Suez Canal Bribery

The Captain was climbing the wall in Port Suez. He was pulling his hair out, and every time he came out of his cabin he would scream and bash his head against the bulkhead in frustration. The problem was that the Customs, Officials of all shapes and sizes, the Health Authorities and the Canal Authorities (and others), were all wanting something and it was too much for the poor wee man.

Let me make it quite plain at this early stage of this article that bribery is the only way to get through the Canal. I appreciate the fact that this is not mentioned in any Canal literature or Maritime Agency guideline but take it as true that if you dont bribe then you will not be going through. Well, you might be going through but only after a five day or so delay and the cost of doing so will have tripled. Bribery is an accepted form of 'making life move forwards' in Egypt. Every single official expects to receive gifts and if they do not receive anything then they feel hurt and abused. They will then make life difficult for you, most likely by following the letter of the law which will create traumas and continuing nightmares for the Captains involved.

Bribery is necessary to get a ship through the Canal at reasonable cost and on the day that you want to go through.

Our Captain

Out Captain was a little Scottish miser and he had decided that he was going to get through the Canal without greasing any palms along the way. The rest of us on the ship tried to tell him that the only way to get through was to "pay-the-piper" but he was decided on his course of action. So that was why he was pulling his hair out as every official that came onboard got upset when they received nothing so they made life difficult for him. The Agent was one of the worst and he spent nearly five hours trying to break down the Captain: to make him crack. For five hours they went on and on. The agent would request some document and the Captain would find it for him. The Agent would then ask for six copies to be made of this document and the Skipper would trundle on up to the bridge to make them. Upon returning the Agent would be sitting there with his files closed and would engage the Captain in some polite conversation about the weather or something equally inane.

The skipper thinking that he was nearly finished with this man was drawn into a relaxed state of mind when suddenly the agent would pounce once again. Opening his files the agent would say, "see Captain, now need full list of tanks, Fuel Oil, water, lubricating Oil and need how much is in them. Terrible yes, but see Captain here, write down in Canal Instructions. Must have Tank Capacities. Yes Captain, you have any cigarettes, maybe bottle whisky? You have nothing for agent Captain? Okay, we must need Tank Capacities and need ten photocopies each document, see written here need documents ten copies. You get now for me urgent! Maybe you have tobacco or perfume for me?"

Now whether the official is a Customs Officer or some lowly errand boy they are all quite blatant in their approach to gaining bribes.

Our Skipper eventually broke down when our agent suddenly said that he did not know what a platform supply vessel was. Captain, you have this ship, I dont know. You must give me letter from office saying your vessel type and name. Also say that you not have cargo. You have maybe biscuits or coffee, I like coffee. Or you have some Cigarettes? Why dont you have cargo on this ship? Yes, our poor Skipper broke down and ended up giving to him (after five hours of defiance) a bottle of perfume that he had bought to take home to his wife. The agent was rapt with this unusual gift and upon receiving it all of the impending paperwork that had been taken out for action suddenly disappeared and our ship was instantly cleared for take-off. And if our skipper had given this 'gift' right at the beginning when the agent first appeared onboard we would have had the clearance with little ado. Well out skipper learnt the hard way!

Cigarettes

Ships planning ongoing through the Canal normally stock up with many cartons of Cigarettes for the pure purpose of bribery. Our company had given to us one box of twenty cartons for this reason and these had been delivered in Malta before we set sail for the Canal. But our Captain was wary about giving these out as even before we had got alongside in Port Suez three Cartons had been given to the Pilots who wouldnt leave until they received a gift. So at that rate he was worried that he would not have enough to get through the Canal safely - the reason why the agent got the perfume.

In actual fact the Pilots went overboard in their desperation to get some smokes out of us. We had arranged to pick up the pilot as per usual at the boarding ground before proceeding in to the Port of Suez. Not really a port that needs a Pilot but then I suppose how are the Pilots supposed to get their cut if they don't come onto the vessels. Anyway, we had slowed down and the Pilot Cutter drew up beside our boarding ladder. But he would not come onboard. He shouted up to the crew that he wanted Cigarettes before joining the vessel and after much palaver a carton of 200 was handed down to him. He looked at that carton as if it was 'dirt' and then looked at the Crew and put his fingers up a basic message to state that another carton was required before he would step foot on the vessel. Once again our skipper was pressurized into reducing his precious stock and eventually after this carton was handed down the Pilot clambered up onto our vessel.

