By Samuel Forey
Published today at 4:00 am (Paris)Subscribers only
Feature'Suez, a historic canal' (5/6). The waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea is a vital artery for global trade. To travel through it, vessels must comply with strict regulations and pay transit fees that can reach nearly $1 million.
For those on land, watching ships pass through the Suez Canal feels like seeing vessels sailing through the desert. For a sailor, it is a completely different experience. "We spend our lives at sea. At night, it's black. During the day, it's blue. So, when we go through the canal, it warms our hearts," shared Ravikumar Chawdary, with a broad smile, when we met him in June. "We feel like we're on land. There are people sitting at café terraces, others swimming, cars honking their horns."
The 45-year-old Indian engineer had just spent four months aboard a Suezmax-class oil tanker, vessels built to the dimensions of the Suez Canal and capable of carrying up to 240,000 metric tons of crude oil for the largest ones. He was checking in at the Red Sea Hotel in Suez with his colleague Rey Salvi, a navigator from the Philippines, who had just finished a six-month stint at sea. "It's always an experience to cross a canal, whether it's Suez or Panama. Especially the first time. For shipowners, it saves time, but also fuel and wear on the vessels. They're looking for every possible saving," the sailor explained. He confirmed that navigating the canal was tricky. Six Egyptian pilots took turns guiding the tanker along the entire length.
Piloting is always carried out by Egyptian operators from the Suez Canal Authority, who retain responsibility for maneuvering the vessel, even though the captain remains legally responsible for the ship. A single transit typically requires between three and six pilots, who take turns at fixed points in Port Said, Ismailia and Suez. Each one has in-depth knowledge of the specific portion of the canal for which they are responsible.
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