Suez Canal blockage is delaying an estimated $400 million an hour in goods

[Bikeguy]

So you would think they would go BIG...  to get a 220,000 ton ship unstuck from  the side of the canal.  

This may take a while.... 

[jdc2000]

Ships of that size that are going to be sing the Suez Canal should be required to have bow and stern thrusters to help prevent that sort of problem.

 

[MoseySusan]

It’s an old canal.

[maddmaxx ★]

5 minutes ago, roadsue said:

It’s an old canal.

There has often been talk of a second canal extending the Gulf of Aqaba.  I'm not sure anyone has the money for it.  It would require the cooperation of several countries in addition to Jordan and Israel.

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

1 hour ago, Bikeguy said:

Suez Canal blockage

 

 

You'd think if there were ever an emergency application of Exlax, this would be it....

[bikeman564™]

2 hours ago, Bikeguy said:

So you would think they would go BIG...  to get a 220,000 ton ship unstuck from  the side of the canal.  

This may take a while.... 

 

that's like digging your car oot of snow using chopsticks  

[UglyBob]

I saw a good video about the problems associated with the moving it.

 

[Airehead]

Thanks this was a good explanation. 

[Ralphie ★]

1 hour ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said:

 

You'd think if there were ever an emergency application of Exlax, this would be it....

That is how Mike Myers would have done it if it were an Austin Powers movie.

 

[Bikeguy]

The thing that I wonder about....   The canal is indeed narrow.   Why not use that to help?  

I'd guess...  several Cat D9 bulldozers (or bigger if they can find them) and some cables... well placed on the land could pull a LOT more then a tug boat could.  They could rotate and pull the ship and they could still used the tug boats to help.

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

1 hour ago, Bikeguy said:

The thing that I wonder about....   The canal is indeed narrow.   Why not use that to help?  

I'd guess...  several Cat D9 bulldozers (or bigger if they can find them) and some cables... well placed on the land could pull a LOT more then a tug boat could.  The could rotate and pull the ship and they could still used the tug boats to help.

 

That, and if they injected canal water into the sand around the nose of the ship, the sand would fluidize.  Once in that state the friction would reduce dramatically and the bow would pull free.

Sure, fluidizing the sand would mess up the bank of the canal and sand would flow into the canal, but then they could get an ordinary dredge or two to quickly clean that up.

 

[Ralphie ★]

Well this thread really sent me down a rabbit hole - thanks a lot!

[maddmaxx ★]

16 hours ago, Bikeguy said:

The thing that I wonder about....   The canal is indeed narrow.   Why not use that to help?  

I'd guess...  several Cat D9 bulldozers (or bigger if they can find them) and some cables... well placed on the land could pull a LOT more then a tug boat could.  They could rotate and pull the ship and they could still used the tug boats to help.

 

14 hours ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said:

 

That, and if they injected canal water into the sand around the nose of the ship, the sand would fluidize.  Once in that state the friction would reduce dramatically and the bow would pull free.

Sure, fluidizing the sand would mess up the bank of the canal and sand would flow into the canal, but then they could get an ordinary dredge or two to quickly clean that up.

 

IMO they are worried about the vectors of the forces involved.  The friction is being applied to the very bottom of the ship and pulling forces are applied high enough that they fear capsizing the ship.  At this point they say that even unloading the containers in an improper order could do the same.

[maddmaxx ★]

I heard a wonderful new joke about the possibility of renaming the ship but................political so you will just have to imagine it.

[Zephyr]

22 hours ago, jdc2000 said:

Ships of that size that are going to be sing the Suez Canal should be required to have bow and stern thrusters to help prevent that sort of problem.

It is 1300 feet long and 200 feet wide, of course they have bow thrusters. I am surprised with only a single prop that they do not have stern thrusters

 

15 hours ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said:

 

That, and if they injected canal water into the sand around the nose of the ship, the sand would fluidize.  Once in that state the friction would reduce dramatically and the bow would pull free.

Sure, fluidizing the sand would mess up the bank of the canal and sand would flow into the canal, but then they could get an ordinary dredge or two to quickly clean that up.

 

I wondered about this to, but with it drawing almost 50 feet of water, I wonder how much contact with the bottom they have.  And with the tapered bulbous bow, if they are worried about instability.

[maddmaxx ★]

40 minutes ago, Zephyr said:

It is 1300 feet long and 200 feet wide, of course they have bow thrusters. I am surprised with only a single prop that they do not have stern thrusters

 

I wondered about this to, but with it drawing almost 50 feet of water, I wonder how much contact with the bottom they have.  And with the tapered bulbous bow, if they are worried about instability.

I've read they are very concerned about capsizing the ship.  They even worry about the possibility of having to unload the containers going sour if not done perfectly.

[Ralphie ★]

Wow - going big can cause some big problems.  Sort of like big dog, big poop output and big food bill.

[Bikeguy]

Plan B    I'm reading they are preparing for the possibility of needing to remove a bunch of containers from the bow of the ship, to lighten the load so it hopefully will float again.

Until then... they are hoping the high tide may help. 

Now I'm reading that this can possibly cause a TP shortage.      

