# speed in the suez canal



## kepowee

hi all i must have sailed through the canal about 8 or 9 times but never knew what speed we were doing can anyone enlighten me ken powell


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## Bearsie

According to their offical website (near bottom of page):

http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/Land&people/SCanal/031300000000000002.htm

The speed limit is 12 to 14 km/h (7knot, roughly), average transit time is 14 to 15 hours.


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## K urgess

According to the Admiralty chart number 233 - Africa - North Coast - The Suez Canal - corrected to May 1967 - 

"Directions"​ 
_"3. The maximum speed allowed except in emergencies is 7½ knots (14 kilometres per hour). In passing round a bend a large vessel should approach at slow speed keeping in the centre of the canal but inclining to the outer or concave side of the bend as the bow will tend to be headed away from the nearest bank: owing to this a vessel will sometimes come round without helm or even to be met with reverse helm."_

Kris


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## BlythSpirit

Bearsie said:


> According to their offical website (near bottom of page):
> 
> http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/Land&people/SCanal/031300000000000002.htm
> 
> The speed limit is 12 to 14 km/h (7knot, roughly), average transit time is 14 to 15 hours.


Regardless of the regulations, in 1976 when I was on the Sanko Crest, a 242,000dwt, tanker, we went through the Suez Canal at full sea speed, 16.5 knots, taking less than 12 hours pilot to pilot drop off.

This was in 1976, and created great media attention in Eygpt at the time with camera crews on board from the local TV stations for the whole passage. We created something like a 10 m hole either side of the ship which exposed brickwork on the canal banks never seen since the canal was built. The high speed run was requested by the Canal authorities as our sister ship the Sanko Stresa had tried it a couple of months earlier and was encountering steerage problems because of the bow surge. 

Both ships were heading south in ballast, and I believe were the largest to transit the canal at that time. Our run on the Sanko Crest was deemed a great success by all concerned!!

Best Regards,
BlythSpirit(Thumb)


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## Bridie

I always thought it was revs rather than actual speed that was the controlling factor. Something to do with protecting the structure of the banks.

Remember rigging up a bloody great searchlight on the bows every trip and also carrying a small boat ready to launch for some reason.


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## Brian Twyman

Normal speed was 7-8 knots but I also went through at full speed in 1961 on RFA Cherryleaf. We had a Dutch pilot who was on his last trip because all foreign pilots had been axed by the UAR. We were southbound and anchored in the Salt Lakes. When the northbound ships had passed, our convoy got underway but we had mechanical problems and had to anchor again. We were given a time limit to arrive at Suez or we would have to wait a day. (Cloud) The pilot was agitated as he had to catch a plane back to Holland. When repairs were completed we needed to do 13 knots to meet the deadline.The pilot said '**** them !', so all the way to Suez was done at our full speed of 13.5 knots. We left a wake washing to the top pf the banks and it was a great experience ! (==D) The pilot caught his plane ! On our next trip it was back to 7 knots with an Egyptian pilot whose sole contribution was to read from a piece of paper ' Steer for ze middle of ze canal '. Later trips through the canal were never the same. (Sad) 
Brian


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## glenn

Bridie said:


> I always thought it was revs rather than actual speed that was the controlling factor. Something to do with protecting the structure of the banks.
> 
> Remember rigging up a bloody great searchlight on the bows every trip and also carrying a small boat ready to launch for some reason.


The searchlight was for night time Navigation and the boat was to put guys ashore if you had to tie up. Remember one trip we were 1st through and we had to stop and listen to a speach from the Egyptian president because it was some annivesary of some sort . Officers all got a tankard Ship got a silver platter all engaved crowed got bug ger all (Cloud)


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## RayJordandpo

Bridie said:


> I always thought it was revs rather than actual speed that was the controlling factor. Something to do with protecting the structure of the banks.
> 
> Remember rigging up a bloody great searchlight on the bows every trip and also carrying a small boat ready to launch for some reason.


and getting ripped off by the searchlight crew gesticulating frantically that the bridge has given orders for the boat to be let go quickly. Another coil of rope gone. Fell for it every time.
Ray Jordan


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## Pat McCardle

Only done the trip once & that wasn't quick enough!!


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## KIWI

As far as P&O was concerned the best thing about the Suez Canal transit  was us Leckies were given a bottle of rum for manning the searchlight.Can only remember it being cold enough once to warrant it but it was still great pretending it was cold. Kiwi


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## raybnz

Being in the Engine Room it was always up 5 revs or down 5 revs on about Slow Speed. You would just settle the engine down after the increase or decrease then the Bridge would change it again. 
On the Waipawa in her last years everything was so worn out in the fuel linkage the engine would often stall so we would never go below Dead Slow Ahead revs.


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## kepowee

hi all thanks for all the info ken powell


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## R798780

The disbelief and amazement of the Suez Canal pilot when the mate on Mahout in '65 nudged the stick on the bridge and told the pilot he had his two rpm adjustment.


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## Binnacle

To reduce canal dues, exempt spaces were cleared of all gear and stowed on the fore cargo hatch. That meant mooring ropes and wires, stages, gantlines, bosun chairs, everything out and the doors removed by chippy. Then a seaman on watch to prevent theft. For all the extra hassle, we would take it out on the boatmen by dropping them off well before they gave the signal. Take the after winch out of gear, turn up the steam, quickly put it in gear and they had to let go or be pulled under, much shaking of fists. Not possible with boat on fore deck as bridge would not have approved. We got quite expert at this. Did nothing to improve Anglo/Egyptian relations. Sometimes we were only going as far as Palestine, where for variety we were on sabotage watch, few days later Abadan bound, same drill clearing the foc'sle head again. Happy days.


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## Graham McMorine

In June 67, when all Hell broke loose between the Egyptians and Isreal,the speed was deemed to be " Bloody quick "


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