Editor's choiceEgypt 30.03.2021 - 2,528 views
5 (4 votes)
Suez Canal Is “Clear” As Ever Given Reaches Great Bitter Lake 5 out of 5 based on 4 ratings. 4 user reviews.

Suez Canal Is “Clear” As Ever Given Reaches Great Bitter Lake

Originally appeared at ZeroHedge

(Update 1220ET): With the Suez Canal clear, vessels who have been waiting nearly a week to transit the canal are finally entering.

Refinitiv marine traffic data shows general cargo ship Chipolbrok Galaxy has entered the northern end of the Suez Canal.

Suez Canal Is "Clear" As Ever Given Reaches Great Bitter Lake

More than 450 vessels are waiting to transit the canal and could take at least ten days to normalize.

* * *

Update (1155ET): Refinitiv marine traffic data shows Ever Given is passing through Little Bitter Lake. The vessel is currently using its engines, traveling at 8.60 knots. Initial reports state the containership is supposed to stop in Little Bitter Lake for examination but could be headed to Greater Bitter Lake. This means the canal is now “clear” and ready for other vessels to transit.

Suez Canal Is "Clear" As Ever Given Reaches Great Bitter Lake

Here’s a video of Ever Given entering Great Bitter Lake.

* * *

Update (0944ET): With Ever Given officially dislodged and transiting down the canal, there are more than 450 vessels waiting to use the waterway.

Suez Canal Is "Clear" As Ever Given Reaches Great Bitter Lake

Here’s Ever Given’s travel path so far.

Suez Canal Is "Clear" As Ever Given Reaches Great Bitter Lake

The vessel is heading to “Little Bitter Lake” for inspection.

Suez Canal Is "Clear" As Ever Given Reaches Great Bitter Lake

As for the logjam of vessels waiting to transit the canal, it could take upwards of ten days to normalize.

* * *

Update: (0921 ET): Reuters reports the stranded container ship is now “freed,” according to shipping data and sources. Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Chairman reports traffic in the channel can resume.

Suez Canal Is "Clear" As Ever Given Reaches Great Bitter Lake

Reuters notes, “Ever Given is seen underway using engines and heading towards Bitter Lakes area.”

“The Suez Canal Authority confirms that the stranded EVER GIVEN vessel was successfully refloated in the canal,” Egypt Today Magazine reports.

More video of Ever Given refloated.

Crude futures stumble on the reopening of the canal.

Suez Canal Is "Clear" As Ever Given Reaches Great Bitter Lake

Here’s a live feed of the “freed” megaship.

* * *

Update: (0900 ET): Egypt Today Magazine reports tugboat operations to pull the stranded container ship in the Suez Canal “temporarily stopped due to water currents and to be resumed at 3:00 pm (Cairo Time).” 

Logistics company Leth Agencies confirms Egypt Today Magazine’s report by tweeting: “As the tide is lowering, tugs appear to temporarily cease their operations at #EVERGIVEN. Updates regarding continued efforts to follow.”

Suez Canal Is "Clear" As Ever Given Reaches Great Bitter Lake

With refloating efforts stopped, the amount of vessels waiting to transit one of the world’s most important waterways has reached more than 450 vessels.

Suez Canal Is "Clear" As Ever Given Reaches Great Bitter Lake

The global supply chain remains paralyzed along the Suez Canal. Still, there’s no timeline on when Ever Given will be completely refloated. 

… things that make you go hmm…

* * *

The Ever Given container ship, stuck in the southern part of the Suez Canal, has been partially refloated, according to Egypt Today Magazine. Tugboat efforts will continue Monday around high tide to clear the blockage in one of the world’s most important shipping lanes. Ever Given has been paralyzed in the canal for nearly a week as more than 450 ships are queued up, waiting to transit the vital shipping lane while others have rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope.

A statement by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said the container ship has “responded to the pulling and towing maneuvers.” We reported Sunday at least 14 tugboats and a dredging vessel have worked around the clock for days to move the Ever Given. SCA gave no timeline when the canal would reopen since the vessel is only partially refloated.

Suez Canal Is "Clear" As Ever Given Reaches Great Bitter Lake

Egypt Today Magazine, using VesselFinder, shows Ever Given’s positioning has changed. The vessel’s bow is positioned more into the channel than ever before.