But it did not stop there. The Pilot went up to the bridge but basically refused to take charge of the navigation of the vessel. Our skipper increased the speed and pointed the bows towards the Port of Suez whilst the pilot just looked out of the window with his arms crossed and in complete silence. Meanwhile on the back deck the crew where watching the antics of the pilot launch. This boat was racing alongside our vessel occasionally touching our sides with the cutter then bouncing back off in alarming fashion. The driver of the cutter kept his finger on the horn so along with the occasional bang we had this loud and annoying braying noise to cope with. And from the Pilot launch figures kept on emerging (when they thought it safe to do so) and sticking their fingers up and shouting "cigarettes, cigarettes".

The Captain on the bridge was suffering on two scores. He felt obliged to slow down for safety reasons as court enquiries and an Egyptian jail did not paint a nice picture should he smash up the pilot launch. And another reason for slowing down was that he simply did not know which berth to dock at or where to go in the Port of Suez seeing as how the pilot was incommunicado. Well, to cut a long story short the skipper was forced into handing down a third carton of smokes to the desperate bunch in the pilot cutter. He handed them down to a now happy and smiling crew and returned to be greeted by a happy and informative pilot, one who acted as if nothing untoward had occurred and one who directed that ship into port with skill and grace.

If bribes are not given the reverberations are enormous. If the pilot does not receive his gift he will inform the next pilot (more pilots required for the outward journey from the Port of Suez and more still for the Canal Transit). This next pilot will then be extremely annoying in nature like not tuning up or arriving late and not directing the ship as he should do and this will continue down the line. If Health officials palms are not greased problems could be found with he vessel, if the Search Light Company does not receive the gift the cost of fitting tow or more searchlights will be astronomical and the Lifting Device Company will delay you ship for a few days whilst chain blocks and lifting devices of amazing proportions will be fitted. Of course should a carton of Cigarettes pass their way across into the hands of the guy/official hanging around all work lists and requirements will suddenly vanish.

As with any system or clique the size and scale of bribery in Egypt is massive to say the least. And it is an acceptable form or way of life especially for those running the canal. Bribery and palm-greasing is the means for which many a family gain income and manage to survive and without which they would starve. So whether we in the Western World condemn this type of action or not is of no import, we are in their country and so we should accept their values.

The Final Straw

The last straw for our Captain was when the Search Light Company man turned up at midnight (with us having been there since midday) and dragged the Captain out of bed to discuss the fitting of the searchlight forward that we were suddenly required to have for the transit regardless of the fact that we had three searchlights of our own and ones that were more powerful than anything they could fit. We had all been up late tidying up the mess that the shopkeepers had left and tying to work out if we had enough food left to get us to the Sri-Lanka at the very least. So by midnight those of us that could were asleep in bed, trying to get a few winks before starting off to join the convoy at 0300hrs.

The noise coming from the corridor woke us all up. Staggering out of bed and out of the door I became witness to a mad and scary Scotsman with untamed hair screaming down the stairs at a visibly frightened Egyptian man. Our Skipper had finally cracked.

The mate sorted the problem out by grappling with the Scary man and pulling him into his cabin probably dowsed him in whisky to calm him down. I went to see the Salesman from the Search Light Company and between us we came to the amicable solution that one carton of cigarettes and our last jar of strawberry jam would negate the requirement for any more searchlights. He went away with his trophies and I returned to bed, whishing that we were through to the other side and on our way.

Ship Travelling North
Photo Copyright © Ieuan Dolby, 2006

0300hrs. I have the started the engines and the thrusters are on the board. The crew is all on standby forward and aft for the ropes and we have our position number in the convoy of 13.

0330hrs. The Pilot is still not here and we have missed our place in the convoy.

0400hs. Pilot has arrived but is standing at the bottom of the gangway and refusing to come onboard. Our Captain has decided not to give him anything.

0415hrs. Now we are on the way, last position in the convoy but at least we are moving. The mate decided that he didnt want to stay another night in Port Suez so he ran downstairs and gave the Pilot his smokes.

We are on the way. The Pilot is happy with his gift and the crew and I are all happy to be on the way. Only the Captain remains unhappy but it is a small price to pay for freedom.