Stuck in the Suez Canal – the short version (2021)
a day ago
- During the 1967 Six-Day War, 14 cargo ships from 8 nations were trapped in the Great Bitter Lake section of the Suez Canal when Egypt blocked both ends of the canal.
- The crews stranded on these ships formed the Great Bitter Lake Association (GBLA), an autonomous community that abolished nationalities and organized sports, sailing, stamp making, and social events.
- Key GBLA activities included monthly regattas, weekly football tournaments, and a Mini Olympics in 1968, along with creative stamp production for mail correspondence.
- After the 1967 war, tensions continued with the War of Attrition and the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, delaying the canal's reopening until 1975.
- The crews maintained the ships for years, trading food and supplies, and eventually relief crews replaced the original seafarers after two months.
- In May 1975, the ships were finally permitted to leave, and the Suez Canal reopened on 5 June 1975, exactly eight years after it was blocked.
- A 50th anniversary reunion in 2017 at the Merseyside Maritime Museum brought together around 100 former seafarers and their families.