Sea Year and Egypt Unrest

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kpmom2013

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Does anyone else have a DD or DS at sea right now in the vicinity of the Suez Canal? I am wondering if anyone has heard what the conditions are like there. Are some shipping companies changing routes to avoid it? My DS is due in that area soon, and I am concerned about safety. It seems a merchant ship would very vulnerable during the slow passage through the canal. I have read that they might shut down the canal entirely. Just when I was getting used to sea year, I now have something else to worry about. If anyone has any recent information from your DD or DS, please pass it along.
 
Captains/Shipping companies are going to do the right things to protect the people, cargo , and vessels by exercising good prudent judgement.

I can empathize w/you. After our worrying about our DS vessel going thru 'Pirate Alley' multiple times, we were relieved when his ship was just 1 day out of Mumbai. Remember back a bit... that's when the Hotel Terrorist stuff happened. Mapquest showed me the hotel was basically right where the shipping terminal was. SHEESH and Yikes!

However, they didn't let the kids(or ANYONE actually) get off the ship there.
Hope this helps.
Remember to breathe!
----
Fun huh ! These kids are really doing something completely unlike their buddies at State U.
Hang on, the roller coaster ride continues.
 
We are also watching events in Egypt. Son and sea partner are bound for Israel.
 
My Mid is currently in South Korea. Got there in November - just in time for the North's latest craziness. USMMA is everywhere! The crews look out for the Mid's. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of 'em.
 
My son is currently on his way to Singapore. If the Suez Canal closes they will take the long way home.
 
Just TRUST....

Just TRUST when the hardest thing to do is trust..... and if you are a praying person, PRAY.

DD spent 100 days on a MSC Replinishing Oil Tanker last year off the coast of Somalia. They regularly had to practice 'manuvers' with the "puddle pirates" to keep them at bay. While knowing she was there, I had confidence that MSC and USMMA would protect her. As she had the opportunity to steer the Tanker through the Suez, there were plenty of guards in the water and on land escourting her ship.

It is certainly a difficult world that we live in at this time.
 
DS just left Newark enroute Dubai on Maersk Utah, some minor typical parental concerns, but overall not worried. IF there is any concern about the safety of their ships in the canal or the feeling that the canal would be closed, the companies will proactively re-route ships around Africa.
 
I'm not a KP grad or anything, and I don't have maritime experience. I've always been interested in shipping, though, so I have a question on this:

Say a ship was heading from the Indian Ocean to a port in the Med (we'll say Piraeus), and would usually transit the Suez. If that becomes unavailable, how much longer does it take to round the Cape of Good Hope and sail up the Atlantic? I'd imagine at least a week, right? Maybe longer? Any sailors out there who would know?
 
sprog said:
I'm not a KP grad or anything, and I don't have maritime experience. I've always been interested in shipping, though, so I have a question on this:

Say a ship was heading from the Indian Ocean to a port in the Med (we'll say Piraeus), and would usually transit the Suez. If that becomes unavailable, how much longer does it take to round the Cape of Good Hope and sail up the Atlantic? I'd imagine at least a week, right? Maybe longer? Any sailors out there who would know?
Click to expand...

If you were sailing from the port of Muscat in Oman (just outside the Persian Gulf) Piraeus Greece via the Cape of Good Hope would be an additional 8000 nautical miles over a route transiting the Suez Canal. On a 20 knot ship that would mean roughly 16 more days at sea.
 
deepdraft1 said:
If you were sailing from the port of Muscat in Oman (just outside the Persian Gulf) Piraeus Greece via the Cape of Good Hope would be an additional 8000 nautical miles over a route transiting the Suez Canal. On a 20 knot ship that would mean roughly 16 more days at sea.
Click to expand...

So over two weeks. Sounds like a heavy impact on commerce. A lot of extra fuel for the ship, too.
 
sprog said:
So over two weeks. Sounds like a heavy impact on commerce. A lot of extra fuel for the ship, too.
Click to expand...

Well the price in Fujairah UAE for IFO380 is running around $580 per metric ton (roughly $90 per barrel). Ships running at full speed will burn about 1+ barrels per mile. So the added miles for the ship heading for Piraeus Greece around the Cape of Good Hope could cost in the neighborhood of an additional $700,000..
 
^^ of course that would be $700,000 minus the Suez Canal transit tariff.. The bigger the ship (based on the Suez Canal net tonnage) the more the cost of transit.
 
DD was passing through Port Said on Saturday - just when riots were expanding beyond Cairo, and were first reported to have extended to Port Said. The Email server on her ship has been out of service for over a week, so the ship was not aware of any unrest in North Africa. (They were aware that the Packers are in the Super Bowl, though!). The cargo ops were suspended, and they joined the next southbound convoy through the canal. We are still waiting for updates and praying for safety for her ship and the entire population of Egypt. Next port scheduled for next Saturday.
I feel the indoc process was good training for parents too. No news is good news.
 
Mr cheesehead, good thing you have a little distraction this weekend form worry. Glad to hear you dd is able to contact you.
 
According to an Economist from Emory University that was on the news last night. He stated that only 2% of the oil that comes to the U.S. comes through the Suez Canal. Thats why we haven't seen any jump in the price of oil.

luv2fly
 
Yes, but it will have an impact on the European supplies. Any disruption in the movement of oil will impact the price of the futures. The demonstrations do not appear to be strongly "anti west" at this time, so I don't think that the Canal is in any immediate danger of closing.

Remember, the canal was closed for 8 years back in the late 60's-mid 70's. 15 ships were trapped during the duration.
 
Mr. and Mrs. Cheesehead, you are welcome to call us anytime..... check the PM that is coming.
 
Our DS is in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean after his 3rd trip through the canal since Nov. They are scheduled to go through the Suez Canal again the first week in March on their way home. Just have to assume that no news is good news and since there are so many Mids in the area the powers that be will do what they have to do to keep them safe.
 
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