# Breaking News: Suez Canal blocked by a mega-sized container vessel \[Cleared\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 23, 2021, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516 "2021-03-23T21:52:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/101 "2021-03-24T22:50:18Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > I was told that P&O tankers and bulk carriers were barred fro passing within a mile of each other in deep water. Is this only for P & O tankers or for other company’s tankers as well? Curious because why would there be regulations for only one shipping company and not others? ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/102 "2021-03-24T22:51:34Z")
Simple - it was an in-house rule. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/103 "2021-03-24T22:55:19Z")
In-house rule at P&O? That would work to keep the P&O ships behaving but what rule kept the bulk carriers away from the P&O ships? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/104 "2021-03-24T22:59:18Z")
Zeus won! a man, a plan, a canal - Panama, now Suez! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/105 "2021-03-24T23:00:47Z")
Stealing. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/106 "2021-03-24T23:03:42Z")
What do you mean by that? ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/107 "2021-03-24T23:04:16Z")
Given that P&O never ran many bulkers or tankers, seems like a rule that wouldn’t have got much use. The odds of one meeting another would be low. Further, except navigationally, for them to do this would make no sense from the point of view of avoiding “bank effect” - which is what @Machine_Elf was talking about - since that effect does not occur in deep water. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/108 "2021-03-24T23:09:57Z")
I mean I’m going to use it. (And disclose that I stole it, so no one thinks I made it up.) ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/109 "2021-03-24T23:10:04Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > In the school, it’s “oops, sorry about that” and maybe apply some touch-up paint. In the real world, you lose cargo, sink ships, and kill people. Actually bank effect seldom results in serious casualties. It only occurs in areas of shallow water. It usually just causes very low angle collisions, and groundings, in sheltered waters. Canals, channels etc. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/110 "2021-03-24T23:11:33Z")
Ah, OK - I thought maybe someone else had already done it and you thought I was copying (I mean, obviously the middle part isn’t mine, and the end parts aren’t exactly magnificent) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/111 "2021-03-24T23:13:25Z")
So much for that idea. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/112 "2021-03-24T23:14:45Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > the end parts aren’t exactly magnificent) I thought they were! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/113 "2021-03-24T23:16:09Z")
The exclamation mark doesn’t work, but pretty damn clever all the same. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/114 "2021-03-24T23:19:25Z")
Ground tackle is used to refloat vessels. So your idea isn’t so silly. Parbuckling is a technique for _rolling_ vessels back upright which obviously is necessary in this particular case. I suspect they will free this vessel without needing to use ground tackle but I also think that it’s an option that will be considered. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/115 "2021-03-24T23:21:26Z")
Punctuation, spaces and capitals are usually ignored in palindromes (the original ‘A man, a plan…’ would otherwise be: A man, a plan, a c a ,nalp a ,nam A ) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/116 "2021-03-24T23:22:31Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > There’s at least a couple of big yachts stuck down there. Heh. I guess in this case, sailing _isn’t_ taking them away to the place they’re going. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/117 "2021-03-24T23:23:12Z")
I agree about spaces and commas, but exclamation marks? Shrug. I’m no expert. Your palindrome was excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/118 "2021-03-24T23:32:58Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > “ _Red Sea Brigand_ ” is maybe not such a great name for an “Offshore Tug/Supply Ship”. Granted, I guess the south end of the Suez Canal is _pretty_ far away from the Somali coast, but still… “Brigand” is a fairly traditional name associated with tugs. It was the name of a class of rescue tug during WWII. I was wondering why the name was so familiar to me and just remembered there used to be a tug of that name locally. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/119 "2021-03-24T23:34:36Z")
Qanon sez it’s because of Hillary and child sex trafficking. Hey, if it adds up, it adds up. Those Smartensteins don’t miss a beat. "…The ship’s call sign is H3RC—the same three letters as the initials of the 2016 presidential candidate. On the Telegram encrypted messaging app, a QAnon account with more than 106,000 subscribers wrote: "Suez Canal blocked by huge container ship named Evergreen. Evergreen shipping is most likely a cover for human and sex trafficking. “HRC = Hillary Rodham Clinton. Evergreen = Hillary’s Secret Service name. Evergreen Call Sign: H3RC.” Another influential QAnon advocate with more than 53,000 subscribers on the “free speech” social network Gab wrote: “Evergreen is HRC’s Secret Service name. It has also been speculated that Evergreen shipping is a front for human trafficking.” > **[QAnon Claims Suez Canal Ship Used by Hillary Clinton to Traffic Children](https://www.newsweek.com/qanon-ship-suez-canal-hillary-clinton-1578428)** > > Conspiracy theorists make huge leap because the vessel is operated by a company called Evergreen—which is Hillary Clinton's Secret Service codename. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516/120 "2021-03-25T00:07:55Z")
BTW, this seems a good thread to recognize [Malcolm McLean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcom_McLean), the guy who invented the shipping container. Before them, loading and unloading a ship took a hell of a lot longer and ships were far smaller. And the same containers on the ship can be transported by rail or truck. (Once I was at an IKEA store that had just opened and as I was leaving the parking garage, I saw a pile of containers. Presumably these were used to deliver all of the stuff to the store. I really doubt that a store like IKEA would be feasible without these containers.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-suez-canal-blocked-by-a-mega-sized-container-vessel-cleared/938516.md?page=7)