Suez Canal

After a rude awakening at 4.30am, the first group of 7 yachts left Port Said yesterday and transited the canal to the halfway point in Ismailia (43 Miles), each yacht had a pilot on board and the reports coming back to us are that the pilots were polite and professional.

The remaining 8 yachts, including Blue Magic, were scheduled to depart today (Friday) however we were informed last night that our transit has been postponed until Saturday as 6 US warships have transited the canal today and it is forbidden for other traffic to be in the canal at the same time.

So, whilst we are waiting, here are some facts and figures ….

The Suez Canal is a great engineering feat dividing Egypt from the Sinai Peninsular and also Asia from Africa thus providing a commercial route between Europe and Asia.

It is a sea level waterway 171 kms long with more than 20,000 ships passing through each year between the Mediterranean and The Red Sea.

The canal is single lane with several passing areas and transit is only allowed during daylight hours.

Works began in 1859 under the direction of Ferdinand de Lessops, a Frenchman who pioneered the design and construction, the canal was opened ten years later and was directed by the French and British for 86 years.

When Egypt became independent in 1956 the government at that time nationalised the canal.

This action led to the ‘Suez Crisis’ with France, Britain and Israel invading to regain control, however they were forced to retreat and the canal has been run by The Suez Canal Authority ever since.

The canal has been closed 5 times, the latest time for 8 yrs after the Arab-Israeli war of 1967. 14 ships were trapped in the canal during this time until it was reopened in 1975.

Under international treaty, it may be used "in time of war as in time of peace, by every vessel of commerce or of war, without distinction of flag."^[7]