So here we are again. Another tanker got stuck in the Suez Canal. Almost 18 months after the infamous Ever Given, the Affinity V – a 64,000-ton oil tanker – ran aground at the 141-kilometer (88-mile) mark of the canal. This is close to the Ever Given’s 151-kilometer (94-mile) mark. But unlike the original that got stuck there for days, the Affinity V was freed in just a few hours.
As reported by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), the tanker had a technical failure in the rudder, the mechanical rectangle located behind the propeller. Because of this, the team was not able to steer the vessel anymore and grounded it. Luckily, the SCA salvage units and tugboats were quickly able to jump into action and free the tanker with no damage.
“The team worked in co-ordination with the Port-Tawfiq traffic control office to carry out the necessary measures. Five tugboats were deployed to the incident’s location as well as the SCA’s salvage division to carry out rapid intervention measures and refloat the vessel,” the SCA reported in a press statement.
This is clearly one of those instances where it is better not to try to remake or emulate the original.
She got grounded, freed, maybe-grounded again, and now very gingerly under tow southbound in the #SuezCanal.
Cause unclear. But I’ve narrated an animation of the initial incident. pic.twitter.com/tM9Mc2FZzB
Source Link: Another Ship Got (Briefly) Stuck In The Suez Canal