<p>Just got a call from my son who is a B Splitter. He is on a MSC ship in a foreign port and he said the USCGA Bark Eagle just took up mooring next to his ship. He said he is looking forward to giving the Coasties a tour of his working ship. He said he would wear his clean Kings Point Uniform for the tour. How great, very proud Dad.</p>
<p>that is so cool...my son is on his way back to suez,red sea and persian gulf..I do hate reading these stories of the msc's having to fire warning shots at small boats. Mine is not on an msc, but a maersk cargo ship...hope all is quiet when he gets there...</p>
<p>My son did that passage last fall on a bulk carrier, he loved it. Going thru the Suez was a highlight.</p>
<p>The Suez is a great experience. The vessel transits the narrow canal yet normally does so without err. What is scary is when the pilot will yell the heading and say "keep her in the canal" then hurry off to the bridge wing, roll out his rug and begin to pray...ekk.</p>
<p>Do not worry so much about the ships firing warning shots. It happens. Usually, they give a verbal warning (which the locals probably do not understand) then the fire a warning flare which usually gets the attention of the fisherman who promptly turns his little boat away from the ship.</p>
<p>To be honest, I really disliked the Suez, the first time it was interesting, because it's the first time. The second time was terrible.
Between the heat, the smell, the incompetent pilots, the bribery, Charlie Brown and maybe the fact I went through during Ramadan really turned me off the whole Suez trip. OR the fact that I have decided I hate the Middle East in general.</p>
<p>The Panama Canal however, is a really fun experience.</p>