* Work on the ship can most likely only work during high tide. This will prolong the process.
* Many of the floating crane barges necessary to offload container weight function via strict contracts. Even if a ship is 'available' leaving a port early is breach of contract, further complicating the logistics of bringing help. The availability of specialized vessels to assist is essentially random right now.
* It's an oversight that the Suez Canal allows ships to traverse without tug/tow boats with high wind conditions (which probably led to oversteering). The Panama Canal has a more robust escort system that should probably be replicated in the Suez Canal to prevent this in the future.
* The excavators on the shore from earlier today are likely doing absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. Offloading weight via cargo and fuel with good tide conditions is likely to be more useful.
* His project estimate to completely remove the ship from the canal SAFELY is six to twenty weeks (worst case) of around the clock planning and operations. Big boats are dangerous and rushing could lead to casualties or even worse blocking hazards.
* The biggest roadblock might be procuring the specialized crane barges. He tried to explain to me what the difference was between the specialized cranes necessary for this ship and other crane ships but it went over my head.
He loves this stuff, so I can ask him a few other questions.
Edit:
* I asked him about the helicopter idea and he likes it as an aid to a larger crane operation. He doesn't know much about helicopters, but he does believe that with the right weight/container distribution it could help speed up the process significantly.