Time for owners to evacuate crew stranded by Hormuz stalemate

With little obvious prospect of majority of vessels stuck in the Gulf managing to leave safely any time soon has the time lay-up come. The stalemate around the Strait of Hormuz is nearing the three-month mark with around 1,000 vessels and 20,000 seafarers remaining stranded in the Arabian Gulf.

MSI Managing Director Adam Kent believes the situation is not yet at the stage where owners would look to repatriate crew and lay-up vessels.

“I don’t think we will see owners putting vessels into warm lay-up just yet. The situation around the closure seems quite fluid, with changing announcements almost daily, and I’m sure owners are still keen to capitalise on the opportunity and pent-up demand when the Strait opens. Given it will take time to bring vessels out of lay-up and back into operation, they won’t want to risk the time delay just yet,” Kent said. Read more at Seatrade Maritime