However this year we had the stranding of the 'Ever Given' in the Suez Canal. Whilst nobody was killed, and no vessel lost the impact of this one incident had exceedingly far reaching effects. Around 12% of Global trade passes through the Suez Canal every day, as well as one million barrels of oil and 8% of the worlds LNG. There was a major disruption with $9.6 billion of world trade being held up. That is $400 Million a day and $6.7 million an hour, every day of the year. It is said that the effects of this halt in trade will be felt at Christmas too.
Times have changed;
SS Athenia was steam turbine driven, was built in Glasgow in 1923 with a GRT of 13,465t and 160.4 mts long with a speed of 15kts., and registered in Glasgow. She carried emigrants and passengers across the Atlantic and had 315 crew aboard. There was no such thing as modern containers.
The 'Ever Given' was built in 2018 in Japan with a GT of 220,940t and a length of 400mts and a speed of 22.8 kts. She is registered in Panama and runs between China and Europe carrying up to 20,124 TEU (equivalent of 20' containers). She has a crew of 25.
This goes to show the importance of marine trade to the way the world works, and the importance of seamen of all nations to keep it going. They suffered badly during the first year of COVID 19 pandemic as they weren't able to get on or off their ships and so were stranded a long way from home, with few people to champion their cause.
Now that the regime has changed in Afghanistan will we return to the years after the 9/11 outrage when every ship was seen to be a terrorist threat and no crew allowed ashore? The semen of the world always seem to be the common denominator with all world events, and it never seems to in their favour.
When you are watching your TV, eating your take away or getting dressed to go out just think about how all the 'stuff' gets here and that you are doing things that the average seamen oin a ship can not do for much of his time aboard.
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