[maddmaxx ★]

28 minutes ago, Bikeguy said:

Plan B    I'm reading they are preparing for the possibility of needing to remove a bunch of containers from the bow of the ship, to lighten the load so it hopefully will float again.

Until then... they are hoping the high tide may help. 

Now I'm reading that this can possibly cause a TP shortage.      

Everything causes a TP shortage.

[Rattlecan ★]

I might as well throw in with all the other armchair experts. Wonder if they have tried this.

[BR46]

A guy that I race with says that his company has the equipment that can get the ship out. 

[Further]

Parr8 should get over there with his winch

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

 

I have a strong suspicion the first mate is going to take the fall for this one...

 

 

 

[Zephyr]

I have a live ship tracker on my phone, these are the tugs around the boat right now

 

[UglyBob]

They've managed to get a little movement out of the aft of the ship. They have a dredge pulling sand and rocks out from under it right now. They are also hoping that the higher tide over the next couple of days helps. If not, then there is already a crane on the way from Alexandria along with a couple of empty container ships. They will remove some of the forward containers to lighten the bow.

[UglyBob]

Looks like they got it unstuck.

 

[Zephyr]

This was a bit ago, you can see the stern swing compared to the previous post

[UglyBob]

42 minutes ago, Zephyr said:

This was a bit ago, you can see the stern swing compared to the previous post

Yeah, they reported that they now have the bow free as well.

[Parr8hed]

10 hours ago, Further said:

Parr8 should get over there with his winch

[Parr8hed]

So I have a serious solution.  Build a temporary wall or "lock" around the ship.  Use big concrete blocks to stack up and put some sort of a rubber seal between them.  Pump a shit ton of water into the "lock".  Float the damn thing.  Get some big assed loaders or dozers on the side to get the bow pointed in the right direction.  Pump out the water.  Hold the damn boat still.  Remove blocks and send that bastard on it's way.

[donkpow]

19 minutes ago, Parr8hed said:

So I have a serious solution.  Build a temporary wall or "lock" around the ship.  Use big concrete blocks to stack up and put some sort of a rubber seal between them.  Pump a shit ton of water into the "lock".  Float the damn thing.  Get some big assed loaders or dozers on the side to get the bow pointed in the right direction.  Pump out the water.  Hold the damn boat still.  Remove blocks and send that bastard on it's way.

My idea was to put giant flotation devices around the ship and lift it up. Also have Jacqueline Bisset swim around and inspect the work.

[Ralphie ★]

10 hours ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said:

 

I have a strong suspicion the first mate is going to take the fall for this one...

 

 

 

So he’ll get hit repeatedly with the skippers hat?  

 

[Parr8hed]

37 minutes ago, donkpow said:

My idea was to put giant flotation devices around the ship and lift it up. Also have Jacqueline Bisset swim around and inspect the work.

OK.  I like your idea better than mine.

[Razors Edge ★]

1 hour ago, donkpow said:

My idea was to put giant flotation devices around the ship and lift it up. Also have Jacqueline Bisset swim around and inspect the work.

Seeing as Ms Bissett is only equipped with a pair of giant flotation devices, might it make sense to have a few more sets in use so we make sure there is enough to get the job done?  From my understanding, these monster sized container ships weren't really as big back in her day, and it might just be wise to bring in some back-up help.

[bikeman564™]

the ship is moving

[Mr. Silly]

On 3/27/2021 at 4:08 PM, Philander Seabury said:

That is how Mike Myers would have done it if it were an Austin Powers movie.

 

[maddmaxx ★]

Business as usual.  Next global problem.

[Parr8hed]

32 minutes ago, bikeman564™ said:

the ship is moving

I saw that.  Was just gonna post.

[MickinMD ★]

The ship grounded away from shore initially partly due to unusually low water depth and wind that didn't help it.

They've been trying to do everything to get it afloat except remove the some of the thousands of containers, which would take weeks.

[Parr8hed]

16 minutes ago, MickinMD said:

The ship grounded away from shore initially partly due to unusually low water depth and wind that didn't help it.

They've been trying to do everything to get it afloat except remove the some of the thousands of containers, which would take weeks.

Sheeeeot.  I could unload within a matter of minutes.

 

[Razors Edge ★]

1 hour ago, maddmaxx said:

Business as usual.  Next global problem.

And this AFTER I bought out the toilet paper aisle at Costco  

Damn these things move fast.

[12string]

Apparently, that's the same ship that smashed the German ferry 2 years ago.

Wind did this?  They said 30MPH gusts.  I'm having a hard time belieiving that's uncommonly high for that area.  Maybe that ship is just too big?

Might be time to rethink stacking all those containers so high.  They're on pace to set a record this year for the number of containers lost at sea.  Was this the year we hit the "how high can we stack 'em?" answer?

[donkpow]

1 hour ago, Razors Edge said:

And this AFTER I bought out the toilet paper aisle at Costco  

Damn these things move fast.

I saw click bait from CNN about how this episode will likely create another shortage of toilet paper.

[Road Runner]

I actually did go to BJs this morning and bought about a year's worth of TP.  

You can never have too much TP...    

[Prophet Zacharia]

47 minutes ago, Road Runner said:

I actually did go to BJs this morning and bought about a year's worth of TP.  

You can never have too much TP...    

or BJs.