For a few hours this week a cargo ship ran aground in the Suez Canal, bringing back all the memories of the infamous Ever Given catastrophe in 2021.

As the news filtered through, the Westbound team’s positivity for 2023 was almost cut short and we all held our breath, hoping that the recurring nightmares were not about to start all over again.

The week long blocking of the canal, when the Ever Given vessel grounded in March 2021, brought Asia/Europe ocean freight to a halt, disrupting schedules for weeks and causing billions of dollars of additional costs for the maritime and supply chain industries.

This past Monday, a tweet from a Norwegian steamship line announced that a 225m long bulk carrier named ‘Glory’ had run aground while travelling southbound in a convoy of 21 ships.

A deathly silence fell upon Westbound HQ, grown men and women began to sob and doors and windows were barricaded as we sat and hugged each other for comfort ahead of the upcoming global disaster.

However, the best possible news followed two hours later, when the same Twitter account confirmed that the vessel had been refloated and the canal was clear.

And breathe…

If you have any questions regarding the above, then Westbound are here to help. So, please do not hesitate to contact us.