The Suez Canal is a 193-kilometre (120-mile) artificial waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea at Port Said in the north to the Red Sea at Suez in the south. Completed in 1869, it allows ships to transit between Europe and Asia without circumnavigating Africa via the Cape of Good Hope, reducing voyage times by approximately 8,000–10,000 kilometres (4,300–5,400 nautical miles).

The Canal is not just a man-made marvel—it is a critical enabler of the global economy. By providing the shortest maritime link between the East and West, it underpins the efficiency of international shipping and supply chains. While it faces operational and geopolitical challenges, its centrality to trade continues to drive investment, innovation, and international cooperation.

After the first transit of an ultra large container ship on the 21st June for the first time in over a year and a half, Barry discusses the canals problems and when they maybe overcome.

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Containership fires pose significant dangers due to the complex nature of cargo stowage, the vast quantities of goods onboard, and the difficulty of accessing and extinguishing fires deep within container stacks. These fires often involve hazardous materials, such as chemicals, batteries, or flammable goods, which may be misdeclared or improperly stored, increasing the risk of rapid escalation. Once ignited, a fire can spread quickly through multiple containers, producing toxic smoke and intense heat that endanger the crew and compromise the ship’s structural integrity. Containment is challenging due to limited firefighting systems, and delays in response can lead to catastrophic damage, environmental pollution, loss of cargo, and even total loss of the vessel.

Barry discusses some of the probable reasons for these fires being so commonplace and some of the measures that could be taken to reduce the frequency and perhaps more importantly the severity of these lethal events.

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We are MCA accredited and offer orals Prep, via e learning, blended learning and 121 sessions via Teams as well as many other courses and educational support.

A bow thruster is a transversal propulsion device installed in the forward (bow) section of a ship, allowing it to move laterally (sideways) without forward motion. It is especially valuable for low-speed maneuvers such as berthing, unberthing, or holding position in dynamic positioning (DP) systems. While it greatly aids ship handling, it comes with several limitations.

The bow thruster was first developed in the mid-20th century to improve low-speed maneuverability in increasingly larger ships. Early versions appeared in the 1950s and 1960s, particularly on Scandinavian ferries, using simple mechanically driven side propellers. By the 1970s, tunnel-type bow thrusters became standard on tankers, ferries, and cruise ships, often powered by diesel or electric motors.

Barry discusses the humble bow thruster - how it is measured, some of the limitations and gives real world accounts of when the thruster may let you down.

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https://www.captainbarrysadler.com/

We are MCA accredited and offer orals Prep, via e learning, blended learning and 121 sessions via Teams as well as many other courses and educational support.