Lessons from the Evergiven
This is the opinion of Hailee Thayer, CSB senior
Yes, I’m bringing up the event that seemed to have TikTok in a chokehold for a couple months in 2021—the ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal. Now, for those who don’t remember, the cargo ship, Evergiven, was caught in a windstorm that caused it to rotate and get stuck in the canal. This happened on March 23, 2021, and was my entire TikTok feed for a good two months.
There was a lot of confusion as to who was responsible, and the Suez Canal Authorities wouldn’t let the Evergiven leave port until the fees were paid (don’t worry though, it left and is currently heading out of the Gulf of Suez). However, the captain of the Evergiven should not be the one held accountable for the damages caused, the pilot should be.
When big boats like the Evergiven or other cargo boats must navigate difficult terrains or go under bridges, they are almost always required to have a pilot. Pilots are specially trained captains who go aboard these big boats and navigate them through difficult terrain, which reduces the likelihood of an accident occurring. Pilots are trained to know the currents, hazards and depths of the waterway they are navigating.
If you want a domestic example, look at the Sunshine Skyway Bridge that connects Tampa to St. Petersburg in Florida. If you look closely enough you will see a building near the bridge. That’s where the pilots stay when they are on duty.
Cargo ships in this area are required to bring a pilot on board when going under the bridge to prevent accidents, like when the bridge was hit and collapsed in 1980. For a tricky area like the Suez Canal, this is especially important.
The Suez Canal is believed to have pilots who aren’t properly trained or paid well enough. It is extremely hard to navigate the canal (I played the CNN game), so it comes as no surprise that the Evergiven got stuck because of poor training.
The canal itself is already narrow, and when winds of any speed are factored in, it becomes close to impossible to make your way through it. So, the captain of the Evergiven should not be held responsible for the blockage in the Suez Canal because they weren’t the one navigating.
The Suez Canal Authorities should be held responsible for the damages because of the supposed lack of training and proper pay for their employees. They are the ones responsible for training and paying their pilots well to ensure that cargo ships make it through without trouble.
The Suez Canal pilots should be trained extensively to know the ins and outs of the canal and any hazards that could come with it, so when it comes to an accident like this, and it is found that the pilot is poorly trained or isn’t paid well enough for what they do, it is on the authorities to fix the problem and take the damages on themselves.