Ever Given Saga : Still blocking Suez Canal

For the third day in a row, Ever Given container ship is still blocking the Suez canal’s narrowest point and the Suez Canal Authority “SCA” brought more tug boats including larger ones with teams coming from Netherland and Japan to help in re-floating the ship.

According to SCA, 9 tugboats, 2 drudgers and 4 bulldozers are participating in the rescue works of the ship. 

 SCA announced on Thursday that it aimed to remove 20 meters of sand to reach 12-16 depth level to refloat the Ever Given through removing the sand around its bow.

The latest and clearest satellite image by Airbus for EverGreen's Ever Given
in the Suez canal 

Dredging the sands around the ship is actually the second scenario the SCA is using after an attempt to tug the gigantic ship on Wednesday according to Marine expert Mahmoud Nakhla who spoke with Egypt's Ahram Online about scenarios to re-float Ever Given. 

If dredging does not work then the SCA will have to unload some containers from the ship before lightning it, which is the worst-case scenario. 

The mother company of Ever Given Japanese Shoei Isen Kaisha Company contracted Dutch Smit Salvage and Japanese Nippon Salvage Co to help in re-floating the gigantic container ship that has become a social media meme.

Dutch Smit team arrived in Egypt and the SCA shared a video on Thursday showing how they praised the Egyptian efforts for salvage.

Earlier Thursday, we found the first official reaction from Ever Given Owner, the Japanese Shoei Isen Kaisha company

In a short Japanese statement, the company apologized and stated that it was working with the local authorities and the ship management company “Berngard Schulte Ship management” in order to end this “difficult situation”.

“On March 23, 07:40 local time (14:40 Japan time), our container carrier M.V. Ever GIVEN ran aground in the Suez Canal after encountering wild weather while traveling north along the Suez Canal from China to Europe.
We are working with local authorities and the ship management company BERNGARD SCHULTE SHIPMANAGEMENT to try to leave the reef, but this is a difficult situation. We will continue to do our utmost to resolve the situation as soon as possible.
We sincerely apologize for any concern caused to the vessel and its persons concerned as it sails along the Suez Canal following the ship's accident.
There is no information on crew injuries caused by this accident or oil pollution at this time.”

Shoei Isen Kaisha is in hot water already and according to what I have heard and read in the past 48 hours.

Between 12%-10% of global trade including oil is affected already and the domino effect has started already since Tuesday. Global shipping companies like Maersk and Hapag-Llyod began to give their orders to their ships to avoid the Suez canal and head to the Cape of the Good well. 

Russia also began to market its project "Northern Siberian route" as an alternative to the Suez canal. As far as I know half of the year, this route is mostly covered in snow but I am not an expert. 

In the first Western reaction "I was going to say EU reaction", the spokesperson of UK PM Boris Johnson was quoted in the media on Thursday saying that the British government was ready to help in freeing the ships and it is already in contact with relevant authorities but nobody has asked their help yet. 

I know the importance of the Suez canal to world powers economically but this is so colonial and won't echo well in Egypt but luckily the local media did not even cover it. 

Now here is a video showing Ever Given so close. The tiktoker who filmed this clip closed his account hours after uploading it. 

السوشيال ميديا وصلتك لأقرب نقطة للحدث بدون اي مجهود وبكل مصداقية ورؤية واضحة.#قناة_السويس #suezchannel pic.twitter.com/HNAmoUwEp3

— غريب في بلاد غريبه (@essam_alshaaer) March 25, 2021

Some estimation speaks about 150 ships stuck in the canal zone but there is no confirmed number so far. 

Here is the scene from Port Said currently showing the ships and vessels.

السفن اللي واقفة قدام ساحل بورسعيد دلوقت pic.twitter.com/7TyCTFUjKg

— Carpe Diem (@xgypt) March 25, 2021

This photo shows the situation in Suez if I am not mistaken. 

The ships behind a kid ready to swim in a Suez canal city on Thursday
"Ahmed Gomaa"

I have also read that SCA is losing every day due to this delay nearly millions of pounds which is totally understandable.

Despite the news made the front page worldwide in newspapers like “The Wall Street Journal” and “Financial Times”, it seems that it is not an urgent matter in most Egyptian media.

Financial Times on Thursday by Wael Gamal

The Wall Street Journal by Wael Gamal 

The memes continue savagely online in Egypt and in the world. I mean someone created a special parody account on Twitter for the small bulldozer that was dredging around the ship on Wednesday that has become a meme of its own.

The memes of Suez canal are Egypt's true gift to the world :D