Suez Canal – sailing under the Mubarak Peace Bridge

In the autumn of 2004 and again in the spring of 2008 I was able to join two cruises which included Suez Canal transits. In November 2004 I sailed south from Alexandria to Mombasa, Kenya on the 10000-ton, 208-passenger Seabourn Spirit; and in May 2008 I sailed north during an Africa circumnavigation cruise on Holland America Line’s 38000-ton, 793-passenger Prinsendam. The Suez Canal was constructed by forced labor at a cost of USD 100 million over a 10 1/2-year period by Ferdinand de Lesseps’ Universal Company for the Suez Maritime Canal, which was formed in 1858. The canal was opened on November 17, 1869 by the French Empress Eugenie. 163 km (101 miles) long and 600 meters (1968 feet) wide in its narrowest stretch, the canal links the Mediterranean at Port Said to the Red Sea at Suez. With an average transit time of 15 hours, the canal saves ships 11829 km (7350 miles) compared to the circumnavigation of Africa. The Suez Canal, which has no locks, accommodates about 50 ships daily and is capable of handling up to 80 ships in a single day. The current maximum draft allowed is 16 meters (53 feet), and modifications now underway should increase this to 22 meters (72 feet). While ships which displace up to 150000 tons can now transit the canal, after 2010 fully-laden supertankers will also be able to pass. At present supertankers have the option of transferring a portion of their cargo onto an Egyptian boat and then reloading after their canal transit. Incredibly, the …