Suez Canal Is "Clear" As Ever Given Reaches Great Bitter Lake

The local news agency tweeted a video of the salvage team blaring their foghorns in jubilation after the vessel was partially refloated.

VesselFinder shows Ever Given’s trajectory has dramatically shifted into the channel.

SCA confirmed on Monday Ever Given changed its course and is “80% refloated after it was partially freed.”

Egypt Today Magazine notes tugboats have led to the vessel’s partial refloating, and the stern is now 102 meters away from the bank of the canal. There will be additional maneuvers later today once high tide arrives to fully refloat the vessel and position it in the middle of the channel.

As a result of the positive news, crude prices retreated, with Brent crude futures dipping as much as 1.5%.

Suez Canal Is "Clear" As Ever Given Reaches Great Bitter Lake

Peter Berdowski, chief executive officer of Boskalis Westminster, the salvage team’s parent company, told Bloomberg with the vessel partially refloated, the stern of the ship is “still very stuck in the mud.”

“Putting the rear end of the ship afloat was the easy part,” Berdowski said to Dutch NPO Radio. “The challenging part will be the front of the ship. Now, we will start working at the front.”

There are still no timelines when the vessel will be fully refloated. More than 450 ships have been stuck around the canal, waiting to transit the canal. Global supply chains have already been affected as some vessels have rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope.

Suez Canal Is "Clear" As Ever Given Reaches Great Bitter Lake

Even when Ever Given is refloated – the backlog of vessels, 450 and counting, would mean that it would take at least ten days to resume normal activity in the canal, meaning the Suez crisis is not over.

Suez Canal Is "Clear" As Ever Given Reaches Great Bitter Lake
Source: Bloomberg 

“It’s one thing to refloat the ship, and it’s another thing to clear the canal of traffic completely,” Hugo De Stoop, CEO of oil-shipping firm Euronav, said to Bloomberg Television. “Whatever has been accumulated so far will take time to clear. Tentative timeline is probably two to three weeks, because the Suez canal was used probably at full capacity.”

With the vessel partially refloated, and once high tide returns, the vessel’s own propulsion system might be used in conjunction with the dozen-plus tugboats.

The good news is that the worst-case scenario of unloading the vessel might be avoided. As JPMorgan’s Marko Kolanovic told clients last week, any reloading of the vessel risks “ship breaking.”

MORE ON THE TOPIC:

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
26 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Blas de Lezo

Egypt should use the opportunity to raise the transit fees.

0
Reply
Lazy Gamer

This was a costly stunt

0
Reply
Ivan Freely

Yes for the owner of the vessel. But there is a winner from this.

0
Reply
johnny rotten

So the news spoke of weeks and a serious international crisis had speculative purpose, these devils do not waste but an opportunity to earn money from nothing.

0
Reply
BMWA1

This just in from HATO HQ… Putin and Lavrov passports discovered by divers during dislodging operations. Traces of Novichok also discovered aboard ship according to undisclosed anonymous sources.

0
Reply
HiaNd

Yes, Putin did put few spoons of most dangerous nerve agent into their supper, which made them all only very sleepy… So they fell a sleep and got stuck…

* “NATO” not Cyrillic “HATO”

0
Reply
Kenny Jones ™

Something tells me Russia was behind this to pressure Europe into using the Arctic route, and this was just a test, next time they do it, it would be stuck for weeks

0
Reply
Garga

Just 2 days before this incident a few articles was published about the “Israel’s Suez”, a replacement for Suez canal in occupied Palestine (the route will be much longer -more than 250km) and digging it requires insane amount of money.
And suddenly by “accident” the proof delivered.

This stunt might as well be a fundraising stunt for that canal (which no sane person will ever invest in) to attract attentions into limited capacity of Suez canal and the need of an alternative.

Poor Russia. Even now her friends see her evil hands in every incident!!

0
Reply
Kenny Jones ™

I think Russia’s relations with israel will slowly deteriorate, since they’re probably behind the escalation in k̶h̶a̶z̶a̶r̶i̶a̶ I mean donbass of course..

0
Reply
Ivan Freely

Plausible. Russia was quick to point out the Arctic route. Some say it was to delay the French carrier group from reaching it’s destination.

