Fri Mar 26, 2021 3:07 pm
#1836099
I assume as ever the main winners will be anybody in Admiralty law given the forest of claims, and the awful mess that is liability with a pilot on board. Smit, or whoever else are hired as salvors will also get a license to print money given how that all anyone cares about is speed.
There are lots of fun hydrodynamic effects in canals and narrow channels that can either tend to keep you in the centre or suck you off towards one side with great rapidity but it's a long time since I was at sea and my shiphandling these days is limited to pootling in yachts around the Solent. However, as with aviation incidents, ensure you have your salt grinder to hand when consuming any general media about what may have happened.
Fun story - the UK bribery act caused massive issues on Suez transits when it first came in when I was working for BP as we were no longer allowed to give all comers their bricks of Marlboro Red, which is the currency the Suez Canal runs on. The more senior you are, the more bricks you get. After a few ships went through without any baksheesh, others starting experiencing delays until the company counsel managed to draft an opinion that covered us to grease the wheels once more. Plus ca change!
I work for the company, but hey, don't let that fool you. I'm really an OK guy...