the sails etc, everything is mechanically operated and many tasks are fully automated. They don't even have a "wheel" to steer with, it's a tiny joystick. However as most of the systems are automated they are controlled by a computer and if *that* goes wrong or plays up?? Boeing Max 8 springs to mind :wink2:


Agree totally with that, my thoughts go to how such a large vessel should be kept central to a waterway? Is there radar / GPS holding it dead central, with a watch hand or three keeping visual observation just in case ? Or is it down to someone giving the joystick a tiny tweak every now and then ?

As you say Boeing Max 8 or whatever they were called, comes to mind.....


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)




----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Pudsey_Bear said:


>


How has that video had over three million views? Most of the people talking about it on this forum could have probably figured out all that. I dont believe he is correct either about the weight currently on the bow in the sand. It cant possibly be the full weight of the ship (2000 tons).

Whey do they keep referring to it as the Evergiven. Says Evergreen on the side?


----------



## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Evergreen is the company Baz.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

two hunderud farasand tuns Barry, 3m is easy it's a huge topic, everyone who's order something will be looking.


----------



## EJB (Aug 25, 2007)

It's clear!...No it's not!...Yes it is!.....No it's not!!!!!
Plus it's not Covid related!!! Yet???


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Give it time Ted, and It'll have Brexit too.


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Pudsey_Bear said:


> two hunderud farasand tuns Barry, 3m is easy it's a huge topic, everyone who's order something will be looking.


We got our patio set last week. Am I bovvered?

Ray.


----------



## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

EJB said:


> It's clear!...No it's not!...Yes it is!.....No it's not!!!!!
> Plus it's not Covid related!!! Yet???[/QUOTE
> 
> It is now.


----------



## EJB (Aug 25, 2007)

[/QUOTE It is now.[/QUOTE]

Damn!.....back to Covid:surprise:


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Its free! Apparently they never realised it had a reverse gear.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-56567985


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)




----------



## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

barryd said:


> How has that video had over three million views? Most of the people talking about it on this forum could have probably figured out all that. I dont believe he is correct either about the weight currently on the bow in the sand. It cant possibly be the full weight of the ship (2000 tons).
> 
> Whey do they keep referring to it as the Evergiven. Says Evergreen on the side?


Oh dear, Barry.

The displacement of the ship is 200,000 tonnes.

The video I saw said 30% of the weight was on the sand. In my view believable, judging by the speed at which it must have hit the bank to bury its bow so far in.

Evergreen is the name of the Shipping Line and they give their ships names starting with Ever, in this case Ever Given.

Or were you trolling for an answer? If so you got one.

Geoff


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

We only have to put up with him on here, poor Michelle has him all the time.


----------



## Drew (May 30, 2005)

https://forums.motorhomefacts.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=90847&thumb=1


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

nicholsong said:


> Oh dear, Barry.
> 
> The displacement of the ship is 200,000 tonnes.
> 
> ...


Nobody likes a smart arse! I meant 200000 tons! So I was correct. 30% sounds more believable rather than the full weight of the ship the bloke in the noddy video claimed.


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I like smart arses. Most of my friends always know more than me as they keep telling me.

Ray.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

The Ever Given is still in the Suez Canal, there are a couple of tugs nearby so I wonder if they are doing a safety inspection still, it was due in Rotterdam at 02:00 this morning.


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

My son flies to Egypt tomorrow. He is a plasterer and can have a look at it.

Ray.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)




----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)




----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

So they were right, it was a woman driver...........................

https://www.aol.co.uk/news/egypt-first-female-shipmaster-blamed-094301991.html

Ray.


----------



## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

raynipper said:


> So they were right, it was a woman driver...........................
> 
> https://www.aol.co.uk/news/egypt-first-female-shipmaster-blamed-094301991.html
> 
> Ray.


Stop spreading false news Ray! She was hundreds of miles away! According to the article...


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Ha ha ha ha. OK I will print a retraction in the small print if you can find it.:grin2:

Ray.


----------



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Evergreen or Evergreen? I see *Evergreen* on the ship and he keeps saying *Evergiven* I the first video, what am I missing ?


----------



## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

One (Evergreen) is the name of the *Company* and the other (Evergiven) is the name of the *ship*


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)




----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Rather an expensive bill for something that caused obstruction but no real damage.......

It even includes a sum for the possible damage to the ship and the stress experienced by the Captain and crew.....

Maybe they should just leave the ship with the Suez Canal Authority for a number of years...


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

What about the cargo? Must be a few quid sitting there.

Ray.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

It could have been much worse, Evergiven is at least still afloat.


----------



## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Hardly fills one with confidence about these ships. 

Ray.


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Remember all the people collecting BMW Motorbikes straight out of a container on Branscombe, Devon, beach a few years ago ?

The ship got into trouble off France, they refused permission or help, it was taken to Falmouth then Torbay as it could not get near Falmouth. It ended up in Torbay and was eventually towed East, sadly it broke up and sank with a large bit resting in 20m off Branscombe, the containers were washed ashore and the hordes descended from all parts of Britain.

I don't think anyone was ever charged with receiving wreck without informing the authorities. That cargo included people's personal possessions as well as exports, virtually none was ever returned to its owners.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...ge-bmw-motorbikes-shipping-containers-washed/

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2007/jan/23/pollution.uknews


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

More of an explanation than an update.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Doesn't seem fair.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

And here we go again






Present position


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Still going on.


----------