0
Reply
HiaNd

“Russia was quick to point out the Arctic route”
Seriously?!
what nonsense!
They talk about their northern alternative to usual transit route for years already!
So why is so unusual if they mention that now in such opportunistic occasion, do tell please !??
…why is so unusual if Russia tries to sell their Northern route ?!?!
Because…. they are Russians and they must be guilty?!
If they didn’t say anything some genius would say:
Russians do not mention their northern rout as alternative = they are SUSPICIOUS !

0
Reply
Ivan Freely

In politics, timing is everything. Understand what realpolitik is.

0
Reply
HiaNd

I have impression that you ere trying to tell me that you know what are you talking about and I don’t.
You have labeled Russians in typical Western propagandist tradition with NO PROVES ( because Westerners like you doesn’t need proves).
So what is left to say ?….at least you could give me a proper answer to my argument instead of being arrogant.

0
Reply
Kenny Jones ™

The French faguettes are barely a threat, they have more internal problems

0
Reply
Ivan Freely

By themselves, sure. IIRC, the US have their own carrier in the Med as well. With the news of build up of heavy equipment in Ukraine, it makes one wonder why the MV Ever Given ran aground in the first place.

0
Reply
Kenny Jones ™

How is the yellow vests?

0
Reply
Ivan Freely

Don’t know. I would imagine they’re protesting but not in the numbers as before. Just recently French farmers showed up dumping manure and hay at some government building. LOL

0
Reply
Kenny Jones ™

#NoFlyZoneForYellowVests

0
Reply
Ivan Freely

Get the Russians to enforce it as I doubt the Chinese have the fortitude to do so.

0
Reply
Ivan Freely

Who was the Captain of the MV Ever Given? Some say it was Marwa Elselehdar but it’s being denied. I don’t get it, it was relatively quick to find out who the skipper was for the Costa Concordia (Francesco Schettino). Why are main stream news avoiding this question?

0
Reply
Garga

They take great care to not name him. All I know is that the all 25 of crew are Indian.
Maybe it has something to do with the pic his ship drew before entering canal.
Or the theory that this stunt was to help Israel raise money for an alternative canal.

0
Reply
Ivan Freely

I’ve read that the AIS data can be hacked. I can’t see anyone willing to move such a large vessel in a manner as that where no doubts the fuel consumption would be greater than anticipated. Ever Green’s management would eventually find out and blacklist the Captain.

0
Reply
rightiswrong rightiswrong

You are on the ball Ivan, the ship must have burned off a few hundred thousand bucks alone while doodling that course, for what? Accidents don’t just happen, somebody always is a cause for them. The captain doesn’t burn off that amount of money without reason or explanation.

Why has there been no definitive reason for why that ship blocked the channel, was it engine failure, if so, what was the fault? No mention of the ships engines condition, no explanation why the ship APPARENTLY lost power which cut out their screens.
Was there a sandstorm that blinded the crew so badly they never realised the ship was sideways, if so, how come no other crews or ships were affected.

There is a wall of silence, after ridiculous reasons being given first day.
If it looks like a duck, etc.

0
Reply
PZIVJ

The ship should be kept in the Great Bitter Lake for an extended period, sort of like a penalty phase. :)

0
Reply
Anglo Canadian

As is widely known, Ghislaine Maxwell was involved in working with Jeffery Epstein in human trafficking.

“The whole story about the cargo ship getting stuck in the Suez Canal did not seem accidental. Although it is now unstuck, the Ever Given disrupted the world’s supply lines in a very significant way.

Leading me to think this was a big “F you” of sorts, the ship drew a penis and butt before getting stuck in the canal (c-anal).

Ghislaine Maxwell’s husband, Scott Borgerson, is the CEO of a maritime analytics company. They move shipping containers for a living.

Evergreen is the name of one of the largest integrated shipping infrastructure companies in the world. They move shipping containers for a living.

Even the MSM have started to report the fact that shipping containers are being used to traffick humans. Last month, it was reported: “Dutch police discovered a torture chamber hidden inside one of several shipping containers in a rural area on the border of the Netherlands and Belgium.”

An investigation led the police to a warehouse site with seven shipping containers inside. The containers were lined with soundproofing material and were equipped with cameras, the report said.

Six of the containers could be used to hold people — they had handcuffs on the floor and ceiling as well as chemical toilets.”

https://bit.ly/31AQBW2

https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/503fa3dec9054d346b91a08562ac72a1240b2834c2195622866dfd5ad9025a58.jpg

0
Reply
Peter Jennings

There is some talk of the ships captain being a women.

0
Reply