16 Norwegian-owned ships are stuck – E24

– There are 16 ships with Norwegian ownership interests that are now stagnant, either at each end or in the middle of the canal, CEO Harald Solberg of the Norwegian Shipowners Association tells E24.

The association also has several members who will have boats, he says.

– Now they must consider whether to concentrate on solving it in a reasonable time, or to navigate the longer way.

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One of the Norwegian ships that is stuck belongs to the Fjord Line.

– It’s a bit special, something like that doesn’t happen every day, says communications consultant Flemming Tveitan on Fjord Line to E24.

The company’s new building, Fjord FSTR, and its 11-person crew are now lined up at the blocked Suez Canal.

The Fjord Line ship was heading from the Austal Pty shipyard in the Philippines to Hirtshals in Denmark when it suddenly failed to recover.

– There was a boom stop. We have contact with them through others, but there is not such good contact in the area. The only thing we have confirmed is that they are anchored there and waiting for clarification. We hope they can come out on Sunday, says Tveitan.

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– Total pressure

Now there are at least 140 ships in line to keep going.

Low tides make it difficult for the container ship blocking the Suez Canal to leave.

Solberg from the Norwegian Shipowners Association says they are closely monitoring the situation.

– But we can’t do anything. There is total pressure from the canal authorities for the ship to take off. That’s the answer to all the mess.

Ships that are already trapped in the canal have no choice but to stay, he says.

– It’s like getting stuck in a traffic jam. Those waiting outside the canal can, in theory, turn around, but it will be a very long detour. The decision must be made before one is inside the channel.

Due to the crown crisis and the disruption of cruise ship traffic, Fjord Line does not expect special financial consequences for the disruption.

– We expected to be in Hirtshals around April 1st. It will probably be a few days late, but we do not have a departure date from the authorities yet, so we will have a possible first trip anyway. But it’s sad for those on board, and then it takes a while to stay a few more days, says Tveitan.

Acquisition and travel home were halted around this time last year due to the crown crisis.

– We have become good waiting, but we are impatient and we want it at home.

Fjord Line is one of Norway’s largest ferry companies, sailing to Denmark and Sweden from Bergen, Stavanger, Kristiansand and Langesund. According to the company, they have around 1.5 million travelers a year.

Very central channel

For more than a day, one of the world’s largest container ships, “Ever Given”, has blocked the important Suez Canal, simplifying ship traffic between Europe and Asia.

Although the rescue effort has so far continued with several tugs, the low tides so far have worked against them. It may still be several days before the ship is released.

The best chance of releasing the ship may only come Sunday or Monday, when the tide rises again, believes Nick Sloane, according to Bloomberg.

Sloane was the rescue leader when the cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground off the coast of Italy in 2012.

About 12 percent of world trade passes through the Suez Canal, which has been one of the most important shipping routes in the world since the late 19th century.