Suez Canal Transit and Gulf of Aden Passage

Suez Canal Transit and Gulf of Aden Passage

The Great Bitter Lake

Suez Canal

I had the good fortune of transiting both the Suez Canal (Nov 2012) and the Panama Canal (Dec 2012) this year. Although both engineering marvels were championed by the same French mastermind and financier, Ferdinand de Lesseps, the similarities between the two projects end here. The Suez Canal was pretty straightforward: remove enormous amounts of sand after digging a big ditch in the middle of the dessert that unites two seas at the same water level. No lock system was needed. On the other hand, the Panama Canal project’s complexity offered numerous mishaps and obstacles including impenetrable mountainous terrain; monsoon rains that produced damaging landslides; unstable rock formations; swarms of deadly disease-carrying mosquitoes (yellow fever and malaria killed thousands); inadequate equipment; and the wild, unruly, overflowing, poisonous snake-ridden Chagres river. Furthermore, because of uneven water levels between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, the Panama Canal required construction of 3 complex sets of locks that operate as water lifts to elevate ships 3 feet above sea level to the level of the Gatun Lake, in their transit of the continental Divide, then, lower them back down to sea level on the opposite side of the isthmus.

While De Lesseps’ role was helpful in the Middle East campaign, his grandiosity, resistance to dissent, and unwillingness to adapt to the vastly different elements in the Caribbean, led to dwindling and insufficient funding, which hindered the Central-American project. Two decades later, the US government salvaged the work of the failed De Lesseps team and resumed construction with a new blueprint.

 The Suez Canal Brief Overview

Opened in 1969, to vessels of all nations-during peace and war time-this engineering feat took 10 years, I million workers, and cost $100 million to complete. It saves two weeks of travel for 20,000 vessels that transit annually, producing $4.5 billion in revenue to Egypt.

This recaps some highlights and provides commentary of our Suez Canal passage:

• There are 3-4 convoys of ships transiting, daily (southern and northern).
• Our ship led an 18-vessel convoy of ships on the early southern route. We entered the canal Sunday at midnight and headed south at 1 AM. When we awakened we were anchored along with all the other ships in the Bitter Lake to allow the northern bound caravan to pass. There are only four places where convoys may pass one another.
• The canal is built only to allow ships to travel in a single, narrow lane because on a windy day, two ships would crash into one another. The Great Bitter Lake, a salt water lake between the north and south part of the Suez Canal, serves as a“holding pen” where ships line up to pass each other in the Suez Canal before proceeding to either Port Said to the north, or the port of Suezto the south. The lake also provides an intermediate harbor for ships traversing the Canal.

· A transit typically takes 14 hours end to end.

· Cruise ships have high priority because they pay higher fees.

· The average cost to transit the Suez Canal is $260,000 per ship.

· The Suez Canal contributes $4.5 billion in revenue annually to Egypt.

· Shipping is Egypt's most important industry.

· Both sides are green at the entrance and exit points.

· At 10:30AM, our onboard lecturer, Emile Baladi, pointed out various points along the way.

· The ride was slow and steady. As we passed villages, residents waved hello to us.

· A train runs alongside the Suez Canal and carries cargo that exceeds the weight limit on cargo vessels.

· As we head south, we see fertile land to the west and desert to the east.

· It was a really cool experience to transit the historic Suez Canal that carries 8% of shipments worldwide.

· Importantly, the Suez Canal serves as the leading source of revenue for Egypt. We learned that because pirates have been invading cargo ships in the Gulf of Aden, it has become common practice for certain shipping lines to avoid the Suez Canal altogether-and go around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa- to avoid these vicious pirate attacks. Many insurance companies will not ensure cargo ships that transit the Gulf of Aden after cruising the Suez Canal. There is at least 30% less traffic thru the Suez Canal.

Gulf of Aden Passage

 The Gulf of Aden is a gulf located in the Arabian Sea between Yemen, on the south coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and Somaliain the Horn of Africa. The Gulf is a vital waterway for shipping, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Sea in the Indian Oceanespecially for Persian Gulf oil, making it an integral waterway in the world economy. Approximately 11 percent of the world's seaborne petroleum passes through the Gulf of Aden on its way to the Suez Canal or to regional refineries.

 

 The Gulf of Aden is known by the nickname "Pirate Alley" due to the large amount of pirate activity in the area.

On boarding day, we were handed a letter from Captain Berdos alerting us that our ship would sail through the Gulf of Aden, known for its pirate activity. We were assured that the crew members and security teams brought on board just for our sailinghad procedures in place to protect us from harm during our passage. In addition, our ship “was not the typical target of pirates because it is faster and more maneuverable and has more security staff onboard”. We noticed the extra armed and uniformed staff, during evenings, of our transit.

The note also notified us of sunset to sunrise curfews and restrictions they would impose for our 5-day Gulf of Aden transit as follows:

 Lookouts were in place on open decks.

Open decks were closed to all passengers from sunset till sunrise. (The line had to develop contingency plans for smokers who smoke outside with lighted cigarettes).

 All external lights were turned off.

 Guests with balcony rooms had to close doors and curtains.

 In the unlikely event that we encountered pirates, we were given a code word and after hearing it, we would have to move into interior corridors and hallways, towards the center of the ship.

 Although the safety precautions taken by the cruise line were annoying, we trusted their judgment and we felt safe.